NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 22: Adam Fox #23 of the New York Rangers skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden on April 22, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers swap out top draft pick Bourgault in organizational “spring cleaning” trade.
The Edmonton Oilers have done what amounts to some significant organizational spring cleaning in July.
They have decided to give 2021 First Round Draft Pick Xavier Bourgault the hockey equivalent of a “second opinion”, trading him and fellow prospect Jake Chiasson to Ottawa, in exchange for winger Roby Jarventie and a Fourth Round Draft Pick in 2025. This is a transaction that Edmonton and Ottawa kicked around at the draft but could not close until this morning.
Bourgault was selected 22nd over-all in 2021. But he has struggled to live up to the billing attached to that lofty of a selection. After very strong numbers in his final year of junior in Shawinigan (36-39-75 in 43GP), Bourgault found the jump to pro hockey challenging. In 2022-23, he went 13-21-34 in 62 GP for Bakersfield of the AHL. But then he regressed to just 8-12-20 in 55 games last season. He now enters the final year of his ELC, and a critical one it is. Bourgault’s AHL performance last season was a worrisome drop-off: Weaker boxcars. Less going on in the attacking zone. Fewer shots on net. Less time on both special teams as well, as one presumes the coaching staff saw less and less of what they needed out of him. To be entirely fair, Bourgault also had to battle through a shoulder injury.
Chiasson’s struggles have been even more acute. The 2021 4th Round selection split his final junior year between Saskatoon and Brandon, going 20-38-68 in 70 GP. Then, he spent the majority of his first pro season in the ECHL, putting up 9-11-20 in 68 GP for the Ft. Wayne Comets. Chiasson played a single game for the Condors.
