OilersNation has reported:

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard’s defensive reputation may overstate his shortcomings, according to three seasons of five-on-five tracking data. The numbers show weaknesses in recovering loose pucks and managing possession, alongside strengths in defending zone entries and moving the puck out of his own end.

Bouchard, 26, is one of the NHL’s most polarizing players. Some regard him as among the league’s best defencemen, while others argue that mistakes in his own zone prevent him from reaching the game’s elite. His offensive ability is widely recognized, but costly turnovers and defensive errors from previous seasons have circulated online and helped shape his image as a liability.

A few weeks ago, TSN’s OverDrive analyst Mike Johnson questioned whether Bouchard belongs in the same group as Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski. “I just don’t think both sides of the puck are there to be considered the best in the league year over year,” Johnson said.

An assessment of Bouchard’s defensive game using data tracked by AllThreeZones over the past three seasons points to a more mixed picture. The figures are percentile rankings among defencemen: a player in the 80th percentile ranks above roughly 80 per cent of the league’s defencemen in that category.

Bouchard’s strongest results include preventing opponents from carrying the puck into the Oilers’ zone. Last season, he ranked in the 84th percentile for stopping opposing entries with possession, ahead of each of the three Norris Trophy finalists from that season. He also ranked in the 68th percentile for denying zone entries altogether last season, after placing in the 90th percentile in 2024-25.

Those results suggest Bouchard can disrupt an attack before it gets established in Edmonton’s zone. They contrast with the common focus on his mistakes once the puck is already in the defensive end, and show that his work at the blue line has been a strength in the tracking data.

He has also been effective at moving the puck out of his own zone while maintaining possession, particularly through passes. His ranking for possession exits fell to the 50th percentile last season, but he had ranked in the 85th and 89th percentiles in the two seasons before that. A controlled exit can help the Oilers turn defence into attack, especially with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the team.

The data also identify notable weaknesses. Bouchard’s ranking for recovering loose pucks in the defensive zone has generally hovered around or below the league median. His results are worse for successful retrievals, which track recoveries that lead to successful zone exits: he has consistently ranked below the median in that category.

A failure to recover and clear a loose puck can leave an opponent in control and extend pressure in Edmonton’s zone. In this area, Bouchard’s results trail those of elite defencemen. Each of last season’s three Norris Trophy finalists ranked at least in the 89th percentile for successful retrievals.

Puck management is another concern. The measure compares how a player’s decisions with the puck affect expected goals against with the league average on similar plays under similar pressure. Bouchard ranked in the 24th percentile last season, lending support to criticism of his decisions in possession. In the two previous seasons, however, he ranked in the 55th and 79th percentiles, so the weakest result has not been a consistent pattern across all three years.

The individual tracking figures do not by themselves capture Bouchard’s full defensive impact at five-on-five. Defensive wins above replacement, or WAR, estimates a player’s contribution to limiting expected goals against and offers another way to assess that impact. His defensive WAR ranking shifted considerably, from the 56th percentile in 2023-24 to the 33rd in 2024-25, then up to the 73rd this past season.

Those rankings do not establish Bouchard as an elite defender by the WAR measure. They also do not point to the consistently poor impact expected of a major defensive liability. Edmonton’s five-on-five expected goals against per 60 minutes, or xGA/60, have generally been comparable with Bouchard on the ice and with him off it, even though he regularly faces tougher matchups.

A photograph from March 8, 2025, shows Bouchard battling Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment for a loose puck during the second period at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Marchment wore No. 27 and Bouchard No. 2. The image was credited to Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.

The data do not erase the flaws in Bouchard’s defensive game. His below-median results for successful retrievals and his inconsistent puck management are legitimate concerns, and his WAR rankings have varied from season to season. The figures instead suggest that defensive mistakes should not be treated as proof that he is poor overall in his own end.

Bouchard is not Nicklas Lidström defensively, but the three-season assessment indicates that the label of defensive liability has been overblown. The report was presented by Southview Acura, a family-owned and operated business offering new and certified pre-owned Acuras. The dealership says its service is built on trust and precision and invites customers to visit in person or online at www.SouthviewAcura.com, describing its offering as “where luxury meets reality.”