Xavier Bourgault went to salary arbitration as the only Ottawa Senator to do so this summer. By the time the process wrapped up, he had a new one-year deal instead of a hearing.
The Senators signed the 2021 first-round pick to a two-way contract worth $850,000 at the NHL level and $265,000 in the AHL, according to GM Steve Staios. The deal came through July 10, after Bourgault was one of 15 league-wide players to file for arbitration.
For a guy with just two NHL games on his resume, that’s a decent vote of confidence from the front office. Or at least a sign they didn’t want to waste time squabbling over small money in a hearing room.
From Edmonton to Ottawa via a Dip in Production
Bourgault went 22nd overall to the Oilers in 2021. He signed his entry-level deal the next year and started his pro career with Bakersfield in the AHL. His rookie season went well: 34 points. Then things slid. His scoring dropped off in Year Two, and by July 2024 he was shipped to Ottawa along with Jake Chiasson in a trade.
He landed with Belleville, Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, and put up 26 points in 61 games his first season there. Not terrible, but not the trajectory you expect from a recent first-rounder either.
Then something clicked this past season. Bourgault broke out with 25 goals and 57 points in 70 games for Belleville, finishing as the team’s second-leading scorer. That earned him his first NHL call-up in December 2025. He made his Senators debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs and put three shots on net. His second NHL appearance came later in the season.
Two games. Decent showing. But he’s still firmly in the “AHL star, NHL question mark” category.
What the Deal Means
The two-way structure tells you what Ottawa expects. Barring a killer training camp, Bourgault likely starts the season back in Belleville. The Senators have forward spots locked up at the top of the depth chart, and Bourgault isn’t forcing his way into that mix yet. But if he keeps scoring at the rate he did last year, he’ll be first in line when an injury opens a roster spot.
The team didn’t release any quotes from Bourgault or Staios about the signing. The arbitration filing itself was probably more procedural than antagonistic. A lot of fringe NHL guys file to protect their rights, and the two sides settle before anyone says something dumb in a hearing.
For Bourgault, the next step is simple: keep scoring in the AHL and force the Senators to keep calling him up. For Ottawa, it’s a no-risk bet on a former first-rounder who might still have another gear.
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