Oilers Olympic Snubs Evan Bouchard And Mattias Ekholm Make NHL History
Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard didn't make Sweden and Canada's Olympic rosters, but they've been busy scoring hat tricks with the Edmonton Oilers.
Video Transcript
...no international duty?
No problem for Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard, the first D-men on the same team in NHL history to have hat tricks on back-to-back game nights.
First, Bouchard against Washington, and then Ekholm against the Anaheim Ducks.
And Ekholm with the empty net goal to cash things out in Edmonton's win.
That's a thing we may never, ever, ever, ever get again in the NHL.
And the play of these two, Evan Bouchard.
Bouchard is someone who continues to improve.
Offensively, leads Edmonton in D-men scoring, in the top three for defenseman scoring in all of the NHL, yet he's not going to the Olympic Games.
He's not going to Milan.
He's proving people wrong who say his game isn't well-rounded.
He's getting more and more time on the penalty kill from Kris Knoblauch.
He's not a typical penalty killer, but he's playing an average two minutes on the penalty kill and getting better and better and becoming a better player in his own zone.
Kris Knoblauch trusts him on special teams, on the penalty kill.
And power play more and more.
That is someone that Team Canada could have used?
How do you not want a young D-man who is becoming more responsible in his own end, top three in defensive.
Scoring?
It's a weird move that Doug Armstrong didn't put him on this team, especially when names like Drew Doughty and Colton Parayko haven't been having great seasons.
And for Team Sweden, Matias Ekholm.
Yes, he's older.
Yes, he's had his injury problems, but he is someone who knows Team Sweden.
Who has played internationally before, could provide leadership.
Still a good puck mover, still someone who can deny zone entries when called upon in big moments.
He's someone who, with the injury to Jonas Brodin could get that look, but should've been there originally.
He still knows how to provide big game moments for Team Sweden.
