Evan Bouchard’s Thursday night time in New York was one to overlook. The Edmonton Oilers defenseman, often a key offensive weapon, discovered himself on the heart of a 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders. His expensive turnovers immediately led to 2 targets, and his general play raised questions on focus and decision-making.
It was an evening that began with optimism and ended with Bouchard being benched, scrutinized, and pretty or not, painted because the scapegoat for a recreation stuffed with self-inflicted injury.
Did One Unhealthy Sport Put Evan Bouchard’s Olympic Hopes in Jeopardy?
The Oilers got here into the sport unbeaten in regulation, whereas the Islanders had been nonetheless searching for their first win of the season. On paper, this matchup ought to have gone Edmonton’s approach. As an alternative, they had been undone by a string of errors, and most of them revolved round Bouchard.
Halfway via the primary interval, Bouchard tried a dangerous transfer because the final man again. Mat Barzal stripped the puck from him cleanly and scored on a breakaway.
Barzal’s first of the yr! #LGI | @FORD pic.twitter.com/T7pKlwucSh
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 17, 2025
Sportsnet’s Mark Spector summed it up bluntly:
“That’s the error that may have Bouchard in Turks and Caicos in the course of the Olympic break, not Milan.”
That’s the error that may have Bouchard in Turks and Caicos in the course of the Olympic break, not Milan.A useless dangle whereas final man again, pocket picked, 1-0 Isles.
— Mark Spector🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@SportsnetSpec) October 17, 2025
The frustration solely grew as extra errors piled up. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug described it as a kind of nights the place all the pieces that might go fallacious did:
“Powerful night time for Bouchard. Turnovers, ignorance, simply actually dangerous errors. His dangerous nights are terrible. His finest nights are unbelievable.”
Powerful night time for Bouchard. Turnovers, ignorance, simply actually dangerous errors. That is the way in which it goes with him. Good playoff performer who tends to have most of these nights in the course of the common season. His dangerous nights are terrible. His finest nights are unbelievable.…
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) October 17, 2025
Analyst Jim Matheson added that if Hockey Canada scouts had been watching, they had been possible “throwing up their arms.”
Evan Bouchard is unbelievable playoff performer as we all know but when individuals selecting Canada’s Oly crew had been scouting that first interval they’re throwing up their arms. So many errors
— Jim Matheson (@jimmathesonnhl) October 17, 2025
Bouchard owned as much as the miscues afterward. “Only a dangerous play on my finish,” he stated of the Barzal aim. Later, when Bo Horvat broke free for a short-handed aim, Bouchard admitted, “I believed I’d have the ability to maintain it in if he chipped it up the wall. Clearly, he didn’t do this.”
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois, a part of Staff Canada’s Olympic administration group, was within the constructing. Bouchard, already a protracted shot for the 2026 roster, reportedly didn’t assist his case.
After 20 minutes, the official recreation sheet has zero giveaways for Evan Bouchard.Julien Brisebois, the Tampa GM who’s a part of Staff Canada’s entrance workplace, could have seen a number of nonetheless, from his seat within the UBS press field.
— Mark Spector🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@SportsnetSpec) October 17, 2025
Coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t disguise his disappointment however stopped wanting piling on.
“I’ve seen Evan play higher,” he stated. “We can’t simply settle for that. Errors occur, however you need to tackle what sorts of errors are taking place.”
Teammate Mattias Ekholm, Bouchard’s normal associate on the blue line, got here to his protection. “Individuals could be laborious on him for the errors, however you’ve additionally bought to have a look at the upside,” he stated. “I’d watch out criticizing him as a result of that’s who he’s… I’m certain he’ll be again with power and vengeance.”
But, given Bouchard’s standing because the crew’s top-paid defenseman, with a $10.5 million cap hit, his errors carried extra weight. When he’s creating offense, that funding seems justified. However when the dangers overshadow the rewards, nights like this grow to be laborious to miss.
The Oilers face the Devils subsequent, and all eyes can be on how Bouchard responds. The query now’s whether or not this was a blip or a warning signal. His teammates insist he bounces again rapidly, a needed trait for a defenseman who performs on the sting of brilliance and catastrophe.
If that’s true, Saturday’s recreation in Newark would possibly simply provide Bouchard the redemption arc he wants and the Oilers the reset they desperately need.
