This August, Oilersnation will ask one question about every Edmonton Oilers player projected to be on the 2026-27 roster in preparation for the upcoming season. From Connor McDavid to Mattias Janmark, let’s ask some questions.

Throughout his first seven years in the NHL, Evan Bouchard has earned himself a moniker that no blueliner wants: a bad defender.

It’s followed him in and out of each season — justified or not — and as the years go by, notices of his improvement have fallen on deaf ears. And while this may come as a surprise to some, those changes happened years ago.

In fact, since the 2022-23 season, his second full season in the NHL, Bouchard has been a positive contributor defensively, according to HockeyViz. When Bouchard has been on the ice at five-on-five, the Oilers’ expected goals against rate of 2.22 per hour sits at a staggering 15 per cent rate higher than league average, all the while generating 3.33 expected goals for per hour, a 28 per cent rate greater than league average, according to HockeyViz. It’s no small........

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