The Ottawa Senators have made some solid additions to their roster this offseason as they hope to turn themselves from rebuilders to contenders sooner rather than later. With a new head coach behind the bench in Travis Green, as well as adding David Perron, Noah Gregor, and Michael Amadio as free agents to help bolster their lineup, the Sens are hoping they can compete for a playoff spot or at least have a better campaign than last season as they try and become competitive once again. As they move closer to the 2024-25 campaign, the Senators made a deal with the Edmonton Oilers, sending Roby Jarventie and a fourth-round draft pick to the Oilers in exchange for Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson. In this article, we will take a quick look at who Bourgault is and his future as a Senator.
Bourgault’s Tough Stint With Condors Led to Trade
Bourgault seemed to have a bright future ahead of him when the Oilers selected him 22nd overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, but the fit never made sense from the beginning. Oilers fans were immediately upset that the team had traded down and missed out on selecting goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, who went to the Minnesota Wild instead, and rightfully so. Bourgault’s ceiling was never going to be as high as Wallstedt’s, and he couldn’t find confidence and dominate at the American Hockey League (AHL) level.
Related: Roby Jarventie: Everything to Know About the Oilers’ New Acquisition
Over two seasons with the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL, Bourgault scored 21 goals and added 33 assists for 54 points through 117 games, a 0.46 points-per-game average. His two-way game is solid, and he maintained that professionally after coming over from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Still, he wasn’t able to translate his offensive power. While he is still young and could have a better opportunity with the Senators, the Oilers didn’t want to wait much longer to see if he was going to pan out, especially while they are trying to contend and have a chance to bring in someone they’re much higher on in Jarventie.
Bourgault’s Potential Future With Senators
The Senators are in a full rebuild and hope to snap out of it sooner rather than later. While they haven’t made many moves this offseason that justify calling them a playoff team, they seem to be headed in the right direction for the future. Their lack of forward depth, combined with lacklustre defensive play from their entire lineup and a terrible head coach, leads me to believe they’re still a few seasons away from being considered contenders, but this could line up well for Bourgault’s development.
As a 21-year-old, Bourgault will seemingly be trying to crack the Senators lineup out of camp this season. While unlikely, Bourgault may get a larger opportunity and more leeway than he did with the Oilers. Considering how close they are to winning a Stanley Cup, there was zero chance he would get a stint in the NHL anytime soon.
I think the 2025-26 season is a safer bet when fans could see Bourgault find a full-time job at the NHL level. He has to clean some things up in his game, but with more ice time and a bigger role with the Senators’ AHL affiliate, he may finally find some confidence and battle his way into the NHL. While neither the Senators nor Oilers can call themselves winners of this trade until someone pans out, it was a good move for both sides to give every player involved a fresh start.
