Evan Bouchard scored the overtime winner against Chicago on Saturday night, and the question everyone's asking is whether this is the start of his redemption or just one good game in what's been a rough start to the season.

The timing couldn't have been better. Just two days earlier, Bouchard took the bulk of the blame for the Rangers' comeback overtime win. He coughed up the puck on a couple of goals. He blew coverage in overtime. He was the visible reason Edmonton let a 3-1 lead slip away and lost 4-3. The kind of game that gets replayed endlessly and turns a player into the scapegoat for everything wrong with the team.

Then Saturday happened. Bouchard scored on his own rebound at 2:43 of overtime to beat the Blackhawks 3-2. He added an assist in regulation. The power play went two-for-two, and Bouchard had a lot to do with that. After being the reason the Edmonton Oilers lost on Thursday, he became the reason they won on Saturday.

That's the thing about Bouchard—the highs and lows come in quick succession. He can look like one of the best offensive defensemen in the league one night and a liability the next. The inconsistency has defined his start to this season, and one overtime winner doesn't erase the mistakes that have piled up over the first month.

"I know his game has been frustrating to himself. It's not like he has been like 'whatever' and shrugging his shoulders. That's not the case with Evan," Began Knoblauch. "He feels, and so do we, that he can be one of the best defencemen in the NHL every night. He wasn't playing like that, but tonight was more of what I am familiar with."

That's the expectation—that Bouchard can be one of the best defensemen in the NHL every night. The problem is he hasn't been close to that standard consistently this season. The mistakes have been frequent and costly. The defensive lapses have led directly to goals. The offensive brilliance that makes him valuable gets overshadowed by the errors that put the team in holes they have to climb out of.

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Saturday's performance was what the Oilers need from Bouchard. He made plays. He contributed on the power play. He scored the overtime winner. The question is whether this becomes the baseline or just another high point before the next inevitable low.

"When you get a tired group with Connor (McDavid) and Leon (Draisaitl) out there, they're going to make the play," Bouchard said. "I just tried to get open, Leon made a good pass and it went in."

Simple. Effective. The way Bouchard's game should work—use his offensive instincts to get in position, let the elite talent around him create opportunities, finish when chances come. When he plays that way without the defensive breakdowns, he's exactly what the Oilers need.

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But one game doesn't constitute redemption. The Rangers game was just two days ago. The mistakes that have plagued Bouchard all season don't disappear because he scored in overtime against Chicago. Redemption requires consistency. It requires showing up like this night after night without the defensive lapses that have made him a target for criticism.

"Obviously, he has a lot of attention on the mistakes that he has made and hopefully he feels good and gets some recognition for the overtime winner tonight," Knoblauch said.

Fair enough. Bouchard deserves recognition for Saturday's performance. He was good. He contributed in multiple ways. He delivered when the team needed him. That matters.

But the standard for Bouchard isn't "occasionally good." It's "consistently one of the best defensemen in the NHL," which is what Knoblauch and the organization believe he's capable of being. Saturday showed that capability exists. The rest of the season is about proving it wasn't just a one-game flash.

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The Oilers need Bouchard to be reliable. They need him to make the plays that led to Saturday's win without the mistakes that led to Thursday's loss. They need the offensive production without the defensive breakdowns. They need consistency from a player who signed a massive extension and is expected to be a cornerstone of this team's defense for years.

Is Saturday's overtime winner the start of Bouchard's redemption? Maybe. It's certainly a step in the right direction after Thursday's disaster. But redemption isn't earned in one game—it's earned over weeks and months of showing you've figured out how to be the player everyone knows you can be.

Bouchard has the talent. Nobody questions that. The offensive ability is elite. The power play contributions are valuable. The potential to be one of the best defensemen in the league is there.

What's been missing is the consistency to deliver that level night after night without the mistakes that undo the good work.

One overtime winner doesn't complete a redemption arc. But it's a start. The question is whether Bouchard can build on it or if this is just another peak before the next valley in what's been a frustratingly inconsistent season.

The Oilers need to know which version of Evan Bouchard they're getting every night. Saturday's version wins games. Thursday's version loses them. Redemption is proving Saturday becomes the norm.

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