Who to start · 2026-27

Drew O'Connor vs Evan Bouchard

Drew O'ConnorCanucks · Left wing
vs
Evan BouchardOilers · Defence
Cooling−1:58 TOI a game
Cooling6 P in last 5 (1.70/GP before)

In 2026-27, Evan Bouchard scored 3.30 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Drew O'Connor's 0.93.

O'Connor had 5 points in 21 games; Bouchard had 34 in 21 games.

This week O'Connor has 1 game left with 1 tough matchup; Bouchard has 1 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Bouchard for 3.6 to O'Connor's 0.8 over the games left.

Evan Bouchard has the better number in 26 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.

O'Connor's biggest edges: Penalty minutes 18, 20+ mph bursts 54, Top skating speed 23.3.

Bouchard's biggest edges: Plus/minus +28, On-ice PDO 1123, Points 34.

In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Evan Bouchard rates ahead, +15.8 to -4.9 in summed category z-scores.

Role trend over the last 5 games: O'Connor is cooling, −1:58 TOI a game; Bouchard is cooling, 6 P in last 5 (1.70/GP before).

  • • O'Connor, last 10 games (Oct 22–Nov 13): 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 16 SOG.
  • • Bouchard, last 10 games (Oct 26–Nov 14): 5 G, 8 A, 5 PPP, 21 SOG.

Vancouver Canucks · Edmonton Oilers · Who should I start? · Compare other players

Fantasy value: your scoring

Drew O'Connor

-4.9

category z-score total

Evan Bouchard

+15.8

category z-score total

Under Standard (6 categories), Evan Bouchard has the edge (O'Connor wins 1, Bouchard wins 5 of 6 categories).

Per-stat breakdown under Standard (6 categories)
CategoryO'ConnorBouchard
Goals / game0.100.57
Assists / game0.141.05
Plus/minus / game-0.481.33
Power-play points / game0.000.57
Shots on goal / game1.332.57
Hits / game1.330.48

Per-game rates from the selected sample; blended mixes last season with this season, weighting this season more as games are played. Categories are scored as z-scores against qualified players at the same position. Your scoring choice is shared with Who Should I Start: saved on this device, and on your account when you are signed in.

Head-to-head: O'Connor vs Bouchard

Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2022-23 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.

O'ConnorBouchard
3Team record in 11 meetings8
3Points in those games18

O'Connor 1G 2A, 20 SOG · Bouchard 5G 13A, 33 SOG

2Hits on each other1
3Shots blocked by the other0

O'Connor blocked 3 of Bouchard's shots; Bouchard blocked 0 of O'Connor's.

1Penalties drawn off the other0

On the ice against each other (O'Connor's side)

38:58 at 5-on-5 over 7 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from O'Connor's side

Shot attempts
27–45
37.5%
Expected goals
1.1–2.3
32.3%
Goals
1–5

Games against each other

Games between Drew O'Connor and Evan Bouchard
DateScoreO'ConnorBouchard
2026-11-07VAN 2–4 EDM0G 0A 5S0G 1A 1S
2026-10-01VAN 7–9 EDM0G 0A 0S1G 2A 4S
2026-09-29VAN 6–5 EDM0G 1A 3S3G 2A 6S
2026-04-16VAN 1–6 EDM0G 0A 0S0G 3A 2S
2026-01-17VAN 0–6 EDM0G 0A 4S0G 1A 4S
2025-10-26VAN 4–3 EDM0G 0A 0S0G 1A 0S
2025-10-11VAN 1–3 EDM0G 0A 0S0G 0A 2S
2025-01-09PIT 5–3 EDM1G 1A 2S0G 1A 10S
2024-10-25PIT 0–4 EDM0G 0A 3S1G 1A 1S
2024-03-03PIT 1–6 EDM0G 0A 1S0G 1A 1S
2023-02-23PIT 2–7 EDM0G 0A 2S0G 0A 2S

Every stat, side by side

Season values; bars are percentiles at each player's position (longer is better). Click a stat for its explainer.

O'ConnorBouchard

Fantasy box score

Possession & shot quality (5-on-5 on-ice)

Transition, turnovers & faceoffs, Usage, Special teams & discipline, Luck & trend, NHL EDGE tracking continue below

Every stat, side by side (continued)

O'ConnorBouchard

Transition, turnovers & faceoffs

Usage

Special teams & discipline

Luck & trend

NHL EDGE tracking

This week's schedule

Nov 9 to Nov 15. More games usually wins a weekly start/sit. Chips show how many fantasy points the opponent allows to the player's position (soft or tough), the Schedule Edge from rest and travel, and the likely opposing goalie with his save percentage. Projections cover the games left: Edgehalla's rest-of-season rates per game, adjusted for each opponent's scoring allowed, in ESPN default points.

Scored in ESPN default points (G 2, A 1, PPP 0.5, SHP 0.5, SOG 0.1, HIT 0.1, BLK 0.5). Use your league's scoring

Vancouver Canucks logo

Drew O'Connor

3games (1 left)

0.8proj. ESPN default pts

  • Mon, Nov 9 vs PHI
    Opp allows 8th-most FP to LWSchedule edge +9.3 win%Likely vs Joseph Woll (.902)
  • Fri, Nov 13 vs NYR
    Opp allows 5th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Dylan Garand (.910)
  • Sun, Nov 15 @ VGK0.8 pts
    Opp allows 8th-fewest FP to LWSchedule edge +3.1 win%Likely vs Carter Hart (.895)
Edmonton Oilers logo

Evan Bouchard

4games (1 left)

3.6proj. ESPN default pts

  • Mon, Nov 9 vs NYR
    Opp allows 14th-most FP to DLikely vs Dylan Garand (.910)
  • Wed, Nov 11 vs PHI
    Opp allows 3rd-most FP to DLikely vs Dan Vladar (.879)
  • Sat, Nov 14 @ TOR
    Opp allows 7th-most FP to DLikely vs Anthony Stolarz (.905)
  • Sun, Nov 15 @ PHIB2B3.6 pts
    Opp allows 3rd-most FP to Dvs Dan Vladar (.879)

Player data stories

How the game changed, told through the numbers.

All NHL data stories

Similar matchups

FAQ

Should I start Drew O'Connor or Evan Bouchard in fantasy hockey?
In 2026-27, Evan Bouchard scored 3.30 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Drew O'Connor's 0.93. O'Connor had 5 points in 21 games; Bouchard had 34 in 21 games. Check this week's games and your league's scoring in the fantasy panel above, since more games usually decide a weekly start.
Who is better, Drew O'Connor or Evan Bouchard?
On 2026-27 numbers, Evan Bouchard leads in 26 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
How have O'Connor and Bouchard done against each other?
In 11 games against each other in our data, O'Connor's team went 3–8. O'Connor had 3 points (1 goals) and Bouchard had 18 (5 goals).

2026-27 regular season from NHL play-by-play, shift charts and NHL EDGE, processed by Edgehalla. Head-to-head covers every loaded season (play-by-play from 2019-20; on-ice matchups from 2025-26).Compare other players →