Beckett Sennecke
2024 NHL Draft Eligible
Position: RW, Shoots: R
H/W: 6’3”, 178lbs
Date of Birth: 2006-01-28
Sennecke has been a slightly perplexing and complex player to scout this season. For one, the Oshawa Generals are in the midst of a mini rebuild, making their on ice performance incredibly inconsistent. This was even more evident before Cal Ritchie returned from injury in mid November. As such, Sennecke’s game has also been widely inconsistent. There are games where he is the best player on the ice, regardless of age. There are others where he is not noticeable.
For two, Sennecke has undergone a massive growth spurt over the last two years, jumping from 5’10 as an OHL draft prospect to 6’3 (currently) as an NHL draft prospect. That’s a pretty big stretch out. It has had a pretty profound impact on his game and likely his conditioning. Interestingly enough, I think Sennecke’s skating has actually improved with the added length, compared to last year when he struggled to break away from OHL defenders as a rookie. While his linear quickness could still use upgrades, likely by adding lower body strength and making greater use of his stride potential, his edgework and agility have improved a lot. This has allowed him to be a difficult cover for defenders deep inside the offensive zone, as he escapes pressure by making quick cuts.
Where the spurt has had a negative impact is in his play away from the puck and overall physical advantage. As an OHL draft prospect, and even as an OHL rookie, Sennecke was known for his hard work and determination as a “puck hound.” He played the body and was a general nuisance in puck pursuit. Now, we’re seeing that part of his game be less effective and less consistent as he lacks the strength to engage and win those battles consistently. He can also be a bit “baby deer”-like in the sense that he can be easily knocked off stride and will lose his balance when engaged physically.
However, what you do have in Sennecke is a big winger with skill, a deft passing touch, and a heavy shot who has the potential to be an impact top six forward at the NHL level. As he grows into his frame, I would expect that his play away from the puck does improve to become more consistent. We could even see him develop into a more traditional power forward. The physical tools give him a unique upside, but also make it likely that he can become an NHL player in some capacity. Scouts will likely get a great look at Sennecke down the stretch too. Even though he was a surprise omission from the Canadian Hlinka/Gretzky roster in the summer, he should be a lock for the U18 roster given Oshawa is ousted (as anticipated).
Skating
The development of Sennecke as a skater has been a unique one. If you go back to his U16 year with the Toronto Marlboros of the GTHL, Sennecke’s skating was not seen as an issue. He wasn’t the most graceful or the most explosive, but it rarely hindered him from finding success at that level. Fast forward to his OHL rookie year with Oshawa and his skating was noticeable as a weakness. At the beginning stages of his growth spurt, Sennecke was robbed of the power he did have in his stride, but he was not a dynamic moving East/West either, making him easy to neutralize in transition. This relegated Sennecke to being more of a strictly complementary piece. Though, due to his skill, finishing ability, and hustle, he was still highly effective. This year, now a full five inches taller, he can cover ground more easily even without an ideal stride length for a guy his size. Additionally, it is clear that he has worked on his agility and edges as it has become a strength of his skating profile, making him an elusive cover when moving East/West or when working the wall. Combine the agility with his big frame and you have a player who can be difficult to pin down through stick checks.
There are a few keys for Sennecke moving forward. The first is adding lower body strength to compensate for the growth spurt. That should help his linear quickness and make him a more consistent player off and on the puck. The second would be working on his balance, especially when playing through traffic. While his edgework does make him elusive when combined with his hands, Sennecke will often lose balance when trying to attack the middle or the crease. It’s taken away from his effectiveness as a true crease disrupter/crasher and he has had some trouble finishing under pressure because he struggles to find footing.
Let’s start at the very beginning. This is a clip from Sennecke’s U16 year with the Marlboros. Plays like this were routine for Sennecke as he broke into the offensive zone and exploited poor gap control with his skill and shooting ability. Not the prettiest stride, but efficient.
Then we have this play from the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge last year. Plays like this were commonplace in the OHL too. He just lacked that explosiveness to be the kind of North/South attacker that he wanted to be.
This is from this season now (all the remaining clips will be). Looks familiar right (from the U16 clip). Only this time we see how much more space Sennecke can generate from pushing off his edges to get to the middle. His shot generates a rebound and a subsequent goal. Because of how confident Sennecke is on his edges, he loves to cut to the middle and work from there.
Good clip of Sennecke gaining the offensive zone, first using a sharp directional change without losing speed. You’ll notice that Sennecke loves to glide and with his long legs, he can usually get away with only a few strides to build up the speed he needs.
Sennecke is about to get boxed in here, but he shows off his impressive edgework/hand combination again to cut to the net before making a pass to set up a goal.
Is that Zayne Parekh or Beckett Sennecke? Look at how he builds speed through this c-cut and pivot. With his length/reach, once he learns to harness this, he’s going to be difficult to stop.
Rinse…repeat.
Look at how quickly Sennecke cuts to the net here, pushing off his edges. Again, that’s a player who is going to be tough to stop once he adds bulk.
Sennecke builds up some solid speed, then draws a penalty by quickly changing his direction off his edges. Once his linear quickness improves further, he’s going to be able to make more plays like this to take advantage of his ability to alter direction.
An example of the aforementioned balance issues. The stumble when trying to track down that puck is not actually what I want you to focus on. That’s random. It’s what happens after that as he tries to evade pressure behind the net. A relatively light hit forces Sennecke down as he tries to escape.
Again, we see Sennecke fighting to stay balanced through contact and his lack of explosiveness becomes apparent here.
Grade: 52.5
Shot
Sennecke is definitely a potential goal scorer at the next level with his multifaceted goal scorer’s toolkit. Sennecke has both a heavy wrist shot and he can one time pucks relatively cleanly with the slapper. He also has good hands and a quick release in tight that he uses to do damage near the crease. Lastly, Sennecke can work for redirects and second chance opportunities as a screener at the top of the blue paint.
One thing Sennecke does really well is create space for himself to use his shot by pushing on his edges to cut to the middle. The issue is that while his wrister in these scenarios is heavy, it’s not always accurate. Additionally, the load portion can be too long; there is a need to work on the quickness of his release. Simply put, Sennecke needs to hit the net with more consistency.
This clip is great because it shows the good and bad of Sennecke’s shot/scoring ability currently. First, he fires the initial attempt wide, an issue he has had this year. His accuracy definitely needs to improve. Second, he tees it up again and beats the netminder clean. He generates a ton of velocity on his one timer and is a weapon working the half wall on the powerplay (although his role varies).
Ignore the poor camera work here. If you focus on Sennecke, you can see how quickly he gets this one off and elevates it to the top corner. If he can be more decisive like this and get pucks off his stick quicker, he’s going to score more.
Nice shot placement here from Sennecke on the powerplay.
A goal from Sennecke’s rookie season. This sees him turn a defender inside/out then go bar down with a heavy snapper.
Grade: 55
Skills
While I don’t see Sennecke being as naturally skilled or creative as Liam Greentree, another quality scoring winger out of the OHL this year, he does have good hands and he is able to create using the combination of his size, edgework, and skill.
Sennecke is especially dangerous coming off the wall, where he can sharply change direction to cut to the net. He is very good at protecting the puck and will slip between stick checks or put defenders on his back. As he does this, he often causes breakdowns in coverage which give him an opportunity to use his heavy wrister, or give him an opportunity to showcase his passing skill.
It’s rare to find “big men” with the kind of playmaking and passing chops that Sennecke possesses. While he can, at times, become a little too narrow in his vision, resulting in turnovers, he usually draws in defenders well before passing off at the right time. Again, his ability to work the wall is an asset because he draws in defenders from the slot, opening up passing/cutting lanes for his linemates.
While it is rarer, you will see Sennecke play with some creativity in transition as he looks to take on defenders one on one. He does possess the ability to turn defenders inside/out, but a lot of the time you’ll see him chip and chase, or pivot to wait for linemates.
First Sennecke keeps the Mississauga attacker on his back using his size/reach, but then we see how his edgework and hands work together to create space. This move at the blueline helps to set up a goal from the point.
This goal wasn't created by Sennecke’s explosiveness as a skater. It’s created by his ability to drive the net, put defenders on his back, and finish in tight.
Skate to stick, dipsy do, sell the shot (drawing in the defense), before finding a streaking D’Amato for a glorious scoring chance.
Sennecke is a dangerous presence near the crease because of his size and skill. Once he learns to get himself there more consistently and adds the strength necessary to do battle, goals like this will become more commonplace.
Impressive move from Sennecke to beat the defender one on one. But, this also serves as an example of his need to improve his strength and balance. If he maintains that, he likely scores there easily. Instead, he has to fire off balance.
Great work in transition here by Sennecke, eventually finishing off the play with a quick wrister.
Grade: 55
Smarts
Largely, I do believe Sennecke to be an intelligent player. He showed last season that he could be the perfect complementary piece, timing cuts and passes to create scoring chances. This year, as he has gained confidence in his carrying ability, we’re seeing him make some impressive plays with the puck to be more of a play driver. Will he occasionally make a poor decision with the puck? Sure. But, I think that as he gains strength and believes that he can win every battle, we’ll see him show more poise under pressure and it will mean great things for his playmaking ability.
In particular, one thing that I love about Sennecke’s game is how he layers deception into his passing game. He is terrific at selling the shot before passing off. Teams know that he loves to shoot and has that heavy shot, so he exploits that by drawing in pressure.
With his reach and tenacity, he could be an excellent three zone player too. As the conditioning improves, hopefully the consistency of engagement does. When he is dialed in physically, he is at his best. He anticipates passing lanes well. He clogs the neutral zone. He is great in puck pursuit. Again, the key word is consistency. I think it’s more of a “will” thing than a lack of sense.
Great play by Sennecke here to cut hard to the inside lane, allowing him to break in. Then he takes the puck wide to draw out the Kingston defender, opening up a lane for Ryan Roobroeck, who finishes off this passing play.
Fantastic pass by Sennecke here from below the goal line, as he hears his Oshawa teammate call from the slot. Big wingers like Sennecke aren’t usually as good of a playmaker as Sennecke is.
A great defensive play by Sennecke here, only this one leads to an odd man opportunity and a goal. First, we see how valuable Sennecke’s length can be as he intercepts the neutral zone pass. Then he makes a skilled play to get Rasmus Kumpulainen the puck for the goal.
Grade: 55
Physicality/Compete
This is the area of Sennecke’s game that is the most difficult to assess IMO. In a lot of ways, it’s downright frustrating. There are games, shifts, where he is a difference maker in all facets. When he is engaged physically and involved defensively, it often elevates his offensive game. About 50% of the time this is the case. The other 50%, Sennecke can be caught floating and can lack hustle/attention to detail defensively.
As mentioned, I do attribute a lot of this to his massive growth spurt. Big wingers do often take longer to develop because their bodies need to catch up physically. When Sennecke is filled out and playing at 6’3, 200lbs, will we see the same consistency issues arise? I don’t believe so. I think that as his conditioning improves, we’ll see him become a real pesky player to match up against and someone who can provide versatility to an NHL lineup. That said, I’d be lying if it wasn’t just a little bit worrisome because there are some prospects who never develop that killer instinct to become consistent physical dogs away from the puck.
Let’s start with the good. This is the Beckett Sennecke that we need to see consistently. Great effort on the backcheck to shut down this play and then great effort in puck pursuit to lay the body on a Saginaw player.
This play doesn’t happen without Sennecke’s effort in pursuit of the puck off of the faceoff. He uses his size to get inside leverage, fights through the check and works the puck back to the point.
Look at the effort on this backcheck as he catches up to the Guelph player and eliminates him physically.
Love this play by Sennecke. Chip and chase and it nearly works. That shows a willingness to get his hands dirty to make a play.
OK, now some bad You’re probably wondering where Sennecke is in this clip. He leaves the zone early to try to give his teammate an outlet option, but doesn’t read said player being converged on. Then following the turnover, it takes Sennecke a really long time to get back across his blueline. I understand the need to provide an outlet, but given his reach, Sennecke just doesn’t play enough in his own end for my liking.
Another poor defensive effort here, especially following a turnover. Sennecke tries to break through multiple defenders, turns the puck over and then casually skates back to the defensive end. Sure the Kingston player who scored was not his mark, but there was another unchecked Fronts player available for a drop pass who he could have marked had he hustled back.
As DJ Khaled would say, “and another one.” Sennecke fails to tie up his mark as he drives the net and he is able to easily deposit a rebound.
Grade: 52.5
OFP: 54