MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #21 Ottawa Senators – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Prospect System Ranking – 21st (Last year - 25th)
GM: Steve Staois Hired: December 2023
COACH: Travis Green Hired: May 2024

After reaching the postseason for the first time in eight years last season, the Ottawa Senators appear to be slowly transitioning toward contention. The challenge, however, is that the organization currently sits in an uncomfortable middle ground: competitive enough to push for the playoffs, but without a particularly deep prospect pool to drive the next wave of improvement. That situation becomes even more unfortunate this summer, as the Senators will be forced to forfeit their 2026 first-round pick as a result of the organization’s mishandling of the Evgenii Dadonov trade several years ago.

The club also refrained from making significant moves at the most recent trade deadline, electing to hold onto its current assets rather than signal a clear shift in direction. Ottawa will still enter the upcoming draft with no first- or second-round picks, but three third-round selections, which should help add depth to the middle tier of the prospect pool.

Leading the current pipeline is Carter Yakemchuk, a skilled and physically strong defenseman selected seventh overall in the 2024 draft. He projects as a versatile “jack-of-all-trades” defender with legitimate top-pairing upside and has already shown well as one of the AHL’s premier rookie defenders. Forward Stephen Halliday has also emerged as a promising piece within the system. The 2022 fourth-round pick led the Belleville Senators’ rookies in scoring last season with 51 points in 71 games and has begun to see NHL opportunities during the 2025–26 campaign in Ottawa. The Senators also added another long-term piece on the blue line with the selection of Logan Hensler (23rd overall) in the 2025 draft, further reinforcing a defensive pipeline that could play an important role in the team’s future.

Still, Ottawa’s desire to translate promise into sustained playoff success could ultimately shape how these assets are used. If the organization pushes more aggressively toward contention, some of those young pieces could quickly become trade currency to accelerate the process.

1. Carter Yakemchuk, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

   Among rookie defenceman in the AHL, Carter Yakemchuk is currently second in points. What made him a standout player in the WHL with Calgary is certainly translating over with Belleville right away. In the offensive zone, Yakemchuk is a nightmare for opponents. He manipulates the play from the blue line so well, has incredible vision and can dangle through the defence like no other. At this point, Yakemchuk struggles to recognize that there isn’t always a play to be made. He can often get caught out trying to make a play out of nothing, which puts his team in a bad spot defensively and is a large reason he finished as a -31 for the year. Belleville is pretty bad overall this year, Yakemchuk is one of the team’s TOI leaders and hasn’t ever been known to be world-class defensively. In his own end, he has been solid but doesn’t utilize his size enough when defending. It’s evident he’s still learning what makes a defenceman at the pro level vs. the junior level. Yakemchuk is still on track to be a prolific offensive defenceman and a potential two-way player.

2. Stephen Halliday, C, Belleville Senators (AHL)

   The emergence of Stephen Halliday has deepened what was already a deep pool of Senators centers. Halliday led Belleville in points last season and is a point per game this season. He’s split his games roughly equally between Ottawa and Belleville, with 11 points in 30 games for the former. In a depth role, averaging a hair over eight minutes a game, “The Disher” has been very productive. With the puck on his stick, Halliday is able to slow the game down to put the puck on the tape of his teammates’ sticks. He uses his massive frame to hold off defenders for an extra second, which often opens a lane he can thread. Halliday is hard to move when he plants himself in front of the net, and his reach makes him an easy target for deflecting pucks. Because of Ottawa’s center depth, Halliday will be almost certainly forced into a bottom six role short term but can progress into a middle six playmaker.

3. Logan Hensler, D, University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

   Hensler has not had the breakout season in the NCAA that was hoped for this season. After a strong first season in Wisconsin, he averaged over 18 minutes per night, and was an excellent two-way piece. He was stout in his own end, with solid puck-moving abilities to allow him to push the play up the ice. While his offensive game was never a huge focal point in his game, an expanded role heading into year two was still expected. Instead, the opposite happened. He has averaged just over 16 minutes per game this season, and his game never took a step. His skating, which isn’t viewed as a negative necessarily but was an area to improve, also did not take a step. He also struggled mightily in the U20 World Juniors tournament, where the US did not medal after a disappointing run. With his game not taking a step forward, his NHL projection takes a bit of a hit. But he still projects as a reliable middle-pair defender who can get penalty kill time as well.

4. Jorian Donovan, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

   Jorian Donovan’s offensive numbers have quietly improved on a worse Belleville team compared to his first year. He's jumped from 12 to 21 points in six fewer games. Donovan’s bread and butter is still being in the right place at the right time defensively. Donovan is a very proactive defender. He reads the play before it happens and puts himself in a position to break up the play or take away an option consistently. He often acts as a safety blanket for his defence partner by being an easy and open option in the midst of forechecking pressure. Although Donovan’s scoring numbers are improving, a lot of it seems to be secondary offence. He’s not facilitating much offence himself, but he's around the play more, which is positive growth. Donovan projects as a third-pairing left-handed defenceman and will soon be able to provide valuable depth to an Ottawa team that wants to contend.

5. Kevin Reidler, G, Penn State University (NCAA)

   Reidler, a large netminder, has certainly bounced around the last few seasons. From the Swedish junior leagues, to the USHL, to the University of Nebraska-Omaha. This year, he transferred to Penn State, where he has split starting duties. He’s a very poised goaltender, who is typically square to shots. His angles and overall mechanics are sound, and paired with his large frame, gives him enough traits to be a valued goalie prospect. However, his lateral movement and athletic ability need to improve. He tends to be very reactive, which allows shooters to get him down early with a fake shot, then make a move to beat him post-to-post. Additionally, due to his less-than-ideal lateral agility, he tends to stretch, as opposed to pushing off his strong side foot, which leaves his five-hole wide open. There are several examples from this season of players taking advantage of that mechanical flaw. He will likely get an opportunity in the NHL down the line, simply for his poise, mechanics and size, but he needs much more work to carve out a role as an NHL starter in the future.

6. Owen Beckner, C, Colorado College (NCAA)

   Beckner, a seventh-round pick of the Ottawa Senators, was drafted out of the BCHL thanks to his high-end IQ and detail-oriented game. As a freshman with Colorado College, the biggest takeaway from his first NCAA season despite playing a smaller role, averaging 15:20 time on ice per game, he still won his minutes via underlying stats, with Colorado outscoring their opponents 39-19 with Beckner on the ice. This season, he increased his scoring and showed notable improvement in his game. His confidence grew with the puck, as he began attacking the slot with more regularity than he had shown in any of his previous seasons. Once again, Colorado outscored their opponents with him on the ice, 31-17. While Beckner’s offence doesn’t jump off the page at any of his stops, he plays such an efficient game, and his confidence grows with each passing season. He projects as more of a bottom six forward who plays a detailed game with some playmaking abilities that are beginning to unlock a bit.

7. Blake Montgomery, LW, University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

   Montgomery, a draft selection of the Ottawa Senators, was drafted out of the USHL, before making the jump to the OHL. He performed well with the London Knights, especially in the OHL playoffs, where the magic would happen, as the Knights would go on to win the OHL and Memorial Cup Championship. This year, he made the transition to the NCAA with Wisconsin, where he has struggled a bit. When he was drafted by the Senators, he was lauded for his size and strong skating ability, paired with his solid puck skills and well-rounded play in all three zones. The biggest question mark was ultimately his ceiling, as he is more of a late bloomer, with a strange path to where he is now. But as mentioned, he has struggled, especially down the stretch this season. While Montgomery has all the raw traits, he’s never quite carved out a big role at any of his stops since joining the USHL and his upside has yet to truly take a step forward. He has the tools to be a fourth-line power forward with some depth scoring upside, but he needs to take that step in the NCAA to project as more than just a bottom six forward.

8. Hoyt Stanley, D, Cornell University (NCAA) (Currently with Belleville Senators, AHL)

   Stanley, a big right-shot defender was drafted out of the BCHL for his puck-moving ability, in addition to his skating ability, confidence and poise with the puck, and his imposing frame. The question came down to whether those traits could translate up to the NCAA, which is a steep incline in competition. Since joining Cornell, his offensive abilities have had some difficulty translating. He has improved slightly each year from a production standpoint, but he's yet to truly find the confidence to be a true difference maker with the puck. His passing ability has improved the most, as he is looking to attack the slot area by finding teammates in those spots with more consistency. If Stanley can become a bigger impact for Cornell in the transition game, which was one of his biggest strengths coming out of the BCHL, there’s some middle-pair upside to be had. But for now, he projects as more of a bottom-pair defender, who plays a very steady game. Look for Stanley to return to Cornell for his senior season.

9. Matthew Andonovski, D, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

   Andonovski was picked in 2023 in the fifth round and has looked every bit worth the selection if you’re an Ottawa Senators fan. The 6-foot-2 physical defenceman uses his strength effectively and more efficiently than in his draft year, putting more emphasis on remaining composed in his positioning. He’s accumulated penalties at a lesser rate than the previous two years, but hasn’t lost his edge, dropping the mitts when the occasion arises and bullying opponents in front of the net. I see quite impressive strides in his overall smarts as he irons out his game and seeks a role on a pro hockey squad. He’s proven to be a nifty playmaker at times, timing his passes well to find teammates in shooting positions while under pressure. Looking back at this pick, it’s trending towards being a steal for Ottawa as they may have themselves a gritty bottom-pair defender who can make accurate reads with the puck, assisting the breakout. He’ll be a huge asset for Kitchener in the OHL playoffs, and should he impress there, I think it’s likely he’ll be playing with Belleville rather than the Allen Americans next year.

10. Lucas Beckman, G, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)

    After a very strong year last season with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, finishing the season with a save percentage of .914%, it was clear that Lucas Beckman was sought after at the draft by many teams. It was finally the Ottawa Senators, in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL draft, that drafted him. The current season started a little bit tougher for Beckman with the Drakkar, struggling to get some wins with a team much weaker than last year. That was before he was traded to Chicoutimi, one of the best teams in the league right now, where he will help them go even further in the playoffs. While average sized, Beckman tracks pucks very well thanks to his high-end vision and anticipation. He doesn't have to rely on athleticism because he's always in the right position to make saves. However, given his lack of size, there's still room for improvement in his quickness, especially in and out of the butterfly. With the right improvements, he could end up being a capable depth goaltender for the Senators in the future.

11. Tyler Boucher, RW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

    Injuries have really stunted his development, including, yet again this year. However, he’s actually had his best pro season and there may just be a glimmer of hope for him.

12. Xavier Bourgault, C, Belleville Senators (AHL)

    Solid bounce back season for Bourgault, his second in the Ottawa organization following a trade from Edmonton. The former first rounder may be a long shot to be an NHL’er at this point, but Ottawa seems happy with his development.

13. Oskar Pettersson, RW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

    The offensive upside is limited; his on puck play just hasn’t developed the way Ottawa hoped it would. However, he’s solid enough away from the puck and as a high energy guy that he could end up seeing time as a fourth liner in the future.

14. Javon Moore, LW, University of Minnesota (NCAA)

    Drafted out of Minnesota high school hockey, Moore was always going to be a long term project. But, the big winger is having a solid freshman season at Minnesota and could still end up as an NHL player down the road.

15. Gabriel Eliasson, D, Barrie Colts (OHL)

    Eliasson was seen as a major reach when the Sens took him early in 2024 and thus far the criticism seems fair. He’s physical and a decent athlete for his size, but he still struggles with discipline and puck management.