Here are the five Senators player performances that caught us off guard, exceeding expectations this year.
The Ottawa Senators look like they're going to have repair some elements of their long rebuild. So, as 2023 winds down, the club is currently taking stock of everything. Some players have met expectations and some have not. And the club will need to react accordingly in 2024.
But not everyone in the organization started with high expectations and, for some, there were almost no expectations at all. Here are five players that caught us off guard, breaking through as revelations in the past year:
Mathieu Joseph
It would be wrong to say there were no expectations of Joseph this season. However, there were more hopes than expectations.
Joseph’s 19 points in 25 games and +12 rating far surpassed any of the hopes much less the expectations.
Many wondered how the Senators could get his contract off the books and now it would be hard to imagine a better bargain at $2.95 million AAV for the next 2.5 years.
Joseph is playing so well that people have finally stopped worrying about what Nick Paul is doing in Tampa Bay.
Jacob Bernard-Docker
When JBD cleared waivers and was sent back to Belleville, many wondered if this was the beginning of the end of his prospect status.
Due to injuries, his stay in Belleville was brief. However, even after his call-up, his ice time was in the 10-minute range, and he was even the odd man out on occasion.
Then, with simultaneous injuries to Chabot, Zub and Brannstrom, opportunity knocked... and he answered. Now, his time on ice is up over 16 minutes per game, frequently touching 20.
From training camp to the end of 2023, JBD’s status has risen from prospect to player, and he is not likely to see Belleville anytime soon.
The 2018 draft may have delivered more than just Brady Tkachuk.
Angus Crookshank
Crookshank might be even further ahead in his development had he not missed the entire 2021-22 season with a torn ACL.
He leads the Belleville Senators in scoring, which is not a revelation, given that he led them in goals last season. However, seeing him play at the NHL level and being effective in a checking role with some offensive upside has been impressive. It's something fans may have hoped for, but no one expected him to look this comfortable.
He will likely find himself back in Belleville at some point when Joseph and Rourke Chartier (an honourable mention on this list) are healthy. Crookshank's waiver status will likely make him the odd man out, along with the fact that he makes more money than Chartier.
Crookshank needs more development before becoming a full-time player. That said, he has answered the question: “Can he play?”
The 2018 draft may have struck yet again.
Roby Jarventie
But for some shoddy cap management, Jarventie may have opened the season with Ottawa. Having been a winger up until this season, not only did the organization not know for sure if they had a legit prospect, they also didn’t know he could play in the middle.
Jarventie took his demotion in stride and has continued to perform at a high level in Belleville. His seven-game audition earlier in the season showed there's still work to be done.
Given the Senators depth down the middle, Jarventie's future is most likely on the wing. But more to come on this player. He's still a prospect, but now he's a legit candidate for a recall when injury happens.
The 2020 draft just keeps on giving.
Jiri Smejkal
Much like Jarventie, Smejkal likely didn’t stick on opening night due to cap management. His big frame and ability to skate (he's faster than his unusual stride makes him appear) made him a natural to play on the fourth line and he would have been a legit upgrade on Austin Watson.
Smejkal's transition to Belleville wasn’t as smooth and he struggled out of the gate. Due to ratio rules in the AHL, he found himself scratched on a few occasions. There were even rumours of him wanting to return to Europe.
Though seven games is a short audition and ice time has been limited, it’s hard to deny that this is a player that can make a difference in a 200 foot game. Given his waiver exemption, Smejkal likely hasn’t seen the last of Belleville until the cap is sorted out.