Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard is not unfamiliar with criticism, having been the subject of brutal, unrelenting social media backlash. Despite his elite numbers, Bouchard remains a contentious figure, with many believing his omission from the Olympic roster was unfair.
Despite all of the noise, Bouchard has been at the top of his game since December, even through the Oilers’ churn of faces on the blue line. As such, Bouchard’s name has been thrust into the Norris Trophy conversation despite criticism from multiple quarters. However, a former NHL blueliner is confident in Bouchard’s fit for the award this year.
Chris Pronger Names Evan Bouchard as Leading Norris Trophy Candidate
With their latest shutout victory over the Seattle Kraken, the Oilers have now extended their winning streak to four games: an achievement that has eluded Edmonton all season long.
For the most part, the team has struggled to win three consecutive games this season. Since the turn of the year, however, Bouchard has played a massive role in stabilizing their rocky blue line, and his Norris Trophy campaign is second to none.
Bouchard has scored in 11 of the 14 games the Oilers have played in March. The Ontario native has 86 points in 75 games so far, leading the scoreboard among NHL defensemen by far. Despite his exploits, Bouchard is not universally accepted as a worthy candidate for the Norris Trophy, and much of that has to do with his perceived lack of defensive play on the ice.
Appearing on “The Athletic Hockey Show”, Pronger seemed cognizant of Bouchard’s drawbacks. Nonetheless, the Hall of Famer stated that the Oilers defenseman should lead the list of Norris Trophy candidates. “Evan Bouchard is a guy that should be near the top of this list when you look at not only his offensive statistics, but from a defensive metric standpoint,” Pronger said.
Bouchard’s play is offense-minded, that much is not up for debate, but that has been one of the pressing critiques about him, especially in the wake of the Oilers struggling defensively for much of the season. Pronger points out that as the leading blueliner on the Oilers’ roster, Bouchard should calibrate his play to deliver a stronger defensive effort.
“The biggest issue in Edmonton is how they defend and their competitive nature when they get into the defensive zone, and their mindset. As their best defenseman, he is the lead dog in that respect… and so from that perspective, I think he has to understand that,” Pronger stated, straightening expectations for Bouchard.
Pronger emphasized the leadership role Bouchard should assume as the team’s top defenseman, given the team’s significant struggles in that regard. “You have to really be diligent and competitive to show your teammates, ‘this is how we need to play to defend.'”
Bouchard also commands a hefty salary of $10.5 million, meaning the pressure on him is not just to put up numbers but also to assume a more proactive role inside the locker room.
