When the Ottawa Charge made a post-draft trade to acquire Jenna Buglioni in exchange for 2026 fifth round pick, Neena Brick, they got something they didn't find at the 2026 Draft.

After a relatively safe draft, Ottawa got their swing for the fences potential. 

At the 2025 Draft, Ottawa went risk high reward multiple times selecting veteran Russians Anna Shokhina and Fanuza Kadirova. Kadirova turned into the steal of the draft. 

This year, they drafted well from top to bottom, but most of what they got, doesn't have the same risk, and also has a more predictable reward. Ottawa got top prospects like Vivian Jungels and Jordan Ray who are certain to contribute, they also got young prospect Tereza Pistekova, who herself comes with upside, but without the same payoff.

When Ottawa acquired Jenna Buglioni, it was another low risk move, but one that comes with what could be a surprisingly big reward.

Buglioni entered the PWHL as a highly touted prospect who was tabbed by most as a second round pick. Seattle however, grabbed the then Ohio State captain 8th overall with the final pick of the first round.

Buglioni was coming off a season where she scored 42 points in 38 games for Ohio State, and was a key member of Canada's national development team. She had 166 points in 170 career NCAA games winning two national titles.

Following that, nothing that happened in her first season in the PWHL was expected. Buglioni played 18 games with Seattle without registering a point.

She was buried at the bottom of Seattle's roster and never got a chance to play a familiar role, or with scoring line forwards. Buglioni averaged just over six minutes per game, and when an early season injury derailed what was already a rocky start, things went from bad to worse. Buglioni looked out of place upon her return, and she never got a realistic chance to play her way into more minutes and a bigger role. It was a case that was heavily critiqued as prospect mismanagement, which hurt Buglioni's development through a botched transition. All of Seattle's draft picks, aside from rookie netminder Hannah Murphy, struggled mightily. For Buglioni, the best possible scenario, was what just happened, a trade to a market whose rookies have always performed well.

Perhaps Seattle's asset and bench management played into their coaching change. It certainly played into a handful of player departures. And for Buglioni, the change comes with a fresh start. 

Ottawa hopes they've found a player who can make a major jump with the right opportunity, one that will come under their watch.

They gave up Neena Brick, a player herself with upside after a season in the SDHL, and a solid collegiate career with Colgate. Seattle gets Brick, who will be an upgrade on the Buglioni of last season. But the Buglioni of next season might be a difference maker for the Ottawa Charge.