NHL experts reveal the truth on Evan Bouchard's turnover problem

Bouchard made an awful giveaway in the Oilers game against the New York Islanders, giving away the puck and playing poorly the rest of the night which earned him a benching. Fans and analysts really piled on, but there's more to Bouchard than his worst moment.

Despite the ugly turnover against the Islanders, and all the other gaffes Bouchard has made, he still ranks among the NHL's most effect puck movers.

The Oilers defenceman currently has just 7 giveaways this season - which is less than stars like Connor McDavid, Quinn Hughes, and Mattias Ekholm.

Bouchard's effective puck movement extends to previous seasons too. Last season, Sportslogiq's Mike Kelly ranked the Oilers defenceman as having the 5th lowest rate relative to possession.

Although he heard constant criticism for turnovers, Bouchard ranks among the premier offensive defenceman in the NHL, and has consistently elevated his game in the playoffs. He's earned the trust of many Oilers fans with stellar play when it matters most.

He doesn't have a turnover problem, but it's still impossible to defend some of the lapses by Bouchard. Particularly against the Islanders, he's the last man back and has to manage the puck well there.

Bouchard needs to clean up his mental lapses that turn into ugly turnovers, and he'll shed the reputation of being poor defensively - and significantly help his chances of making the Canadian olympic team.