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Oilers and Senators Swap Young Forwards

The Oilers and Senators made a trade involving minor league forwards.

Jacob Punturi

Oct 3, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Roby Jarventie (52) scores against Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault (35) in the third period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Roby Jarventie (52) scores against Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault (35) in the third period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports / Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
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The NHL offseason is a in a bit of a downtime with free agency dying down. The Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens came together to inject some news into the offseason cycle. The Oilers announced that they acquired minor league forward Roby Jarventie from the Senators for forwards Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson. The team announced the trade via their X account.

The trade is the second one of the Oilers' offseason. They acquired forward Matt Savoie from the Buffalo Sabres at the start of free agency in exchange for Ryan McLeod.

This latest trade gives the Oilers another young forward that can contend for a spot in their lineup. Jarventie was drafted by the Sens in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft. The Finnish forward earned his first NHL call-up last season and recorded 20 points in 22 AHL games as well. What stands out most is his hockey IQ. His skillset isn't overwhelming, but he has a knack for knowing where the puck is and putting himself in the right position. He'll have a chance to compete for a spot on Edmonton's third or fourth line to begin the 2024 season.

The Senators acquired two forward prospects in return. Bourgault was the Oilers' first round selection in the 2021 draft, taken 22nd overall. He projected to be a versatile middle-six center as he developed and had a dominating 75 points in 43 games in the QMJHL during his post-draft season. Turning pro has been a difficult step, and it's likely a change in scenery was needed for his further progress. He had just eight goals and 20 points last season in the AHL, despite playing in 55 games.

Chiasson is a minor league forward with a blurry NHL future. Originally drafted by the Oilers in the fourth round of the same draft as Bourgault, Chiasson just completed his first professional season. He played 68 games with the Oilers' ECHL affiliate, the Fort Wayne Komets, registering 20 points. He also played one game in the AHL and was held pointless.

With this move, it's clear that both organizations wanted to shake up some of their organizational depth and give young players a fresh start. This is a relatively minor trade, but it will be interesting to see if any of the players involved can impact their teams at the NHL level.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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