It won’t be long before members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) start voting on the NHL’s most notable trophy candidates. Among the more fascinating races is the one for the James Norris Memorial Trophy. The award honors the league’s best all-around defenseman (winners offer the best combination of elite offense and shutdown defense).
Often overlooked because of his reputation as a one-dimensional offensive specialist, Edmonton Oilers blue-liner Evan Bouchard is changing the conversation and getting some long-overdue love.
A timely poll posted by @SleeperNHL listed the most likely candidates. Bouchard was among them. “If the season ended today, who would be your pick to win the Norris Trophy?” they asked. The options were Bouchard, Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, or someone else.
Hughes and Makar were obvious favorites, and Werenski has surged into the conversation. Finally, Bouchard is right there with them.
Bouchard Has Been Excluded For Too Long
For years, critics have argued his defensive game disqualifies him from true Norris contention. Even a few remaining ignorant fans chimed in with the same tired takes. However, analyst Mike Kelly dismantled that narrative Thursday on Prime Coast to Coast, delivering a data-driven defense that should quiet the doubters.
Kelly explained:
“You can look at things like expected goals percentage, goals for and against—he’s good in all those areas—but detractors will point to the turnovers, how often he gives the puck away. And yeah, Bouchard does turn the puck over quite a bit, as do all the other star players in the league who have the puck on their stick a lot.”
How quickly fans choose to overlook that fact.
He adds:
“So what we do is look at turnover rate relative to possession—how often do you turn it over? For Evan Bouchard, over the last four years, he’s actually gotten better, and he was never really bad in this sense. He’s turned the puck over on just over 11% of his puck possessions this season, which is top 15 among defencemen in the NHL.”
Again, a few fans remain stuck on that false argument, cherry-picking a few instances.
Kelly showed that advanced metrics now paint a much stronger picture of Bouchard’s effectiveness. He says Bouchard passed all tests with flying colors, and he added that over the last four years, the Oilers’ defenseman has steadily improved. While the occasional highlight-reel mistake leads directly to a chances against, Kelly said that Bouchard is no more guilty than Makar and Werenski. Their raw turnover rates are remarkably similar, with Bouchard sitting right in the middle. Frankly, the gap is statistically insignificant and certainly not large enough to boot him from legitimate Norris consideration.
Bouchard Haters Have No Legs To Stand On Any Longer
It’s become crystal clear that the criticisms are overblown. The numbers show that he operates at an elite level, and while Bouchard’s offensive brilliance has come with an asterisk in some circles, this season the asterisk should be removed.
He has proven he can contribute on both ends without the defensive liability label sticking. Bouchard’s growth in limiting high-danger mistakes while maintaining his dynamic offensive game puts him squarely in the conversation.
Kelly’s breakdown should serve as a wake-up call for voters, who, if they overlook his contributions, aren’t fairly valuing what he offers. ”Whether he ultimately wins the trophy or doesn’t, one thing is clear—Evan Bouchard is finally receiving the Norris-level respect his play has earned all season.
Next: Bouchard’s OT Winner Might Be a Warning Shot for Vegas
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