Edmonton Oilers head coach Mike Babcock admitted he's been taken aback by Evan Bouchard's dominant start to the 2026-27 season.
"Well, I didn't know he was this good, this talented, saw this many plays, moved the puck as good as he does," Babcock said.
Bouchard notched two goals and an assist in Wednesday's win over the Anaheim Ducks. He leads the NHL with six goals in four games and ranks second to teammate Connor McDavid with 11 points.
Even as Bouchard racks up points, Babcock is pushing him to improve.
"I've talked a lot to Bouch about it. Bouch can be way better," Babcock said. "He's got a growth opportunity here. There's no question he should be in the running for the Norris (Trophy) every year. He's that good. We've just got to get him to be a little more competitive defensively, and he's already working towards that, and then he'll be right at the front of that group."
Bouchard has finished top five in Norris voting twice in his career but has never been a finalist. He came fourth last season after leading all blue-liners with 95 points in 82 appearances, and he was controversially omitted from Team Canada's Olympic roster.
The 26-year-old's defensive play has attracted criticism throughout his career, but his results so far this season are impressive. The Oilers are outscoring opposition 11-1 in Bouchard's five-on-five minutes while controlling 73.51% of expected goals and 69.05% of shot attempts, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Bouchard is in the second season of a four-year contract that carries a $10.5-million cap hit.
