Former Oiler lauds Evan Bouchard for removing major defensive errors that "plagued" him in regular season

Evan Bouchard and the Edmonton Oilers are close to reaching the Stanley Cup Final again, needing one more win in the Western Conference finals. On Wednesday, NHL analyst Jason Strudwick spoke about the star Oilers defenseman on SC with Jay Onrait.

Strudwick said that Bouchard has fixed the big mistakes that hurt his game in the past.

"What I love about Bouchard is he's removed the massive error from his game," Strudwick said (7:13).

During the 2024-25 regular season, Bouchard struggled defensively in certain games. There were eight games after January in which he finished with a -2 rating.

Nevertheless, the team finished near the top of the Western Conference, and Bouchard played a key role. The offense, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, was strong all season. Bouchard helped on defense with a plus- rating of 14 and power plays, with three goals and 23 assists.

Strudwck praised Bouchard’s passing and shot, calling it the Bouch bomb and also said that Bouchard has become more physical and smart on the ice.

"He is a really good player," Strudwck said. "He's a really elite passer. He's got a great shot - The Bouch bomb. But what has plagued him is those big mistakes where he takes too much risk onto his plays, he's not moving that puck really well. He hasn't had those big errors, and he's been physical.

Evan Bouchard is a great playmaker and registered his second career-high 53 assists this season, after making 64 assists in the 2023-24 NHL campaign.

Strudwck mentioned how Bouchard played tough against Roope Hintz in a recent game.

"We saw him slash the tender foot of Roope Hintz. I love it," Strudwck added.

Evan Bouchard has also been the backbone of the Oilers' depth with his consistent playoff numbers in the past three postseason appearances. This season, he has scored six goals and provided 11 assists for the Oilers.

He scored his career-high playoff points in 2024 with 32, including 26 assists. His good positioning has helped the Oilers in crucial minutes and is trusted in all situations.

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Evan Bouchard could be helpful for Oilers in potential finals against Panthers

In the playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers have kept up their strong plays. They beat the LA Kings in six games in the first round. In the second round, they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. Now, they are ahead 3-1 against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference finals.

If the Oilers win the next game, they will face the Florida Panthers in a repeat of last year's Stanley Cup Final. Last year, Florida beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7. Now, with players like Evan Bouchard improving, Edmonton looks ready to challenge for the Cup again.