Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard scored a career-high 21 goals and led all defencemen with 95 points in 2025-26.
Despite pacing all blueliners in point production, Bouchard was not named one of the finalists for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the league’s best defenceman, finishing fourth behind winner Zach Werenski, Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes.
When it was announced that he was left off the final ballot, Bouchard admitted the snub was upsetting.
“When I saw that come out, I was definitely upset a little bit,” Bouchard said on TSN OverDrive last May. “Stings a little bit, but you know what? You get back at it, and you forget about it.”
This season, Bouchard has come screaming out of the gates and is scoring at a historic pace.
After tallying two goals and adding an assist in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, the 26-year-old now leads the NHL with six goals and is tied for second with 11 points, trailing only teammate Connor McDavid.
The Oakville, Ont., native is the fifth defenceman in NHL history to score at least 10 points through the first four games of a season. He is also just the second defenceman to reach six goals through the first four games of a season, joining Harry Cameron, who had eight, in the first four games of the 1917-18 season with the Toronto Arenas.
| Fewest Games to 10+ Points by a Defenceman | Games | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Pat Stapleton | 3 | 1968-69 |
| Harry Cameron | 3 | 1917-18 |
| Evan Bouchard | 4 | 2026-27 |
| Morgan Rielly | 4 | 2018-19 |
| Bobby Orr | 4 | 1975-76 |
“This is another reminder that Evan Bouchard is one of the top elite, point-producing defencemen in the NHL and, yes, should absolutely contend for the Norris Trophy,” said TSN’s Carlo Colaiacovo. “You can tell this is something that Bouchard is wearing. He’s playing with a big chip on his shoulder. He’s got a lot of receipts he’s kept of things people have said about him, and it’s kind of insulting in a way that a guy can produce that good of a season and not get rewarded for it.”
While Bouchard’s offensive impact is unquestioned, the narrative that he can, at times, struggle in his own zone continues to cloud how people view his contributions to Edmonton’s success.
However, Bouchard’s Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl poked fun at that perception of Bouchard and said the team is more than happy to have him on the ice.
“It’s pretty funny how he’s viewed around the league, in my eyes. But people can continue to see it that way, and we’ll gladly have him on the ice,” said Draisaitl.
His presence on the ice has not negatively affected Edmonton’s defensive efforts, as the Oilers are outscoring opponents 11-1 at five-on-five while Bouchard is on the ice.
Bouchard’s incredible start has vaulted him ahead of last year’s Norris finalists (Hughes - four points; Makar - three points; Werenski - two points) as he looks poised to record the first 100-point season of his career.
“Look at the company he’s dealing with. Makar, Hughes, and now Werenski. Three of the elite defencemen in the league that have won Norris Trophies. He has to somehow overtake one of those guys to allow himself to win this trophy,” said Colaiacovo.
“We all know how elite he is offensively. He’s got to find a way to clean his game up defensively and become more trusted. He’s got to show that he can be an all-around defenceman. If he gets 100 points, he will win the Norris Trophy.”