C/W Xavier Bourgault - Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL (2021, 22nd, EDM, traded to OTT)

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I couldn't help but notice that you only mentioned guys below 5'10, Bourgault has more of an average build.

I could see Bourgault being more of a David Perron type. He's a dangler.

Those are just the guys I've seen other sites compare him to. Like I said, I've never been any good at making comparisons in that way. I just look at what each player brings individually.
 
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He was one of my favorites going into the draft, I wanted the Wild to take him. Incredibly smart with excellent vision everywhere on the ice. Not a very agile skater, but he does fine all around. It probably won't hold him back necessarily, but improving it could definitely propel him forward, if that makes sense. Passing is his strong suit, and his shot isn't elite by any means, but it's good enough to succeed in the NHL. Along with his IQ and sense, he works really hard all over the ice, and is a good forechecker. I think he's going to be a good top six guy, probably not a true first line guy though. Especially in Edmonton, he's got plenty of skill and smarts to play with McDavid and Draisaitl, and he'll be in a great position to succeed where they're the ones really driving play and making things happen, and he'll be a high end complementary guy for them.

I'm not great at comparables, but the ones I've seen are more hardnosed types like Gallagher, Atkinson, Marchand. I'm not sure if he has the goal scoring chops that they do, but I don't feel those comparables are out of line by any means.
Very much appreciate the insight as I said no absolutely nothing about the player but sounds like a decent pick at 22
 
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I think the pick is fine, but was puzzled by them not picking Wallstadt, just like I was puzzled that they didn't pick Zegras a couple of years ago. Seemed like gimmes.
 
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Got a goal tonight.

Been fantastic in a preseason game through two periods against the Flames.

Winning board battles and controlling the puck. Should have got an assist on Ryan’s goal when he beat Gudbranson on a puck battle.

Here’s his goal:

 
Not much talk about him

Great start to his draft + 1
Leads the QMJHL in point and assists. 1 goal behind the lead as well.

Any input from fans watching the games?
 
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A 5 point game puts Xavier in the QMJHL scoring lead with 24 points in 12 games. Looked fantastic in Oilers camp, and is following it up with a very good showing in the Q this year.



Looking like he could step in as a top 9 fwd in the next two years.


Getting a productive year out of Holloway and Bourgault on their ELC's would be big for this team.
 
Is he really this good?
So far he's looking a lot like other future top 6 guys tend to look in their draft+2 year (i.e. Eberle, Kyrou, etc). That's kind of where I see his potential at, and his start this year is not that surprising after how good he looked in training camp. Looks like he could be a good complementary top 6er at the NHL someday.
 
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Is he really this good?

He was really strong in camp for the Oilers and carrying that play over to his season in the Q.

Leading the league in points so he must be doing something right. I see a guy with clear top 6 upside who can really compliment our elite talent on the Oilers.
 
So far he's looking a lot like other future top 6 guys tend to look in their draft+2 year (i.e. Eberle, Kyrou, etc). That's kind of where I see his potential at, and his start this year is not that surprising after how good he looked in training camp. Looks like he could be a good complementary top 6er at the NHL someday.
That’s especially good, then, given he was only drafted a few months ago. ;)
 
Seems like a lot of people have been sleeping for a few years on the productivity of this player.

There’s a good argument his draft -1 season two years ago was as productive as anything we’ve seen in the Q outside of Lafreniere and Mackinnon over the past decade.

He was the top Q producer in his draft year last year with 20+20 in 29 games.

There is no exponential growth in his output now. His point output growth is fairly linear and it should’ve been expected that he dominate like this.
 

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