The Ottawa Senators have some fan favorites in the making who could play in the NHL next season. But is their prospect pool as strong as expected?
The Ottawa Senators have some fan favorites in the making who could play in the NHL next season. But is their prospect pool as strong as expected?
The Ottawa Senators are next up in the NHL prospect pool overview series.
Tony Ferrari examines the Senators' strengths and weaknesses, gives a quick overview of their latest draft class, shows their positional depth chart and examines who could be next in line for an NHL chance.
A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for these exercises, except in very specific cases.
First Thoughts
For a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2016-17 season, the Ottawa Senators' prospect pool isn't quite what you’d expect it to be.
The rebuild certainly means that the roster is full of young talent, right? Well, yes and no. A handful of the Sens’ young players are entering or well in their mid-20s now, as Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson and Thomas Chabot will all be 25 or older when the season starts.
With the NHL constantly trending younger and the prime of a player's career being younger than before, it may not seem like a big deal, but the aging of the Senators' once-young, promising core is reaching critical mass.
That doesn’t mean that they are on the decline, but it just means they might not have as much time to compete for a Stanley Cup in their prime window. If the Senators want those players to be a part of the core that gets back into the playoffs and competes for a championship, they need to get things back on track sooner rather than later. Teams generally don’t go from out of the playoffs to contending for the Cup. It’s a process.
So who is coming to help the still young and promising core of talent led by Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Jake Sanderson?
It's possible they could see forward Zack Ostapchuk and defenseman Tyler Kleven join the roster after getting some NHL action last season.
Ostapchuk could find himself in a fourth-line role, playing a high-energy game with an endless motor. His offensive game is fairly simple, but as long as he can drive play in a positive direction, the Sens would be getting an upgrade at the bottom of their lineup.
On the back end, Kleven will be tasked with playing a shutdown role on the third pairing, using his length and size to eliminate opponents along the boards and kill cycles. He isn’t going to wow anyone, but he’s already a Sens’ fan favorite because of his physical game on the blueline.
Earlier in July, Ottawa swapped prospects with the Edmonton Oilers as Roby Jarventie went out the door and Xavier Bourgault came in. The former Edmonton first-round pick struggled in the AHL last season, but a fresh start with a Belleville Senators organization could go a long way for him. Belleville has been quite good at getting its prospects playing at their best over the years.
At 21 years old, there is plenty of time to recapture the offensive ability Bourgault once boasted. He is a complementary forward who can fill in spaces and advance play as a connector. Expect a bounce back for the Sens' newest prospect.
Another player the Senators are hoping to see bounce back is former 10th-overall pick Tyler Boucher. He was limited to just 21 games last season in the AHL due to a couple of injuries that bookended his season, the latter of which resulted in a second shoulder surgery. Now with both shoulders surgically repaired over the last year or so, the tough winger is looking to play a full, healthy season and get his career back on track.
Boucher has struggled to find any level of consistency at any level since being drafted. At just 21, he has plenty of time to turn it around. He plays a physical, brutish brand of hockey that is complemented by a heavy shot and an element of power in his game offensively. This is a massive year for Boucher.
After two solid NCAA seasons, Stephen Halliday joined the Belleville Senators to end last season and looked really good, especially in the playoffs. Halliday prefers to slow the game down, looking to change direction and shimmy off defenders. He does a very good job of protecting the puck and passing out of pressure. Halliday should be a fixture in the Belleville lineup and show he can be a contributor at the pro level, even if it comes at a lower pace.
Jorian Donovan is at his best when simplifying the game, making a defensive stop and then moving to puck to the nearest teammate. He was on Canada’s world junior squad last year, and although it was a disappointing result for the team, he played fairly well. He was traded mid-season from Brantford to Saginaw in the OHL, helping them on a long run to the Memorial Cup. Donovan will never be ‘the guy’ on the back end or even in his pairing, but he can play a thankless role, defending and looking to move the puck quickly. He likely tops out as a third-pair blueliner at the NHL level.
Tomas Hamara has struggled a bit over the last couple of years, but there are still flashes of fantastic puck-moving ability. Hamara looked great for Czechia at the world juniors, but he returned to his up-and-down play when he returned to the OHL. Hamara must figure things out as he moves to the AHL this season. He has the profile of the kind of defenseman who disappears in the AHL lineup because he brings offensive ability but isn’t reliable enough.
With a solid freshman season at Cornell, Hoyt Stanley showed a lot of what the Senators were hoping to see when they drafted him out of the BCHL. He has the size and physicality to be a solid defensive presence and the simple passing game that will allow him to remain a capable player in all three zones. He projects as a defensive stopper who could be a steadying presence on the back end one day, but he remains a project.
In net, the duo of Mads Sogaard and Leevi Merilainen should split time in the AHL, allowing both to continue their development without the pressure of playing NHL games as they have in the last couple of years. Sogaard is the more experienced of the two and probably brings a bit higher upside, thanks to his massive frame and athletic ability. Having a season of stability in the AHL should allow both to take a legitimate step developmentally this season.
U-23 Players Likely To Be on the NHL Roster
Ridly Greig (C/LW), Jake Sanderson (LD), Tim Stutzle (C/LW), Tyler Kleven (LD)
2024 NHL Draft Class
Round 1, 7th overall - Carter Yakemchuk, RD, Calgary (WHL)
Round 2, 39th overall - Gabriel Eliasson, LD, HV71 Jr. (Swe.)
Round 4, 104th overall - Lucas Ellinas, LW, Kitchener (OHL)
Round 4, 112th overall - Javon Moore, LW, Minnetonka (USHS-Minn.)
Round 4, 117th overall - Blake Montgomery, LW, Lincoln (USHL)
Round 5, 136th overall - Eerik Wallenius, LD, HPK Jr. (Fin.)
Only one defenseman had been taken by the time the Senators were on the clock at seventh overall. They had their pick of any blueliner they wanted aside from Artyom Levshunov, and they went with Carter Yakemchuk from the WHL's Calgary Hitmen. The pick surprised some as Yakemchuk seemed to be the defender at the back end of the top group or even in the second tier of defensemen in the draft.
With that said, Yakemchuk has one of the most entertaining packages among the blueliners near the top of the draft.
His puckhandling is impressive, using his reach to protect the puck and pull it through defenders while also having hands quick enough to create room for himself. His shot is as heavy as they come, helping him score 30 goals last year. His skating is the biggest area of concern as he lacks the quickness and agility to continue playing his style of game at the next level. Defensively, he is often caught leaning or reaching because he lacks enough agility. He can bring a physical element and will look to punish an opponent in front of the net. If the Senators can get his skating up to NHL average, Yakemchuk could be a wicked snag.
In the second round, Ottawa took Swedish defenseman Gabriel Eliasson, one of the hardest hitters and most intimidating players in the class. Some of his decision-making with and without the puck is questionable, often chasing hits or finding himself behind the play. In the offensive zone, he moves well and shows flashes of skill. Eliasson is one of the youngest players in the draft class, just six days away from being eligible next year, so he should have a bit more runway than most prospects in this draft regarding development.
Ottawa's three picks in the fourth round were interesting swings on talent that could ultimately turn out great for the Senators.
Lucas Ellinas might be a sneaky good grab. He played a depth role on the Kitchener Rangers and didn’t quite put up big numbers, but his shot is a legitimate weapon. There were also flashes of some nice puckhandling, and every once in a while, he would thread a silky pass. Ellinas could pop off in his draft-plus-one season, but to do so, he must add a gear as a skater where he is just a bit behind at the moment.
Javon Moore is a toolsy winger with all the athletic tools you want to see. He has great vision, some slick playmaking and a good release. His size is a major asset as he uses it to power through defenders or protect the puck when pressured. He isn’t afraid to lay the body either. He needs to find a bit more consistency, and maybe moving on from the high school level will force him to do that naturally, but he has some intriguing upside.
Blake Montgomery has size, speed and dual-threat scoring ability. This was his second year of eligibility, but the way he played with the Lincoln Stars last year warranted a draft pick. His raw tools are far too intriguing to pass on, especially at this point in the draft. He must refine his processing and decision-making, but there is a long-term play with drafting Montgomery. He will head to the University of Wisconsin, and he’ll have plenty of time to develop and refine his game.
In the sixth round, the Sens took a swing on a 6-foot-4 blueliner from Finland in Eerik Wallenius. He is fairly unrefined and raw, but he makes life simple for himself by just playing to what the game is giving him. He can skate with the puck through open lanes, but he isn’t going to create things for himself. Defensively, he looks to stay on the right side of the puck and defend inside-out. He tries his best to keep things uncomplicated, and that’s benefitted him to this point.
Strengths
There are no obvious areas of strength in the pipeline for the Ottawa Senators. Their blueline has some depth, though, which is probably the closest thing to a strength they have.
Kleven should play meaningful NHL minutes this season, and Yakemchuk is the team's top prospect at the moment, bringing a shot at effective two-way play.
Donovan and Stanley are interesting defensive players who are still a ways away from making an impact. They have some interesting swings on players who could play a depth role in the NHL at some point, such as Donovan Sebrango, Djibril Toure or Theo Wallberg, but hoping on players of that caliber to become home runs is closer to wishful thinking.
Weaknesses
The Senators’ prospect pool is a bit underwhelming in quite a few areas, but their forward group as a whole is concerning.
They have no player who projects as a potential top-six impact player outside of Bourgault, who will need a big bounce-back season to get back on track in that regard.
Boucher and Ostapchuk might be exciting bottom-six players fans love. Halliday has some depth-scoring potential, but he isn’t a difference-maker. Even recent picks like Moore and Montgomery, who have some high-end potential, are long-term development projects who won’t be available for four or five years in all likelihood.
Next Men Up: Zack Ostapchuk, C/W, and Tyler Kleven, D
While neither Ostapchuk nor Kleven are likely to be high-impact players, both have already earned fan-favorite status with the Sens’ fan base.
Ostapchuk’s high motor and endless work ethic keep him in the play at all times. He throws his weight around, and he has a decent shot, which should help provide some depth scoring. His first full pro season was a successful one, and he got into seven NHL games as well. Ostapchuk will be competing for the fourth-line center spot.
Regarding Kleven, the Jakob Chychrun trade to Washington opened up a spot for him to secure a more consistent spot in the lineup. The 6-foot-4 defender loves to destroy players with devastating body checks. He can skate fairly well, especially in a straight line, but he must make better reads. Playing on the third pairing will be an excellent opportunity for him to get some consistent NHL time.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Zack Ostapchuk, Javon Moore, Blake Montgomery, Oliver Johansson
C: Xavier Bourgault, Stephen Halliday, Jamieson Rees, Owen Beckner
RW: Tyler Boucher, Oskar Pettersson
LD: Tyler Kleven, Jorian Donovan, Gabriel Eliasson, Tomas Hamara, Donovan Sebrango, Theo Wallberg, Matthew Andonovski
RD: Carter Yakemchuk, Hoyt Stanley, Maxence Guenette, Djibril Toure
G: Mads Sogaard, Leevi Merilainen, Kevin Riedler, Vladimir Nikitin
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