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Edmonton Oilers defenceman Bouchard snubbed for Norris Trophy

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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May 7 2026, 4:09 pm
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Bouchard snubbed for Norris Trophy
Perry Nelson/Imagn Images

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard won’t be winning the Norris Trophy after all.

In fact, not only will he not win the award, but he failed to finish as one of the top-three finalists.

There had been some serious steam picking up, particularly late in the season, over whether or not the Oilers blueliner deserved the award. His 95 points led all defencemen, though it appears that the vast majority of voters couldn’t look past some of his defensive flaws.

The NHL released the three finalists for the prestigious award this morning: Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres), Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche), and Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets).

What’s interesting about Bouchard being left off the ballot is the fact that he’s the first to lead all defencemen in scoring and not finish as a Norris Trophy finalist since his former teammate, Tyson Barrie, back in 2020-21. That season saw Barrie lead all blueliners with 48 points in 56 games, only to not receive a single vote for the Norris.

As you can expect, many Oilers fans are frustrated with the outcome.

“Why is Makar there,” one user wrote on X. “Bouchard has been much better than Makar this year.”

Bouchard isn’t alone on the list of snubs, either.

Many have chimed in questioning why Quinn Hughes wasn’t a finalist, while others feel that Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings deserved a nomination.

Along with defensive miscues, one issue many seem to have with Bouchard is the fact that he gets plenty of power-play points on a five-man unit that also features Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. That isn’t necessarily a fair claim, however, as he also led all blueliners in even-strength points with 60 this season.

What makes this very clear is that, whether fair or not, Bouchard has gained the reputation of being a defensive liability. With his impressive points total this season, it’s the only way to explain how he was snubbed from being a finalist.

It isn’t just Oilers fans upset with the result, either. The official team account posted a video shortly after the finalists were named that showcase some of Bouchard’s highlights from the 2025-26 season.

Though certainly a disappointment for Bouchard, he’s got bigger things to focus on right now, as he is set to represent Canada at the IIHF World Championships later this month.

Bouchard will be joined by Darnell Nurse on Canada’s back end, while Mattias Ekholm will suit up for Sweden. Last but not least of the Oilers representatives is Josh Samanski, who will represent Germany.

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