Oilers Defenceman Evan Bouchard Snubbed as Norris Trophy Finalist – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

There was a bit of an outcry in Oil Country on Thursday (May 7) when the NHL unveiled this season’s finalists for the Norris Trophy, which is awarded annually to the defenceman voted the best at his position by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Despite totalling 14 more points than any other blueliner in the NHL during the 2025-26 season, Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers did not receive enough votes to be one of the three finalists, which include Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres), Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) and Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets).

Spectacular Offensive Numbers

Many Oilers fans believe that Bouchard should win the Norris Trophy this year, let alone just being a finalist. The 26-year-old had spectacular offensive stats in 2025-26, leading all NHL rearguards with 95 points from 21 goals and 74 assists. He’s only the 10^th different defenceman in NHL history to reach 95 points in a season at least once.

Bouchard ranked among the NHL’s top five defencemen in a host of categories, including even-strength goals (14), power-play goals (seven), power-play points (33), game-winning goals (five), and shots (221).  

Bouchard also registered a plus/minus of plus-25, making him the first NHL defenceman with at least 95 points and a rating of plus-25 or better in a single season since 1991-92. He became one of only three blueliners in NHL history with at least 70 assists and five game-winning goals in a season, joining the legendary Paul Coffey and the iconic Bobby Orr.

Reputation for Poor Defensive Play

Despite his generational feats, Bouchard has many detractors. Some believe he’s simply a decent offensive player who puts up otherworldly numbers because he gets to play with superstar forwards Leon Draisaitl and, particularly, Connor McDavid.

However, by far and away the biggest strike against Bouchard continues to be his reputation as a poor defensive player. He’s long been known for committing egregious misplays that often end up with the puck in the back of Edmonton’s net.

But a deeper dive into his defensive metrics reveals that he’s not as terrible defensively as the blooper-reel highlights would lead one to believe. For example, according to Natural Stat Trick, he had a 2.7 expected goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 this season, which is right on par with finalists Dahlin (2.5), Makar (2.7) and Werenski (2.6).

Stacked Field for Norris Trophy

Bouchard is also the victim of a stacked field. Between the Oilers defenceman, the three finalists, Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild), and Lane Hutson (Montreal Canadiens), there were at least six blueliners with a strong case to receive a top-three vote.

When the NHL reveals the voting totals after the winner is announced in June, there might not be a ton of votes separating the finalists from one another, nor fourth or fifth place.

This comes as the NHL is experiencing a renaissance in offensive defencemen. There were 13 blueliners with at least 60 points in 2025-26, the most in a single season since 1992-93.

Norris Voters Weigh Factors Differently

Bouchard’s absence from the 2025-26 Norris Trophy finalists has exposed a massive issue: what factors are considered and how they are weighed on voters’ ballots.

It’s well documented that there are no universally agreed-upon criteria for the Norris Trophy. Some voters put massive stock in goals and assists, while others feel that offence should have nothing to do with an award recognizing defence.

This dichotomy is nothing new, either. In 1983-84, Rod Langway of the Washington Capitals won the Norris Trophy with only 31 points, while Oilers star Coffey wasn’t even a finalist with 126 points. In 2022-23, Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks won the Norris Trophy with a plus/minus of minus-26, while Hampus Lindholm of the Boston Bruins wasn’t even a finalist with a plus/minus of plus-49.

More often than not, however, the Norris Trophy has been awarded to a defenceman that is offensively prolific. Before Bouchard in 2025-26, there had only been 21 instances of a blueliner totalling 95 or more points in a single season, and all but three of them were at least a finalist for the Norris Trophy.

For the record, the NHL website states that the Norris Trophy is awarded “to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.”

NHL Could Introduce New Award

Perhaps the NHL could introduce an award recognizing the best offensive defenceman, in the same vein as how the Selke Trophy honours the best defensive forward. If such an award existed, Bouchard would almost surely be the runaway winner for 2025-26.

As it is, the Edmonton star will just go down as one of the largest snubs in recent memory. And the Oilers will have to wait at least one more year for their first Norris finalist since Coffey won the trophy in 1985-86.