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The organization is at a fork in the road that everyone knew was coming, and it’s not a subtle one. This deep into the careers of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse, the only two paths left are Stanley Cup contention and abject failure.
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Either start winning in the playoffs with as good a core as any team could ever ask for, or be the organization that wasted it all.
What happens this summer will go a long way toward which road the Oilers take.
Edmonton will have some time to kill when the draft continues with the second round Saturday. The club’s next pick is No. 90, coming in the third round, followed by Nos. 116, 180, 186 and 212.
The Oilers finished second in the North Division last season with a 35-19-2 record but were swept from the first round of the playoffs by the Winnipeg Jets.
Edmonton used the 14th overall pick on centre Dylan Holloway at the 2020 draft.
The 19-year-old Calgary native played at the University of Wisconsin last season, putting up 35 points (11 goals and 24 assists) in 23 games.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2021.
Oilers pick centre Bourgault 22nd overall in NHL entry draft
The Edmonton Oilers swapped their first-round pick before selecting forward Xavier Bourgault 22nd overall in the NHL entry draft Friday.
The Canadian Press
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EDMONTON The Edmonton Oilers swapped their first-round pick before selecting forward Xavier Bourgault 22nd overall in the NHL entry draft Friday.
The six-foot, 172-pound centre had 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists) in 29 games for the Shawinigan Cataractes in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season.
Bourgault was the No. 13-ranked North American skater heading into the draft.
The Oilers originally had the No. 20 pick in the first round but dealt it to the Minnesota Wild for the 22nd and the 90th.
Edmonton Oilers select Xavier Bourgault 22nd overall in NHL entry draft
Oilers fans take part in a car parade in support of the Edmonton Oilers before they take on the Winnipeg Jets in game one of the first round of the playoffs, in Edmonton on Wednesday, May 19, 2021.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson July 23, 2021 - 11:29 PM
EDMONTON - The Edmonton Oilers newest prospect was nearly at a loss for words Friday night.
The club took Xavier Bourgault with the 22nd overall pick in the NHL entry draft and the French-Canadian felt he d found his perfect home.
âI canât describe the feeling right now, he said. Iâm so happy to be drafted by the Oilers.â