Edmonton Oilers Evan Bouchard is proving in these NHL Playoffs that he should be seen as a top-10 defenseman in the league
We may not see another player overall update in EA SPORTS NHL 24. That's why we want to argue why Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard should have a higher rating in NHL 25.
There are currently 15 players in NHL 24 who have a higher overall than Evan Bouchard. Yes, players like Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Roman Josi, Adam Fox, Miro Heiskanen, Charlie McAvoy, and Victor Hedman all deserve and should be rated higher in the NHL video game than Bouchard. So if you take those seven names out we're still left with eight others.
Rasmus Dahlin is a 91 and Noah Dobson is a 90 overall. The argument for them to be rated this high is fair. Dahlin is the catalyst for the Buffalo Sabres and leads his team in every area of the ice. More fans and people around the NHL will mention his name more when Buffalo eventually makes the playoffs again, whenever that may be.
Noah Dobson had a breakout season in New York for the Islanders. He finished seventh in points by a defenceman with 70 in 79 games, and his average ice time jumped from 20:22 to 24:30. Dobson struggled offensively against Carolina in the first round of the playoffs, but emerged this season as the Islanders' No. 1 blueliner.
But is a player like John Carlson deserving of being ranked higher than Bouchard? Yes, Carlson is a Stanley Cup Champion. But Bouchard had 30 more points than Carlson this season and has been Mr. Clutch for the Oilers at times in their ongoing playoff run.
Bouchard's 88 overall matches other NHL defencemen like MacKenzie Weegar, Zach Werenski, Drew Doughty, Adam Pelech, Morgan Rielly, and Filip Hronek. This isn't to say those players shouldn't be rated as high as an 88. It's more saying that Bouchard has outperformed all of those players this year through both his regular season and playoff performances.
Bouchard's 82 points in the regular season put him sixth all-time for points by an Oilers defenceman in a single season. Only two other Oilers had over 50 points in a single year since the 2000's. Chris Pronger in 2005-06 (56 points), and Sheldon Souray in 2008-09, who that season scored 23 goals and 53 points.
The Oakville, Ontario native kickstarted his breakout last year in the 2023 playoffs where he led all defencemen in points despite only playing 12 games and being eliminated in the second round. This year he wanted to double down and show everyone that he is indeed a playoff performer, and should be recognized as one.
Through 13 games in 2024 NHL Playoffs, Bouchard has 21 points which is the most by a defenceman and third amongst all players. His five goals are tied for most by a blueliner with Makar and his opponent in the Western Conference Finals, Miro Heiskanen.
Now, yes there are some warts in his game defensively that will drive people away from considering him an elite or "true" No. 1 rearguard in the NHL. His puck management and decision-making in his own zone can leave people shaking their heads. He isn't a defensive specialist and relies heavily on his partner Mattias Ekholm to do the heavy lifting when it comes to shutting down the opponent's attack.
But his offensive contributions place him among the best in the league, and he outperformed the projected 2024 Norris Trophy winner, Quinn Hughes, in the second round of the playoffs. There is simply no argument to say that he isn't an elite offensive defenseman in the National Hockey League.
With all of that being said, when NHL 25 is released, it would be asinine for EA SPORTS to not have him rated at least 90 overall. My projection would be to have him the same as Rasmus Dahlin at 91.
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