Oilers’ Bouchard closing in on top spot in NHL defencemen scoring race
The Edmonton Oilers are rolling with seven-straight wins and defenceman Evan Bouchard is a big reason why.
The contentious offensive defender has been a hot topic for Oilers fans who seem to either love or hate the 24-year-old. Bouchard did have a slow start to the season, and some fans were calling out his lacklustre defensive play with some going as far as wanting him to be traded.
However, over the past month, Bouchard has not only been among the best defencemen on the Oilers but also in the entire league. He is currently on an 11-game point streak, which is tied with Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes for the longest by a defenceman this season.
During that streak, Bouchard has scored five goals and 16 points to get him up to 28 points in 25 games this season. That has rocketed him up to third in points among NHL defencemen, behind Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar and Hughes.
NHL.com
When it comes to scoring goals, the metrics are even more impressive for the former 2018 first-round pick. Bouchard’s eight goals so far this season, many courtesy of his patented “Bouch bomb,” rank second among all NHL defencemen, just one behind Hughes’ nine.
NHL.com
Bouchard also seems to be improving his defensive play of late. According to Natural Stat Trick, Bouchard has an expected goals-for percentage (xGF%) of 64.86 and a high-danger chances-for percentage (HDCF%) of 64.60 during this point streak.
These numbers indicate that the Oilers control the majority of the play while Bouchard is on the ice. While big hits and gritty play in the defensive zone might be how traditional hockey fans dictate a defenceman’s ability, consistently keeping the play moving in the other direction of the ice is also a great way to keep the puck out of the net.
Bouchard has been on pace all season to shatter his previous career-high in points of 43. This most recent stretch now has him projected to get a staggering 92 points.