Oilers’ GM Stan Bowman says Evan Bouchard has been unfairly criticized in 2024-25

Defenseman Evan Bouchard was one of the Edmonton Oilers‘ most scrutinized players early in the season.

The 6-foot-3 blueliner is coming off a breakout 82-point season, with many expecting him to earn a big payday on his next contract. But the Oakville, Ontario native – who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer – hasn’t been as explosive offensively this year, and his defensive play has been put under the microscope at times.

In a recent interview with Frank Seravalli on the Frankly Speaking podcast, Oilers GM Stan Bowman said he thinks Bouchard has been unfairly criticized this season:

Frank Seravalli: “Evan Bouchard has had an interesting season. He’s been, I think, pretty vocally criticized at times in the media. But speaking of what you were just touching on, he also does so many things that so few players in this league can do. How do you size up his season, and what do you see moving forward for him?”

Stan Bowman: “Yeah, Bouchard does get a lot of criticism, I think unfairly so. He’s a great player. He really is a big part of our team. He’s very effective, and I think sometimes when, for whatever reason, certain players – everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes if your mistakes get spotlighted for whatever reason, then maybe there’s more attention given to it. But he’s played well. He’s very good at complimenting our best players. So that’s an important role.

“When you’ve got really creative offensive players who are forwards, you need to have somebody that can help them score. Is that a skill in and of itself? I was just thinking about this during Four Nations. Just because you put great players with great players doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to see results. Right. It is. I think it’s an overlooked thing. So I think Bouchard’s really good at that. He’s got a ton of patience. He’s got a lot of poise, and I think sometimes that’s what people see. He’s not skating 100 miles an hour, and he’s not running guys over. So maybe there’s this impression that he’s not trying, but he is. He’s very competitive.

“I’ve been very impressed to get to know him. He’s a great athlete. He’s a really talented kid. His style is more he plays a very poised, calm game. I think sometimes that’s mistaken for something which it shouldn’t be. I think he started slow. A lot of our guys didn’t start great in October. Whether that was just the residual from playing a long time last year or getting going when you know how long the season is and you know the grind it is. I don’t know, but I think from November on, Bouchard has done a good job for us. So yeah, he’s an important player, and I think sometimes he probably takes too much criticism.”