PuckSleuth
2Cap hit
$10.5M
10.1% of $104M cap
Term
3 yrs
Through 2028-29, then UFA
Clause
NMC
Surplus value
+$3.64M
vs. $14.14M market estimate
Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source
2026-27 regular season
GP
2
Goals
4
40.0% shooting
Assists
4
2 primary
Points
8
4.00 per game
TOI/GP
25:01
PP 4:57 · PK 0:36
xGF%
71.3
5v5, +13.6 vs. last yr
Game Score
+4.13
per game
Faceoff %
—
Plus/minus
+5
Blocks 3 · Hits 2
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 @ VAN · W 9-7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 24:21 | 4:36 | 1:12 | — | 67 | 1 | 0 | +3 | +3.02 |
| Sep 29 vs VAN · OTL 6-5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 25:41 | 5:17 | 0:00 | — | 88 | 2 | 0 | +2 | +5.23 |
| Apr 30 @ ANA · L 5-2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 24:11 | 0:00 | 0:08 | — | 86 | 2 | 0 | -3 | -0.28 |
| Apr 28 vs ANA · W 4-1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27:30 | 5:49 | 0:36 | — | 20 | 1 | 1 | +2 | +2.29 |
| Apr 26 @ ANA · OTL 4-3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 22:56 | 1:00 | 3:16 | — | 60 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +1.94 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 1,452 min · percentile vs. NHL defensemen
96th percentile
99th percentile
85th percentile
92nd percentile
99th percentile
91st percentile
80th percentile
87th percentile
87th percentile
99th percentile
94th percentile
97th percentile
44th percentile
88th percentile
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleElite offensive playmaker
Trait percentiles vs. NHL defensemen · 2025-26
Bouchard is a pass-first quarterback on the back line who generates elite scoring chances through high-volume shot creation and exceptional playmaking vision. He plays a perimeter-oriented game that's most dangerous from distance, and his minimal physicality means he avoids the dirty areas where he'd be a liability.
- Shooting volume
- 96
- Playmaking
- 99
- Zone entries(est.)
- 26
- Forechecking
- 38
- Physicality
- 3
- Defensive impact
- 56
- Puck management
- 27
- Speed
- 73
Where he shoots from
Slot 8% · Mid-range 40% · Perimeter 52%(312 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- 99th percentile playmaking makes him a primary offensive engine on the power play and even strength
- 96th percentile shooting volume keeps defenses honest and creates secondary scoring chances
- 73rd percentile speed helps him transition the puck up ice and join the rush
Watch-outs
- 3rd percentile physicality means he rarely engages in board battles or contested play
- 26th percentile zone entries suggest he relies more on set plays than generating chances off the rush
- 38th percentile forechecking means limited impact when the puck is in the opponent's end
Similar style: Rasmus Dahlin (BUF), Shea Theodore (VGK)
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Where his Game Score comes from
2025-26 · 82 GP
Season total +84.9, or +1.04 per game.
- Scoring
- +64.6
- Shooting
- +16.6
- 5-on-5 goals
- +2.7
- Penalty kill
- -0.4
- Physical play
- +5.6
- Puck battles
- -4.5
- Penalties
- +0.4
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | GWG | SOG | S% | TOI | FO% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Edmonton Oilers | 16 | 3 | 6 | 9 | -4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 7.7 | 18:08 | — |
| 2022-23 | Edmonton Oilers | 12 | 4 | 13 | 17 | -4 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 13.8 | 23:00 | — |
| 2023-24 | Edmonton Oilers | 25 | 6 | 26 | 32 | +14 | 22 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 74 | 8.1 | 25:01 | — |
| 2024-25 | Edmonton Oilers | 22 | 7 | 16 | 23 | +6 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 70 | 10.0 | 26:12 | — |
| 2025-26 | Edmonton Oilers | 6 | 1 | 6 | 7 | -7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 12.5 | 24:52 | — |
| Career | 5 seasons | 81 | 21 | 67 | 88 | +5 | 38 | 9 | 42 | 0 | 6 | 220 | 9.5 | 23:40 | — |
Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team.
Usage
Last game: @ VAN, Oct 1
Pair 2 with Mattias Ekholm (12:04 together at 5-on-5) · PP1
From the NHL's shift chart.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- Five Days In, the Shopping Lists Are Out: What All 32 NHL Teams Need After Opening Week
hockeybuzz.com · Oct 3
- Evan Bouchard’s vengeance tour is already rewriting history
theoilrig.ca · Oct 3
- Edmonton Oilers' Evan Bouchard is rewriting NHL history already
dailyhive.com · Oct 2
- Oilers Players Reveal True Thoughts On Evan Bouchard
Yahoo Sports · Oct 2
- NHL EDGE stats: Bouchard’s early case for Norris Trophy
NHL.com · Oct 2
- Oilers’ Evan Bouchard Breaks NHL Record From 1917
Yahoo Sports · Oct 2
- Evan Bouchard, Connor McDavid make waves as Oilers beat Canucks 9-7
Hilton Head Island Packet · Oct 2
- Oilers say Bouchard deserves more recognition as 'elite' defenseman
NHL.com · Oct 2
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average +1.59 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2026-27, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 20.4 mph
- 77th pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 1
- Hardest shot
- 89.0 mph
- 91st pct
- Distance
- 3.9 mi
- OZ time
- 54.8%
- 100th pct
- DZ time
- 27.4%
Age curve
NHL defensemen · production index
At 26, defensemen typically produce 98% of their peak (age 24). His contract runs through age 28, when the typical level is 95%.
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
3 seasons left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | EDM | $10.5M | 10.1% |
| 2027-28 | EDM | $10.5M | 9.3% |
| 2028-29 | EDM | $10.5M | — |
UFA after 2028-29. NMC. $31.5M in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).