Evan Bouchard got put on blast this week, and the Edmonton Oilers defenseman deserves better than this take.
On the Tri-State Hockey Podcast, released Friday, host Jonny Lazarus said if you asked fans outside Edmonton who they would rather have, Adam Fox or Bouchard, most would pick Fox.
That is a bold claim to make out loud. And the numbers do not back it up.
Bouchard finished the season with 95 points in 82 games. That is 21 goals and 74 assists, plus a plus-25 rating.
Fox played 55 games for the New York Rangers and posted 53 points. Nine goals, 44 assists, a plus-5 rating.
Bouchard also piled up 26 power play assists to Fox's 19, and scored five game-winning goals to Fox's one.
Cap-wise, Bouchard sits at 10.5 million against Edmonton's books. Fox carries a 9.5 million hit for New York.
Bouchard's playoff run adds another layer to the debate
So the Oilers are paying a little more, and getting a lot more production for it. That is not a close call.
Bouchard kept producing when it mattered most, picking up seven points in six playoff games for Edmonton this spring.
Fox's file shows no playoff line at all. Two very different seasons, two very different ceilings.
Head to head, the Oilers split with the Rangers this year. Edmonton won 2-0 on the road in October, then lost in overtime 4-3 at home later that month.
None of that settles the argument on its own. But it does not support the idea that Fox is the clear pick either.
Comparing these two is a bit like comparing a starting pitcher who throws 220 innings to one who throws 140. Volume and impact both count.
Lazarus made sure to say he did not mean disrespect toward the player. Fine. But the stat sheet reads like disrespect regardless of intent.
Bouchard has heard the noise before, about shot selection, about playoff nerves in years past. This is a new version of the same argument, and it still does not hold up.
Edmonton finished the regular season 41-30-11 for 93 points, good for 14th overall. New York finished 34-39-9 for 77 points, 29th overall.
The gap in team success mirrors the gap in individual production. Bouchard was the more complete defenseman, on a better team, by a wide margin.
Whether that changes any minds inside a Tri-State studio is a different question. Fans outside Edmonton will keep arguing anyway.
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Based on this season's numbers, is Evan Bouchard clearly the better defenseman over Adam Fox?
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