Three years ago today, the Oilers trade down to draft Xavier Bourgault

Ask yourself this: When was the last time the Oilers had a top-five netminder for a consistent period of time? There were spurts of success, Cam Talbot in 2015-16 and 2016-17, Mike Smith in 2020-21 and 2021-22, and a few others dating even further back. However, one could make the argument that you’d have to go all the way back to when Grant Fuhr was their netminder.

The Oilers had an opportunity to pick a goalie with that ceiling with the 20th-overall pick in the 2021 draft, as Jesper Wallstedt was promptly picked by the Minnesota Wild. Looking at top netminding prospect lists, it’s not unusual to see the 21-year-old rank at the top of the list. For example, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranked him first recently.

There’s good merit to it as well, as he had a .910 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average in 45 games with a defensively-challenged Iowa Wild team. His cup of coffee in the National Hockey League wasn’t great, posting a .897 save percentage and a 3.01 goals-against average, but he has the floor of a 1A and a ceiling of a Vezina Trophy winner.

Stuart Skinner is a fine goalie, and the team has quite a few intriguing goaltending prospects in Olivier Rodrigue and Eemil Vinni, but neither has the ceiling as Wallstedt does.

That doesn’t mean the Oilers still had a chance to win this trade, as Wyatt Johnston was still available when the Oilers stepped up to the podium. Instead, they selected Xavier Bourgault, who scored eight goals and 20 points in 55 American Hockey League games last season, down from the 13 goals and 34 points in 62 games with the Bakersfield Condors the season prior.

Johnston has become a key player on a Dallas Stars team that finished second in points in the National Hockey League last season. Moreover, he leads the draft class with 56 goals and 106 points, ahead of second-overall selection Matty Beniers (42 goals, 103 points in 167 games). There’s an argument that he plays with a stacked lineup, but the Stars also don’t have a player like Connor McDavid.

To make matters worse, the Oilers traded Bourgault and fellow 2021 draftee Jake Chiasson, to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Roby Järventie. Last season in the American Hockey League, Järventie scored nine goals and 20 points before a knee injury ended his season. The 2020 second-round pick has experience playing in the NHL as well, as he picked up an assist in seven games last season with the Senators. 

Edmonton may have salvaged the trade, but it makes you wonder what could’ve been if they selected Wallstedt or even Johnston.