The Edmonton Oilers are finding results at an important stage of the season as they try to secure their playoff position. Their offense continues to drive outcomes, even while the team deals with some defensive concerns. One name is now getting more attention with each game.
A core Oilers defenseman is shaping his case for the Norris Trophy.
Why Evan Bouchard’s Norris Trophy Case is Growing in the 2025-26 NHL Season
Evan Bouchard played a key role in Edmonton’s 4-3 overtime win against the Vegas Golden Knights. He scored the winning goal shortly after a penalty kill and added an assist in the same game.
Bouchard has now reached 20 goals this season and sits at 84 points through 73 games, which leads all NHL defensemen in scoring. His overall numbers also include 203 shots, 91 blocked shots, and a plus-21 rating, which adds to his growing case in the Norris Trophy race.
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His recent form has helped his standing, with 1 goal and 7 assists in his last 6 games. This run has kept him 7 points ahead of Zach Werenski among defensemen.
Meanwhile, Cale Makar (71 points), Lane Hutson (70 points), and Quinn Hughes (70 points) are following closely behind. Each of these players brings a different style, but Bouchard’s offensive output remains one of the biggest factors in the discussion.
There has still been criticism around turnovers, which continues to follow him despite the numbers. Analyst Mike Kelly addressed that topic while explaining why the concern may be overstated.
He said, “The Oilers are going into this game coming off a 5-2 win. Evan Bouchard had three points in that game. He’s got 82 points, which is five more than any other defenseman in the league coming into action tonight.
“And normally, when you’re the highest-scoring defenseman in the league, you’re a frontrunner for the Norris Trophy, or at least in that conversation. But Evan Bouchard, I don’t know that he is. So let’s get into why that might be. A lot of his detractors are going to tell you, well, it’s the defensive side of the game where he should be taken away from the other leading contenders for the Norris Trophy and not put in that same bucket.”
Kelly also explained that turnover rate should be viewed in context, especially for players who handle the puck often.
“Yeah, Bouchard does turn the puck over quite a bit, as do all the other star players in the league who have the puck on their stick a lot,” Kelly said. “So what we do is we look at turnover rate. Relative to how often you have the puck, how often do you turn it over? And for Bouchard, over the last four years, he’s actually gotten better, and he was never really bad in this sense.”
Kelly further noted that the number of turnovers leading to goals against does not separate Bouchard in a major way from other top contenders.
Former NHL defenseman Jason Demers also added to the discussion with a post on X, where he shared a list of top-scoring defensemen led by Bouchard. He asked fans for their pick in the Norris race, which brought attention to how close the competition has become.
Edmonton’s season has not matched last year’s results, but the team remains second in the Pacific Division and continues to score at a high rate. Connor McDavid leads the group with 121 points, and recent wins have helped maintain their position.
In that setting, Bouchard’s impact continues to grow, both for the team and in the wider Norris Trophy conversation.
