Ottawa Keeps 2021 First-Rounder Boucher Despite Rocky Five-Year Road to the NHL

The Ottawa Senators signed forward Tyler Boucher to a one-year, two-way contract Friday, locking in the 2021 first-round pick for the 2026-27 season. The deal carries an $850,000 NHL cap hit and $90,000 in the AHL.

Boucher, 23, was taken 10th overall by Ottawa five years ago. He’s still waiting to make his NHL debut. That puts him in a group of just four first-rounders from that draft class who haven’t played a game in the league yet — alongside Chaz Lucius (Jets organization), Corson Ceulemans (Blue Jackets), and Chase Stillman (Devils).

His Best Year in the AHL, But There’s a Catch

This past season with Belleville was easily Boucher’s most productive. He put up 12 goals, 14 assists, and 26 points in 47 games. That’s more than double his previous career high of 10 points from 2024-25. He also racked up 68 penalty minutes and finished with a plus-7 rating. Through 115 career AHL games, the numbers are 19 goals, 22 assists, 41 points total.

But here’s the thing. Staying on the ice has been the real fight for Boucher since day one. Injuries have followed him like a shadow. His draft year was basically a wash — two knee injuries and a bout of COVID-19 limited him to five games total. After Ottawa picked him, he played just 21 games with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s in 2022-23 and another 21 games with Belleville the following season. Durability questions have never really gone away.

College, Juniors, Then Pro — And Now What?

Boucher started the 2021-22 season at Boston University, where he had two goals and three points in 17 games. Then he signed his entry-level contract, spent time with the 67’s, and eventually moved up to Belleville full-time. The Senators are hoping the Scottsdale native can finally build on that career-best production without another injury setback.

Internationally, Boucher has some hardware. He won silver with the U.S. at the 2019 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and bronze at the 2023 World Juniors. But at this point, the Senators need him to stay healthy enough to even get a real look at the NHL level. That’s been the story for five years now, and it’s not changing until he proves otherwise.