Evan Bouchard wrapped up the regular season for 2025-26 on Thursday night with a total of 95 points, placing him among the NHL greats.
At 26 years old, the Edmonton Oilers defenseman concluded the season with 21 goals and 74 assists over 82 games, ranking him 22nd for the most points scored by a defenseman in a single season.
This achievement puts him in the same discussions as legends like Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey. Take a moment to think about that.
He matched the record set by Ray Bourque in the 1986-87 season with the Boston Bruins. Bourque was one of the top defensemen in hockey history, scoring 95 points that year and standing out from the rest. Bouchard has now matched that at just 26 years old.
The Oilers ended their season with a strong 6-1 victory against the Vancouver Canucks, which was a perfect way to finish.
In that game, Bouchard contributed three assists, had a +3 rating, and spent 21 minutes and 52 seconds on the ice during an impressive team effort.
His performance in the last 10 games of the season shows how well he played: he scored 2 goals and got 11 assists for a total of 13 points.
Bouchard’s 95-point season makes a significant mark in the history of the Oilers’ defense players.
Throughout the full 82-game season, his plus/minus rating was +25. This isn’t just luck; it shows he was involved in positive plays all year.
His production on the power play was outstanding, too, with 7 goals and 26 assists. The Oilers’ entire attack depends on him from the back, and the statistics prove it.
He has a salary cap hit of $10.5 million. Considering what he just accomplished, that seems like a good deal.
For some background on how impressive this is: only Erik Karlsson in the 2022-23 season and Roman Josi in 2021-22 have gotten 95 points or more as a defenseman in the recent past. The rest of the names on that list belong to Orr and Coffey from a whole different time in hockey.
Right now, Bouchard isn’t just the greatest defenseman in the history of the Oilers. He’s really making a strong case for being the top offensive defenseman in the entire NHL, without a doubt.
The Oilers ended their season with a record of 41 wins, 30 losses, and 11 overtime losses, totaling 93 points. They did well at the end of the season with a record of 6 wins, 2 losses, and 2 overtime losses in their last 10 games. They will face the Anaheim Ducks in the playoffs starting on April 20.
With Leon Draisaitl out for the remainder of the season because of a lower-body injury, Bouchard’s role in the playoffs has become even more important. Edmonton will rely on him to lead their defense just like he has all year long.
Ninety-five points. Eighty-two games played. Five winning goals. Twenty-six years old.
The only thing left to determine is how well he performs in the playoffs.
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