Evan Bouchard is currently in the hot-seat for lacklustre defensive performance

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Patrick Frost
November 17, 2024 (2:47 PM)

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The Edmonton Oilers took on the Toronto Maple Leafs last night in a game packed with controversy and drama.

With that being said, Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard is currently in the hot-seat for his shaky defensive performance last night.

7 minutes left in the 3rd period, Evan Bouchard went to pass the puck out of the Oilers zone. What is typically a routine play turned out to be a costly turn over as the puck deflected off Connor McDavid, giving Matthew Knies an easy opportunity to tie it up.

The Leafs 3-2 goal was an even worse effort from Bouchard. Leafs forward Bobby McMann won the foot race and Bouchard stopped skating, but then picked up the speed again when he thought the puck went the other way. It was a horrible look to see him skate harder after the goal than on the back check.
-Liam McCormick, Oilers Daily

Evan Bouchard is definitely considered one of the Oilers best defenceman, but two costly mistakes turned out to be the deciding factor in the game.

In Bouchard's defence, goaltender Stuart Skinner failed to bail him out, and Skinner is currently following a bad trend of allowing bad goals late in the game.

Currently this season, Bouchard has 4 points and 6 assists and is a +2 average on the ice. He's set to re-sign with the team in 2025-25, and is reported price tag is hovering around the $11 million dollar area.

Although the Edmonton Oilers managed to walk away with a well deserved point, Evan Bouchard me two costly mistakes, and a player of his calibre cannot let that happen.