Who doesn’t love a good end-to-end rush?

We’ve already covered Connor McDavid’s goal against Utah and all the last-minute postseason heroics, but no goal during the 2024-245 season was prettier than Evan Bouchard’s coast-to-coast marker against the Ottawa Senators.

The Oilers had just thumped Vancouver 7-3 less than two weeks earlier to finally get back to .500. Wins over the Islanders and Predators followed, putting them above the line for good. Then came an OT loss to Toronto and a shutout at the hands of the Canadiens.

That set the stage for a Tuesday night tilt in Ottawa, where the Oilers faced the Sens for the first time that season. Just under four minutes in, Bouchard delivered.

He picked up the puck in his own zone with plenty of ice to work with. He blew past the first wave of defenders, turning it into a one-on-one with Thomas Chabot. And Chabot didn’t stand a chance. Bouchard toe-dragged through him, slipping the puck through his legs with a clean nutmeg.

And to make it even filthier? He pulled the puck to his forehand and roofed it, top shelf. One of the nicest goals of the entire season, and certainly the top of Bouchard’s personal highlight reel.

That year had its share of lowlights for Bouchard, too. More than one brutal turnover led directly to goals against. But as usual, he found another gear in the playoffs. He finished with seven goals and 23 points in the postseason, just a tick below his 2024 numbers when he racked up six goals and 32 points in 25 games.

At $10.5 million annually, his cap hit doesn’t come cheap. But it’s fair value for one of the best puck-moving, offence-generating defencemen in the league, even if the occasional miscue sneaks in.