As the stakes get higher and as the competition reaches new heights, the NHL playoffs are not for everyone. Even elite superstars can find themselves struggling to rise to the occasion under the bright lights. But, that’s certainly not the case with Evan Bouchard.
On Friday night, the Edmonton Oilers won 3-0 against the Dallas Stars in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, tying the series 1-1. Bouchard led the way with 23:33 TOI, posting a fantastic 67 percent expected goal differential at 5-on-5 and racking up two assists, one of which was a superb DZ stretch pass leading to a goal by Brett Kulak, and the other being the primary assist on the eventual game-winning goal.
In other words, it was simply business as usual for Bouchard.
The 25-year-old defenceman is enjoying a very strong postseason performance overall, currently leading all NHL defencemen with 15 points in 13 games. In addition, his underlying numbers too have been fantastic, as he currently possesses a superb 60 xG% at 5-on-5 in total.
Now, Bouchard can often be a polarizing player on the Oilers amongst both fans and media alike. His occasional tendency to make glaring errors leading to goals or chances against can often spark significant debate regarding his defensive play, as many tend to critique him as “lazy” or “lackadaisical.”
But though there’s no denying that his in-zone play has room for improvement, I’ve always been of the opinion that Bouchard has a very unique calmness in his game, something that is mistaken for “laziness.” Bouchard maintains a consistent level of composure even under pressure, a trait that some may perceive as a lack of intensity, but I believe allows him to truly thrive in high-leverage situations.
“He’s just good, he’s so calm,” said Leon Draisaitl last year on Bouchard. “He makes the right play seemingly every time with the puck on his stick.”
“There’s just no stress in his game.”
This is an opinion that is backed up by the data. In total, Bouchard is now averaging 1.11 points per game in his postseason career, an increase of 0.42 PPG compared to his regular-season rate of 0.69. Per Sportsnet Stats, that is the largest increase in PPG from the regular-season to the postseason by any player in NHL history. Overall, amongst all defenceman who have played a minimum of 50 playoff games in NHL history, Bouchard’s playoff PPG ranks second all-time, only behind one defender – Bobby Orr.
Not bad.
And, it’s not just the individual point production that’s impressive. In the past two playoffs at 5-on-5, Bouchard’s on-ice goal differential per 60 ranks 6th among all defencemen with a minimum of 200 minutes played, while his expected goal differential per 60 ranks first. High-danger chances are 164 to 95 in favour of Edmonton with Bouchard on-ice, equating to an outstanding 63 percent high-danger chance share. And note that these are just the 5-on-5 numbers; it doesn’t even include Bouchard’s fantastic production on the power-play.
Some have claimed that these numbers are simply the result of Bouchard playing consistently next to Edmonton’s offensive superstars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. In the past, many have also claimed that Bouchard is simply a beneficiary of Mattias Ekholm, his most common defensive partner over the most recent seasons. But although he undoubtedly benefits from playing next to each of those players, Bouchard’s results away from them remain just as strong.
With McDavid on-ice, Bouchard holds an impressive 61 xG%, but even without both McDavid and Draisaitl, it remains at an excellent 60 percent. For reference, McDavid drops to 54 percent without Bouchard.
Furthermore, with Ekholm having missed the entirety of the 2025 postseason thus far to injury, Bouchard has undeniably stepped up, possessing a 64 percent expected goal share without Ekholm in total at 5-on-5. In terms of goals, the Oilers are out-scoring opponents at a fantastic rate of 26 to 17 with Bouchard on-ice without Ekholm in the past two playoffs.
Bouchard has even become a staple on Edmonton’s penalty-kill this postseason in Ekholm’s absence, ranking fourth among Edmonton’s defencemen in PK TOI per game, and second in (fewest) on-ice PK shots against per 60.
Simply put, no matter what way you look at it, Evan Bouchard’s playoff results have been extraordinary. As his team looks to make the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight season, Bouchard’s ability to consistently elevate his performance come playoff time has truly solidified him as one of the league’s best defencemen.
*All data via Natural Stat Trick unless stated otherwise
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