It has been well documented how worn down this Edmonton Oilers team was during their 2026 playoff run. This group has played a lot of hockey in recent seasons, having made the Stanley Cup finals the previous two seasons. It appears that heavy workload caught up to them in their first round exit to the Anaheim Ducks.
Many Oilers dealt with injuries in the postseason. Connor McDavid is the most notable with the organization’s franchise player playing through foot/ankle fractures throughout the series. Fellow forward Jason Dickinson also played through similar ailments.
But, that is not all. The worst of the bunch has to be what defenseman Evan Bouchard reportedly played through. Bouchard fought through a concussion in the matchup against Anaheim according to insider Frank Seravalli, speaking with Edmonton radio analyst Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now.
Bouchard Should Not Have Been Able to Play With Concussion
The sport of hockey has come a long way in when it comes to improved safety in the game and increasing awareness over knowledge regarding concussion protocol.
If this report is true, this is a failure by the NHL that Bouchard was allowed to take part in these playoffs. It is not uncommon for players to fight through injuries in the postseason. However, playing through concussions is a step too far and unacceptable. It was an unnecessary risk for Bouchard to suit up in this compromised position, putting him in danger of worsening his condition.
Bouchard had a great season as he made his mark as one of the premier offensive defenseman in the league. He was surprisingly not among the Norris trophy nominations for top defenseman in the NHL.
He recorded career bests across the board this year with 21 goals and 74 assists for 95 points in 82 games during the regular season. In the playoffs, he still managed to register one goal and six assists in six games despite the concussion setback.
In his seven year tenure with Edmonton, Bouchard has amassed 76 goals and 257 assists for 333 points in 429 games of the regular season. In the postseason, he has tallied 21 goals and 67 assists for 88 points in 81 games.
Oilers Hoping a Longer Offseason Will Lead to Refreshed Team Next Season
Bouchard is just one of many examples of what a significant chunk of this Oilers lineup was dealing with in this playoff run. If there is a silver lining to the early playoff exit, it gives this group a chance to recharge over the summer with more time off compared to past seasons. This team is not used to having a long offseason to work with in the past.
Good health will be important for this Oilers team next season. Next year will be a crucial one for the team as they look to finally break through in the postseason and win a championship. Time is running out to make this happen in Edmonton with McDavid only under term for two more years beyond this one.
The Oilers will be a team to monitor closely over the offseason as the management staff led by Stan Bowman aims to ice a stronger roster in the 26-27 campaign after what was an unusually average crop this past year for the team’s standards. The expectation has to be Stanley Cup or bust for this team moving forward.
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