BLOG: Bouchard displaying immense growth as career year continues

EDMONTON, AB – For all of the offensive exploits of Evan Bouchard, his Oilers teammates still think that the 24-year-old could have even more to show for it this season if he took every opportunity to shoot that came to him.

When you own the type of shot that he does, it’s easy to see why they want to feed the 24-year-old every chance they get.

“I think he should shoot it more. I think he's got more chances to shoot it,” Connor McDavid said. “He shoots it so well, we tell him when he gets a chance to shoot it, he should pull the trigger. Nobody shoots it quite like he does, but with that being said, he's also such a smart player and you can see his playmaking ability too, and he uses it as kind of a deception every now and then to make another great play.

“Obviously he's a really smart player, but he shoots the puck like no one I've seen before.”

Bouchard has produced three goals and six assists in his last four games to lift him into third overall in Oilers scoring this season behind only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and ahead of Zach Hyman who has a team-leading 33 goals.

His 53 points in 52 games this campaign are only three away from tying Chris Pronger for the most by an Oilers defenceman since Paul Coffey during the 1986-87 NHL season when the Hall of Famer and current Oilers assistant coach put up 67 points (17 goals) in 59 games as Edmonton went on to win their third Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Five of Bouchard’s 14 goals this year have been of the game-winning variety, including two in overtime, after he scored the game-winner 30 seconds into sudden death against the Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon at American Airlines Center to clinch the first of Edmonton's back-to-back victories.

"It's obviously good to hear," Bouchard said. "It kind of goes back to team success and reflects on individual success. When the team's doing well, individuals usually do well and that's kind of what's happening right now."

Bouchard not only owns his patented Bouch Bomb, but his seeing-eye wrist shot can be just as dangerous with his ability to get pucks through from the point and pick his corners seemingly on command.

The Oakville, Ont. product sniped his first of two goals on a wrist shot that beat Jake Oettinger top shelf glove side in the second period against Dallas before sifting one through traffic in extra time, placing his shot over the Dallas netminder's blocker to earn Edmonton the extra point.

Carrying on with the theme of team success, Bouchard complimented the forwards for the work they're doing in front of the opposition's net to cause chaos around the crease when he has the puck on his stick.

"I guess it kind of depends on the play. Every play is different," Bouchard said. "Whenever you have a screen, whether it's shooting the other way that the goalie's looking, but we're doing a good job the past couple of weeks of getting to the net. I think that helps a lot."

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch has enjoyed having the talisman defenceman at his disposal since his arrival behind the bench in mid-November and lauded not only the defenceman's shooting ability, but also his playmaking that's helped unlock his teammates for scoring opportunities in transition from his playmaking that begins in the defensive zone.

"I've seen a lot from him. I don't know about him growing or flourishing, but obviously he's succeeding," Knoblauch said. "From what I've seen, pretty much from when I got here, I've been impressed with him. He's been able to move the puck up really well. His defensive details are good. There are some reminders to keep his feet moving, but he's able to check a lot better.

"He and Ekholm have done a heck of a job in that aspect, and when we talk about offensive production, he's able to get the puck to his linemates or whoever he's out there with and then also, he's got a pretty good shot from the point.

"We talk a lot about the Bomb, the big shot and the slap shot, but you see his goals and the majority of them are just little sifters; finding a little spot and having that nice wrister and putting it in.

"His numbers say a lot about how well he's playing, and sometimes numbers lie, but this one definitely doesn't."