The Senators have already completed one transaction today, signing goaltender Mads Søgaard to a two-year deal, and they’ve now completed a second. They’ve sent left winger Roby Jarventie and their 2025 fourth-round pick to the Oilers in exchange for forward prospects Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson, per announcements from both teams.
“This trade provides us with additional competition and depth at forward,” Senators general manager Steve Staios said in a press release. “Both Xavier and Jake are trending in the right direction with their respective development. With the potential for greater playing opportunity next season, they should both benefit considerably.”
Bourgault, 21, is the big fish in this trade. He was the Oilers’ first-round pick in 2021, taken 22nd overall, a pick acquired from the Wild in a pick swap on draft day that resulted in Minnesota selecting top goaltending prospect Jesper Wallstedt at 20. Unfortunately, Bourgault hasn’t progressed as hoped and is yet to make his NHL debut.
After wrapping up his junior career with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes, Bourgault signed his entry-level contract in March 2022 and turned pro the subsequent season. He did okay in his first season on assignment to AHL Bakersfield, finishing 2022-23 with a solid 13 goals, 21 assists and 34 points in 62 games and finishing fourth on the team in scoring. But this past season was unkind to the Quebec native, whose offense was limited to only eight goals and 20 points in 55 games with Bakersfield. He was also held without a point in two playoff games.
Edmonton recently rejuvenated their forward prospect pool in a big way, acquiring 2022 ninth-overall pick Matthew Savoie in a trade with the Sabres earlier this month. That made Bourgault somewhat expendable for a team in the middle of a championship contention window, especially one with their forward corps set for the immediate future.
But with Ottawa, Bourgault should have a much clearer path to his NHL debut. He can play center and right-wing, both of which are positions of need for the Sens – at least in depth roles. He joins a group that includes veterans Noah Gregor and Zack MacEwen as well as up-and-comers Jan Jeník and Zack Ostapchuk that will be competing for roster spots out of camp.
The Sens also added Chiasson in this deal, but he’s far off from seeing NHL ice. The 21-year-old was selected three rounds after Bourgault in 2021 but stayed in juniors for his overage season, meaning he didn’t turn pro until last year. After signing his ELC with Edmonton, Chiasson played just one game with AHL Bakersfield and was instead sent to ECHL Fort Wayne for most of the campaign, where he had nine goals and 20 points in 68 games with a -12 rating.
In exchange for parting ways with a pair of prospects, the Oilers recoup Jarventie, a player that the team’s Bob Stauffer reports they’ve liked for quite some time. Selected 33rd overall by Ottawa in 2020, the 6’2″, 214-lb Finnish winger made his NHL debut last season, recording an assist and a -5 rating in seven games while averaging a paltry 7:31 per night. The 21-year-old has one season remaining on his entry-level contract, which will presumably be spent with Bakersfield.
While he doesn’t have Bourgault’s billing as a first-round pick, Jarventie does have a much better recent track record in the minors. Injuries and roster moves limited him to 22 games with AHL Belleville last season, but he clicked at nearly a point per game with nine goals and 11 assists in 22 contests. He has 86 points (38 goals, 48 assists) in 136 career games with Belleville since arriving in North America in 2021.
Wallstedt says hi.