Ridly Greig and Tyler Boucher were invited to Virginia to take part in the 13th annual NHLPA Rookie Showcase.
If there are two Ottawa Senator prospects capable of making some serious noise at this month's training camp, it's probably Ridly Greig and Tyler Boucher. The two former first-rounders are both healthy again and looking to make a great impression on the Senator brain trust this fall.
Greig was chosen 28th overall in 2020 and posted 9 points in 7 NHL games last season. Boucher went 10th overall in 2021 and had 17 points in 24 games with the Ottawa 67s. Both players like to play a feisty, physical game but, over the past few seasons, they've been unable to go very long without injuries.
Greig and Boucher were among this year’s group of 34 NHL rookies and prospects who took part in the 13th annual NHLPA Rookie Showcase.
The event was held Tuesday at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia. The get together is primarily designed to give Upper Deck a chance to get some good photos of the league's potential freshman class for their upcoming rookie cards.
So it was a day of photos, social media, and interviews, along with a light scrimmage – with the emphasis on light. No one was trying to impress anyone or make a team. This was just a day for promo and schmoozing. But since they do try and bring in the best prospects/rookies, there is a little prestige that comes with an invitation.
Greig is the one who definitely has a chance to make the Senator roster this season. As a centre, ranked behind Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris and Shane Pinto, Greig's NHL chances improve with every day that Pinto, an RFA, remains unsigned. But Greig will still be given a long look as a winger since, barring injuries, that's probably where his future in Ottawa lies.
Greig told NHLPA.com that he can't wait for Senator training camp to begin on September 21st.
“I’m excited to get into camp and get things going,” Greig said. “We have a pretty young corps and some great veteran guys, which gets you pumped for the season. There is a lot to look forward to.”
This year’s group of NHL rookies and prospects included first overall selection Connor Bedard, whose rookie card should be worth a tidy sum in the future.
Here's the rest of the rookie showcase roster, listed by surname, according to NHLPA.com:
Owen Beck (Montreal Canadiens), Zachary Bolduc (St. Louis Blues), Xavier Bourgault (Edmonton Oilers), Leo Carlsson (Anaheim Ducks), Logan Cooley (Arizona Coyotes), Matthew Coronato (Calgary Flames), Sebastian Cossa (Detroit Red Wings), Will Cuylle (New York Rangers), Zach Dean (St. Louis Blues), William Dufour (New York Islanders), Luke Evangelista (Nashville Predators), Ryker Evans (Seattle Kraken), Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild), Sean Farrell (Montreal Canadiens), Tyson Foerster (Philadelphia Flyers), Conor Geekie (Arizona Coyotes), Vincent Iorio (Washington Capitals), Tye Karate (Seattle Kraken), Marco Kasper (Detroit Red Wings), Matthew Knies (Toronto Maple Leafs), Kevin Korchinski (Chicago Blackhawks), Denton Mateychuk (Columbus Blue Jackets), Filip Mesar (Montreal Canadiens), Pavel Mintyukov (Anaheim Ducks), Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers), Matthew Savoie (Buffalo Sabres), Logan Stankoven (Dallas Stars), Stanislav Svozil (Columbus Blue Jackets), Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota Wild), Ozzy Wiesblatt (San Jose Sharks) and Dustin Wolf (Calgary Flames).
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