After a rough start to the season, Evan Bouchard has reached an impressive level of play in the 2025-26 season. The Edmonton Oilers defenseman is putting together one of the best offensive seasons in recent memory, with 20 goals and 84 points in 73 games. Both his 20 goals and 84 points are career highs and make him the highest-scoring defenseman in the NHL this season. With nine games to go, he is very likely to reach 90 points. This performance has begun to be recognized by national media and NHL fans.

While there are still some occasional defensive issues, Bouchard's offensive skills are among the best in the NHL. It is not surprising that his name is increasingly mentioned in Norris Trophy conversations. After years of dominating the playoffs, he seems to have found a way to be elite in the regular season as well. As the points continue to accumulate, Hockey Canada's management looks worse and worse.

Many Oilers fans, and others around the NHL, expected Bouchard to be named to Canada's roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. He fell short, and although there was plenty of outrage at the time, Canada managed to silence critics after winning the tournament. However, despite the victory in the 4 Nations, many felt that Canada's defense could be improved for the Olympics. Hockey Canada's management, however, seemed to think differently, opting to bring back the same defensemen, which meant that Bouchard was left out once again.

This turned out to be a massive mistake, as Canada struggled to score in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the gold medal game against the United States. Although they managed to overcome the Czech Republic and Finland, that lack of offense proved costly in what was a 2-1 loss in the gold medal game.

Instead of including Bouchard, Hockey Canada chose Cale Makar, Drew Doughty, and Colton Parayko as their right-handed defensemen. Makar was always a sure bet, of course, but there is no doubt that Bouchard would have had a much more positive impact than Doughty and Parayko. Detractors will point to his untimely mistakes, but they forget how good he is when the games matter most. Bouchard raises his game in big moments, as he showed in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

If it hadn't been for Connor McDavid's incredible performance in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Conn Smythe could have gone to Bouchard. Despite the Oilers coming up short, the now 26-year-old put on a performance for the ages with 32 points in just 23 games.

That kind of performance in the playoffs wasn't a one-off either. In his second NHL season, Bouchard recorded 17 points in just 12 playoff games. Last year, when the Oilers were once again in the Stanley Cup Final, he scored 23 points in 22 games. In 75 career playoff games to date, he has 20 goals and 81 points. What hurts Bouchard is the way his defensive mistakes are analyzed. That's what many outsiders see, without paying attention to the games to recognize all the good he does. While he will never be a perfect defender, the analytics show that he is much better in his own zone than he is given credit for.

Based on what he has shown this season and throughout his playoff career, it is almost impossible to see Canada leaving Bouchard off its roster for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. His skillset is unique and has proven to be very beneficial. To give themselves the best chance to get revenge on the United States, Hockey Canada's management needs to admit their mistake and correct it by including Bouchard on their best-on-best rosters in the future.

Hockey Canada's management needs to recognize the mistake of not including Bouchard and correct it in the future. His skill is unique and beneficial to the team. Bouchard's exclusion from the Canadian Olympic team has been widely criticized, especially after the team's lack of scoring. Many Oilers fans, and others around the NHL, expected Bouchard to be named to Canada's roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. However, this was not the case. Hockey Canada's management, however, seemed to think differently, opting to bring back the same defensemen, which meant that Bouchard was left out once again.