Edmonton Oilers standout defenseman Evan Bouchard is among the early-season James Norris Memorial Trophy favorites in the NHL.
The NHL annually hands out the Norris Trophy to the league’s best defenseman. Last season, Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets won the award, with Bouchard coming in fourth in the voting.
Could 2026-27 be the year that Bouchard finally wins the award? It’s certainly trending that way, as he’s among the favorites to capture the trophy this season.
Evan Bouchard: One of the Favorites to Win the Norris
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, Bouchard has +350 betting odds to win the Norris Trophy, the second-best odds in the league of any defenseman, behind only superstar Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, who has +300 betting odds to win the honor.
Because of Bouchard’s fast start to the season, he is ahead of other perennial Norris Trophy candidates like Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild (+400), last year’s winner, Werenski (+600), and Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres (+900), among others.
It shows you how much respect the sportsbooks and bettors are giving Bouchard, because it’s not easy to win the Norris, and he is certainly making a run to win the award this season.
Evan Bouchard Having a Huge Season
Although it’s only four games into the season, Bouchard is already having a monster year, putting up an NHL-leading six goals and five assists for 11 points in just four games played for Edmonton.
It would be surprising if Bouchard could keep up that pace for the whole season, as it would put him at a 200-point pace for the year, which obviously won’t happen. But still, there is a very good chance that Bouchard breaks the 100-point barrier this year, which would give him a great shot at winning the Norris Trophy.
Last season, Bouchard scored 21 goals and had 95 points for the Oilers while playing in all 82 regular-season games.
This year, with the NHL season expanded to 84 games, Bouchard is going to try his best to break the triple-digit barrier, a rare feat for a defenseman in the league, and one that speaks to how talented he is.
Evan Bouchard Among Early Norris Trophy Favorites for Oilers