Bouchard ‘playing at a very high level’ for Oilers after tough start

EDMONTON -- Evan Bouchard’s high-risk, high-reward play is in complete contrast to his steady demeanor.

Even after the defenseman scored his first NHL hat trick and had a career-high six points for the Edmonton Oilers in their 6-5 overtime win against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Place on Saturday, his feet were planted firmly on the ground.

“I guess that’s kind of how I’ve always been -- try to stay even keel,” Bouchard said. “The highs and lows of the game are definitely a thing, but as long as you can keep it even keel, it usually works out for the best.”

Bouchard became the first Oilers defenseman to score a hat trick since Marc-Andre Bergeron on Jan. 14, 2006, in a 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators. He was also their first defenseman to have six points in a game since Paul Coffey had eight (two goals, six assists) on March 14, 1986 (12-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings).

Kevin Lowe is the only other Oilers defenseman to have six points in a game; he had one goal and five assists in a 10-7 win at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 19, 1983.

“It’s good company for sure, it’s good for me to be on that list,” Bouchard said. “But more importantly, we got the win on a big night.”

Selected with the No. 10 pick at the 2018 NHL Draft, Bouchard is the Oilers’ most productive offensive defenseman since Coffey. The 26-year-old played his 400th regular season game Saturday and is averaging 0.73 points per game (293 points; 69 goals, 224 assists). Coffey (669 points; 209 goals, 460 assists) averaged 1.26 in 532 games with Edmonton.

Only Coffey had more points for the Oilers than Bouchard in a single Stanley Cup Playoff run with 37 (12 goals, 25 assists) in 18 games in 1985. Bouchard had 32 (six goals, 26 assist) in 25 games in 2024, helping the Oilers get to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost in 2-1 in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers.

Yet, despite all his accomplishments, Bouchard remains quiet and reserved.

“He’s not too high, not too low,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. “He had three and three, six points, was plus-5, and he’s the same as if nothing happened.

“He’s a special player. There’s not much else I can say.”

The ability to stay even keel has helped Bouchard at the other end of the spectrum as well.

He went through a rough stretch at the beginning of this season, when giveaways became an issue and may have cost him a spot on Team Canada’s roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

“I think you’re being polite on his first couple games being rough,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “Yeah, he wasn’t his best, he’d admit it. But probably after Game 15, he was starting to get some traction and finding his way.

“He’s been phenomenal for the last two or three months. He’s been playing at a very high level.”

That certainly was on display Saturday.

He scored Edmonton’s first three goals and helped set up the next two in regulation before sending McDavid on a breakaway in overtime. McDavid had two goals and three assists.

“I’m going to make sure my kids watch this game tomorrow morning,” Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “Who can do that in the League today or historically? That’s a game where he wins it for us, really.

“He’s out there with some good players, too, but as an offensive defenseman, I don’t think you can play a better game, honestly.”

Bouchard’s recent play has helped erase the memory of some painful mistakes earlier this season, although his teammates believe he’s long since forgotten about them.

“I think his biggest superpower is that it just falls off him; he doesn’t care, he doesn’t linger on things,” Ekholm said. “He’ll make a mistake, but he’s right back out the next shift and does his thing.

“Tonight, you saw it and you see it most of the nights, but sometimes it’s not going to go his way as well. When that happens, maybe you can think back to this one, because in my opinion he does far more good things than he does bad ones, and I think he’s a top, top defenseman in this league.”

It’s easy to measure Bouchard’s value. He ranks third on the Oilers with 55 points (14 goals, 41 assists) in 53 games, is first in time on ice per game (24:44) and plays on both the power play and penalty kill. He is usually on the ice in the last minute whether Edmonton is leading or trailing.

The Oilers (26-19-8) host the Anaheim Ducks on Monday (8:30 p.m. ET; Prime, KCOP-13, Victory+).

“In my opinion, he’s one of the best defensemen in the League,” Knoblauch said. “I see him every night so maybe I’m a little bit bias, but everything that he does he obviously helps.

“Our power play, our 5-on-5 play, you see how much he drives the play and how much everyone benefits when he’s on the ice.”