Angus Crookshank – McKeen's Hockey

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: #24 OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

Wed, 21 May 2025 21:26:35 +0000

PARADISE, NV - JUNE 28: Carter Yakemchuk is drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the first round during the Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28, 2024 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire)

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Ottawa 25 Prospects

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #24

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Brock Otten — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 13:00:03 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 24th (Previous Rank - 24th)
GM: Steve Staois Hired: December 2023
COACH: Travis Green Hired: May 2024

The Ottawa Senators remain steady, holding onto their 24th spot in our McKeen’s prospect rankings. While a position in the bottom half is far from ideal, the good news is that they boast a youthful core already making an impact with the big club. With several rising stars on the team, including Tim Stützle (22 years old), Jake Sanderson (21), Brady Tkachuk (24), Drake Batherson (26), Josh Norris (25), Shane Pinto (23), Thomas Chabot (27) and Ridly Greig (23) all flirting with their primes, it feels like a breakout is long overdue.

To bolster this already sound foundation, the Senators added Carter Yakemchuk–McKeen’s 26th-ranked prospect–with their seventh overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Yakemchuk brings potential top four upside on the blue line, comfortably keeping the organization afloat in our rankings. Furthermore, the addition of Xavier Bourgault (135th)–via a Roby Jarventie trade–adds an element of hopeful scoring prowess, though Bourgault has struggled to replicate his offensive success at the pro level. GM Steve Staios is banking on the development staff to push Bourgault toward reaching that potential he was once handed when drafted 21st overall in 2021.

High hopes also surround 2023 second-rounder Zack Ostapchuk (163rd), who recently completed his rookie pro campaign in Belleville. While his 28 points in 71 games weren't earth-shattering, his versatile two-way game could make him a valuable candidate for bottom-six minutes on an offensively gifted Senators team.

In the crease, Mads Søgaard (115th) and Leevi Meriläinen (196th) anchor the team’s goaltending depth in the farm. However, the recent addition of Linus Ullmark complicates either goaltender’s path to securing an NHL backup role in the short term.

Despite lofty expectations, the Senators failed to meet their potential in 2023-24. Having leveraged quite a few draft picks—selecting twice in the first three rounds over the last two drafts—the margin for error is slim. The time is now for this core to succeed, and the team’s future draft capital may continue to pay the price to reach that goal.

Ottawa Senators Top-15 Prospects

1. Carter Yakemchuk

Yakemchuk, a big, right shot defender with two-way upside, was the 7th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft out of Calgary (WHL). Given his late 2005 birth year, Yakemchuk is already more physically advanced than the majority of the players selected this past year and that means he may be very close to NHL ready. His skating has already improved a lot in the last calendar year and that’s had a profound impact on his offensive production. A skilled powerplay quarterback, Yakemchuk has an absolute bomb from the point and should be able to continue to run a powerplay at the higher levels. Defensively, Yakemchuk is a physical throwback to yesteryears. He loves to play through the opposition and relishes the opportunity to throw his weight around. The big concern for Yakemchuk is how well does he think the game? Can he improve his puck management and the consistency of his defensive reads? He should return to the WHL this season and he will once again be one of the top defenders in the league.

2. Mads Sogaard

The big Danish netminder is about to hit a crossroads in his pro career. After splitting two years ago between the NHL and the AHL, Sogaard took a back seat to veterans Korpisalo and Forsberg in Ottawa this past season. The good news is that he played much better with Belleville. The bad news is that he’s struggled mightily in a handful of NHL appearances last year. The other bad news is that Sogaard will no longer be exempt from waivers this season. Insert the crossroads. After bringing in Linus Ullmark to start, what do they do with Anton Forsberg? Do they look to sneak Sogaard through waivers or try to find a trade partner for him? The latter would be shocking because he still has significant NHL upside due to his size and athleticism, but stranger things have happened. The reality is that Sogaard’s play has to do the talking during training camp this year.

3. Xavier Bourgault

Flipped for injured winger Roby Jarventie early this offseason, Bourgault serves as an interesting reclamation project for the Senators. Last season certainly wasn’t the best year for Bourgault and his development. The former first round pick hit a sophomore slump in the AHL with Bakersfield and was particularly ineffective in the second half of the season. The Condors had a pretty veteran-laden roster, especially up front, and Bourgault just wasn’t able to earn consistent ice time and offensive opportunities because of it. However, it’s way too early to give up on the talented pivot. He still possesses top six upside, particularly because of his scoring ability and high end shot. The focus for him needs to be on continuing to improve his quickness and his strength to allow him to earn more touches. He needs to do a better job playing through contact and this summer will be a big one for him from a conditioning standpoint. Look for the former QMJHL star and first round pick to have a bounce back year with Belleville. His NHL future in a new organization might just depend on it.

4. Zack Ostapchuk

Ostapchuk exploded onto the prospect scene a few years ago after a breakout postseason with the Vancouver Giants (WHL) and he hasn’t looked back since. Two WJC gold medals and a cup of coffee in the NHL later and Ostapchuk is still very much relevant as an NHL prospect. The big forward is the prototypical middle six forward in today’s NHL. He has size. He is surprisingly quick. He has great attention to detail as a two-way forward. He brings physicality. At this point, it’s just about increasing his confidence with the puck at the pro level and learning to adjust to the pace of the pro game. It’s not inconceivable to see Ostapchuk in a bottom six role with the Senators to open this year if he has a strong training camp, especially since he’s had a strong finish to the year in the AHL.

5. Leevi Merilainen

Depth is never a bad thing, especially at the goaltending position. Due to Ottawa’s depth last year, Merilainen had to spend a good chunk of his first pro season in North America in the ECHL. This is common, as many NHL netminders have had to spend time in the ECHL. The good news is that Merilainen was solid in both the ECHL and in his time with Belleville (AHL). Merilainen continues to work hard to improve his positioning and puck tracking to help him with his consistency, something that he has struggled with dating back to his OHL days with Kingston. However, as the solid season in Liiga two years ago proved, he’s come a long way. The next step is finding a permanent spot in the AHL for him, which is why the team traded 2018 draft pick Kevin Mandolese. Between Merilainen and Sogaard, the Senators have a great chance of finding a quality NHL netminder.

6. Tyler Kleven

Kleven’s first pro season had to be classified as a success. The big, physical defender excelled in Belleville, even showing well offensively at times, which is certainly not going to be his calling card. Kleven excels in the defensive end with his strong mobility, reach, and aggressive physical nature; simply put, Kleven can be a nightmare for opposing forwards in the defensive end. From an offensive perspective, the majority of his offence is created from his big point shot and ability to get pucks through traffic from the point. He’s not likely to be much of a point producer at the NHL level, but he is still on track to become a PK anchor and second pairing option for Ottawa in the near future. That near future could be as early as this season, if Kleven can have a strong training camp.

7. Angus Crookshank

You never know how a player is going to bounce back from a serious injury. The former New Hampshire standout tore his ACL and missed the entire 2021/22 season. The year post injury ended up being his first full season of pro hockey and Crookshank was quite solid. However, last year he really took his game to that next level as Belleville’s leading scorer. He even played very well in a small sample in Ottawa, scoring his first few NHL goals. Crookshank profiles as a versatile, fan favourite whose energy in the offensive end is infectious. He excels driving the net and he’s managed to improve his speed post knee injury. Crookshank has also greatly improved his on puck play and shooting ability as a pro, which has improved his outlook and upside. He has proven this year that he is knocking on the door of a full-time spot in Ottawa. There is a very real possibility that he finds his way into the Senators’ top nine to start the year.

8. Stephen Halliday

Things didn’t go exactly as planned at Ohio State last year as the team underperformed in comparison to expectations, however Halliday did have another solid season as a sophomore. The USHL’s modern day all time leading scorer recently signed with the Senators and finished out the year with Belleville on a very high note. Halliday is a big, playmaking center whose game has made huge strides over the last five years. He’s gone from being a one dimensional and inconsistent player with big skating concerns to a play driving power pivot who actually projects as a solid pro because of his mobility and engagement level improvements. Now he will need to prove that those improvements will play well at the pro level. If all goes well, Halliday could move quickly through the system. He projects as a middle six center who can be a quality net front presence on the powerplay.

9. Gabriel Eliasson

It is very clear that Ottawa went into this year’s NHL draft with the intention of becoming more difficult to play against. Yakemchuk was first off the board at seven and then they used their early second on rugged Swedish defender Gabriel Eliasson. Simply put, Eliasson is just downright mean. Think early 90’s mean. If anything, discipline has been his biggest issue. He needs to refine his approach. However, he’s a solid skater for his size and has the potential to develop into a very good defensive player. Eliasson intends to play this season in the USHL with Cedar Rapids before making the jump to the NCAA with the University of Michigan. Given the violent nature of his defensive approach, it was probably wise for him to come to North America early to develop.

10. Tyler Boucher

Boucher is every draft pundit’s favourite joke these days because of how highly he was selected by the Senators (10th overall in 2021) and how poorly his development has gone thus far. While expectations regarding Boucher’s potential need to be tempered, we believe that he has been unfairly criticized. While he was undoubtedly overdrafted, and he may never be able to shake that in the eyes of the scouting community, he remains someone with a possible NHL future. Unfortunately, injuries and suspensions have played a large role in the stagnation of his development. Just this year, Boucher’s start as a pro with Belleville was delayed because of a groin injury suffered during training camp. After returning, he was more of a role player suggesting that Ottawa is going to need further patience with him moving forward. Boucher is still an excellent forechecker and a consistent physical threat. He should, at the very least, develop into a quality checking line player. However, he flashes the ability to use his speed on the counterattack, and his hands in tight are better than people give him credit for. Don’t close the book on Boucher just yet.

11. Maxence Guenette

An AHL All Star last year, Guenette took another step forward in what had to be considered an integral year for his development. Now entering his fourth pro season, Guenette will be facing waivers this season. Guenette’s calling card has always been his offensive capabilities and his ability to run the powerplay. However, he continues to work hard to round out his game in the defensive end and has put himself in contention for a roster spot.

12. Jorian Donovan

A Memorial Cup champion this past season with the Saginaw Spirit, Donovan has developed very well during his time in the OHL. He’s gone from an erratic puck mover to a solid two-way defender who can use his mobility to his advantage at either end. The son of Sens development coach Shean Donovan, Jorian will turn pro this year with Belleville.

13. Oskar Pettersson

Unhappy with his ice time in the SHL, Pettersson made the jump to the AHL with Belleville in February of last year, finishing out the season in North America. The former third rounder performed well and looks to be on track to developing into a steady bottom six presence for the Senators in the future.

14. Tomas Hamara

A heady two-way defender, Hamara closed out last season well in the OHL with Brantford; the trade from Kitchener was a real turning point for his development. Now he’ll turn pro this year with Belleville. The upside may not be significant, but Hamara does enough things well that he could be a third pairing option.

15. Kevin Reidler

The big Swedish netminder was excellent for Dubuque in the USHL last year; he was unquestionably one of the best performing goalies in the league. He was especially solid in the Clark Cup playoffs for Dubuque, stealing games and rounds for them. Now he’ll head to the University of Nebraska-Omaha to further his development.

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 30 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 12:22:26 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first, this ranking, follows the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Our team of 16 scouts are based in key markets around the world, in the rinks, supported by video scouting. They utilize some terrific tools from Hudl/InStat, which can isolate so many aspects of a player’s game, along with proprietary statistics. They spend countless hours in rinks and in front of screens and are deeply familiar with these players and their progression. Our management team of Brock Otten (Director of Scouting) and Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting/Senior Western Regional Scout), along with Video Scouting Coordinator, Josh Bell, will take the teams input and finalize the list you see below. Brock, Derek and Josh are responsible for the player write-ups in the Prospect Guide.

The organizational rankings are based on an algorithm that takes into account how many prospects are ranked within the top 200. The teams are broken down by the number of prospects in our top 1 -25, 26 - 50, 51 - 100, and 101 - 200. A weight is attached to each group and then some subjective tweaking is done based on our knowledge of the players. There can be a wider discrepancy in the top 25 group than the latter groupings that needs to be taken into account.

Here is our definition of an NHL prospect: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in one season (25 for goalies).

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft. We are releasing out top 30 NHL Prospects free to non-subscribers. If you want to learn more, link here.

Subscribers can link to the full top 200 listing here

Here is an excerpt of Brock Otten's Risers and Fallers article from the magazine to give you more perspective and a little taste of our content.

The best part of scouting is the somewhat unpredictable nature of human development. Some players improve dramatically from one year to the next…others do not. When we compare the rankings from our 2023-24 NHL Yearbook (where we did a Top 300 prospect ranking) to now, these are the players who have risen/fallen the most.

Risers

DALLAS, TX - APRIL 22: Dallas Stars center Logan Stankoven (11) reacts to a goal score during game one of the Western Conference First Round between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights on April 22, 2024 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)

Logan Stankoven (27 to 5) - Dallas Stars

Stankoven’s jump from one of the best players in the WHL to one of the best players in the AHL has been impressive. So has his quick start in the NHL.

Ryan Leonard (32 to 6) – Washington Capitals

Leonard is returning to Boston College after a Championship barely eluded him this year. However, he has proven to be an elite play driver to go with his strong off puck play.

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 11: Look on Montreal Canadiens right wing Joshua Roy (89) during warm-up before the St. Louis Blues versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 11, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Josh Roy (63 to 35) – Montreal Canadiens

Roy continues to prove doubters wrong after a terrific AHL season with Laval. His skill set has become so well rounded since being drafted.

Conor Geekie (68 to 18) – Utah

Geekie’s power game from the middle of the ice makes him such an interesting prospect for today’s NHL. His skating continues to improve.

Mavrik Bourque (79 to 23) – Dallas Stars

Bourque emerged as one of the best players in the AHL this season as a sophomore professional. He’s ready to take that next step with the Stars.

Gabe Perreault (86 to 19) – New York Rangers

Once thought to be the third wheel on the talented Will Smith/Ryan Leonard threesome, Perreault’s progression as a play driver at Boston College this season has altered the perception that he can be a front-line NHL player.

Bradly Nadeau (109 to 34) – Carolina Hurricanes

Drafting early out of the BCHL has yielded inconsistent results, however Nadeau was exceptional as a freshman at Maine. Did he leave school too early though?

Jagger Firkus (112 to 47) – Seattle Kraken

Firkus took his game to another level this year in his final WHL season, leading the league in scoring. He’s ready to be a pro.

Gavin Brindley (122 to 66) – Columbus Blue Jackets

One of the most improved players in the NCAA this year, Brindley emerged as a star for the University of Michigan and really altered his projection as a potential top six forward.

Quentin Musty (125 to 51) – San Jose Sharks

The dynamic American winger worked hard to fine tune components of his game in Sudbury this year and deserves a bump for improving his consistency.

Jani Nyman (135 to 81) – Seattle Kraken

Nyman emerged as one of the top goal scorers in Finland this season as a U20 player. This, combined with his strong WJC performance, has helped push him up our board north.

Logan Mailloux (145 to 45) – Montreal Canadiens

Mailloux proved to be way more refined at the AHL level than previously perceived. Simply put, he was one of the best defensive prospects in the AHL this year.

Josh Doan (153 to 55) - Utah

What a terrific story to the end of the Coyotes franchise. Doan emerged as a potential star this season and finished the year strong in the NHL, scoring in his debut.

Riley Heidt (157 to 44) – Minnesota Wild

We still don’t understand how Heidt fell as far as he did in the 2023 draft, however he is proving NHL scouts wrong thus far after a remarkable year with Prince George.

Ville Koivunen (165 to 71) – Pittsburgh Penguins

The main piece of the Jake Guentzel to Carolina deal, Koivunen emerged as one of the top players in Liiga this year.

Ethan Del Mastro (169 to 73) – Chicago Blackhawks

There was little doubt that Del Mastro’s strong defensive ability would translate to the AHL level well, but he continues to improve offensively and that has altered his projection.

Theo Lindstein (185 to 91) – St. Louis Blues

Lindstein’s strong year for Brynas has helped to elevate his upside as a two-way defender. We may have ranked him too low in our 2023 Draft Rankings.

Carson Rehkopf (201 to 69) – Seattle Kraken

Consistency off the puck and a lack of engagement held Rehkopf back last year. This year marked improvement in those areas helped him emerge as a top offensive talent in the OHL.

Easton Cowan (204 to 67) – Toronto Maple Leafs

One of the surprises of the 2023 draft, Cowan set a new OHL record with a 42-game point streak. More than just a high energy guy now, he can be a difference maker offensively.

Seamus Casey (214 to 63) – New Jersey Devils

Casey continues to improve in the NCAA. He may not have elite size, but he has everything else, and it has the Devils excited about his future.

Jacob Fowler (222 to 52) – Montreal Canadiens

Fowler compiled a list of accolades as a freshman this year at Boston College, emerging as one of the top goaltending prospects in the game.

Fraser Minten (226 to 84) – Toronto Maple Leafs

After starting the year with the Leafs, Minten returned to the WHL and ended up captaining Canada at the World Juniors.

Jackson Blake (277 to 117) – Carolina Hurricanes

A finalist for the Hobey Baker this year, Blake became an NCAA star for North Dakota, and he now turns pro.

Erik Portillo (Unranked to 118) – Los Angeles Kings

Acquired by the Kings, Portillo turned pro after three years at Michigan and he was one of the best goaltenders in the AHL as a first-year pro.

Rodwin Dionicio (Unranked to 139) – Anaheim Ducks

Dionicio still plays a high risk, high reward game from the back end, but his offensive upside has become too large to ignore.

Fallers

EDM - Xavier Bourgault

Xavier Bourgault (from 48 to 113) – Edmonton Oilers

After a mediocre first professional year last season, Bourgault was even more disappointing as a sophomore with Bakersfield. The Oilers just haven’t been developing prospects well in recent years.

Eduard Sale (72 to 140) – Seattle Kraken

Sale’s first year in North America did not go according to plan as he struggled to be a consistent impact player in the OHL.

Jack Rathbone (96 to not ranked) – Pittsburgh Penguins

Perhaps we ranked Rathbone too aggressively this summer, but not only did he fail to earn a spot on Vancouver, but he’s now an NHL after thought after entering Pittsburgh’s organization via trade.

Jacob Perreault (127 to not ranked) – Montreal Canadiens

Perreault’s off puck play and skating just haven’t improved to the point where he can be a consistent pro and it caused the Ducks to move on from him, trading him to Montreal.

Jan Jenik (156 to not ranked) - Utah

Once a highly ranked prospect, Jenik continues to fall. He just hasn’t been able to take that next step and even passed through waivers this year unclaimed.

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #24 Ottawa Senators – Organization Overview – Top 15 prospects

Player Profiles - Brock Otten, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Fri, 31 May 2024 19:05:20 +0000

The Senators and their fans were cautiously optimistic entering the 2023-24 season. They had new ownership in Michael Andlauer, after long time owner Eugene Melnyk passed away, promising calm after some tumultuous years. That did not last long, as a terrible start made it clear they were on the way to missing the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years under Pierre Dorion. His mutual departure was hastened by an error that cost the franchise a first-round pick by not disclosing a no trade list as part of a trade to another team. He was replaced by Steve Staois who had just joined as President of Hockey Operations in September, on an interim basis, but was made permanent by the new year. Staois replaced coach D.J. Smith with long time Senators stalwart Jacques Martin, also on an interim basis, to analyze the team before a coaching change was made. In May, Travis Green became the next head coach of the team.

Despite continued turmoil, and recent deadline trades, the Senators continue to boast one of the best young cores in the NHL. Graduated prospects, Tim Stutzle (22-years old), Jake Sanderson (21), and Ridly Greig (21), all from an outstanding 2020 draft, join young stars captain Brady Tkachuk (24), Drake Batherson (26), injury plagued Josh Norris (25), Thomas Chabot (27), and Jakob Chychrun (26). They have two first round picks, acquiring Boston’s first round pick in the summer trade of Alex Debrincat to Detroit. In the pipeline, the biggest hope is in goal, and great hope one of Mads Sogaard or Leevi Merilainen continue to develop as they have. Sogaard is waivers exempt next season, so his time is now to show he belongs in the NHL. We will see if they can find the Andlauer promised stability and could surprise teams this season.

1. Mads Sogaard, G, Belleville Senators (AHL)

The big Danish netminder is about to hit a crossroads in his pro career. After splitting last year between the NHL and the AHL, Sogaard has taken a back seat to veterans Korpisalo and Forsberg in Ottawa this season. The good news is that he’s played much better with Belleville. The bad news is that he’s struggled mightily in a handful of NHL appearances this year. The other bad news is that he will no longer be exempt from waivers next season. Insert the crossroads. With Korpisalo and Forsberg still on the books next year, what does Ottawa do with Sogaard? Do they move/waive one of Forsberg/Korpisalo? Do they look to sneak him through waivers or try to find a trade partner for him? The latter would be shocking because he still has significant NHL upside due to his size and athleticism, but stranger things have happened. The reality is that his play has to do the talking during training camp next year.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Mads Sogaard	G	23	6-7/195	Belleville (AHL)	`19(37th)	32	18	9	2.45	0.916
2	Zack Ostapchuk	C	20	6-3/205	Belleville (AHL)	`21(39th)	69	17	11	28	47
					Ottawa (NHL)	`21(39th)	7	0	0	0	0
3	Leevi Merilainen	G	21	6-2/160	Belleville (AHL)	`20(71st)	24	10	9	2.87	0.906
4	Tyler Kleven	D	22	6-4/200	Belleville (AHL)	`20(44th)	53	5	16	21	51
					Ottawa (NHL)	`20(44th)	9	0	1	1	2
5	Angus Crookshank	LW	24	5-10/180	Belleville (AHL)	`18(126th)	50	24	22	46	60
					Ottawa (NHL)	`18(126th)	13	2	1	3	4
6	Roby Jarventie	RW	21	6-3/195	Belleville (AHL)	`20(33rd)	22	9	11	20	22
					Ottawa (NHL)	`20(33rd)	7	0	1	1	4
7	Egor Sokolov	LW	23	6-4/235	Belleville (AHL)	`20(61st)	71	21	25	46	69
8	Stephen Halliday	C	21	6-3/210	Ohio State (B1G)	`22(104th)	38	10	26	36	30
9	Tyler Boucher	RW	21	6-1/205	Belleville (AHL)	`21(10th)	21	2	3	5	34
10	Jorian Donovan	D	20	6-1/180	Bfd-Sag (OHL)	`22(136th)	66	13	33	46	73
11	Maxence Guenette	D	23	6-1/180	Belleville (AHL)	`19(187th)	58	7	27	34	18
					Ottawa (NHL)	`19(187th)	7	0	0	0	2
12	Lassi Thomson	D	23	6-0/190	Belleville (AHL)	W(Ana-10/23)	67	6	15	21	56
13	Hoyt Stanley	D	19	6-2/185	Cornell (ECAC)	`23(108th)	35	2	8	10	22
14	Tomas Hamara	D	20	6-0/185	Kit-Bfd (OHL)	`22(87th)	44	1	19	20	22
15	Kevin Reidler	G	19	6-6/200	Dubuque (USHL)	`22(151st)	39	27	5	2.86	0.902

2. Zack Ostapchuk, C, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Zach Ostapchuk exploded onto the prospect scene a few years ago after a breakout postseason with the Vancouver Giants (WHL) and he hasn’t looked back since. Two WJC gold medals and a cup of coffee in the NHL later and Ostapchuk is still very much relevant as an NHL prospect. The big forward is the prototypical middle six forward in today’s NHL. He has size. He is surprisingly quick. He possesses great attention to detail as a two-way forward. He brings physicality. At this point, it’s just about increasing his confidence with the puck at the pro level and learning to adjust to the pace of the pro game. It’s not inconceivable to see Ostapchuk in a bottom six role with the Senators to open next year if he has a strong training camp, especially since he’s had a strong finish to the year in the AHL.

3. Leevi Merilainen, G, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Depth is never a bad thing, especially at the goaltending position. Due to Ottawa’s depth this year, Merilainen has had to spend a good chunk of his first pro season in North America in the ECHL. This is common; many NHL netminders have had to spend time in the East Coast Hockey League. The good news is that he has been solid in both the ECHL and in his time with Belleville (AHL). Merilainen continues to work hard to improve his positioning and puck tracking to help him with his consistency, something that he has struggled with dating back to his OHL days with Kingston. However, as the solid season in Liiga last year proved, he’s come a long way. The next step is finding a permanent spot in the AHL for him, possibly at the expense of 2018 draft pick Kevin Mandolese. Between Merilainen and Sogaard, the Senators do have a great chance of finding a quality NHL netminder.

4. Tyler Kleven, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Kleven’s first pro season has to be classified as a success. The big, physical defender has excelled in Belleville, even showing well offensively at times, which is certainly not going to be his calling card. He excels in the defensive end with his strong mobility, reach, and aggressive physical nature; simply put, Kleven can be a nightmare for opposing forwards in the defensive end. From an offensive perspective, the majority of his offense is created from his big point shot and ability to get pucks through traffic from the point. He’s not likely to be much of a point producer at the NHL level, but he is still on track to become a PK anchor and second pairing option for Ottawa in the near future. That near future could be as early as next season, depending on what happens with Jakob Chychrun.

5. Angus Crookshank, LW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

You never know how a player is going to bounce back from a serious injury. The former New Hampshire standout tore his ACL and missed the entire 2021/22 season. Last year ended up being his first full season of pro hockey and Crookshank was quite solid. However, this year, he’s really taken his game to that next level as Belleville’s leading scorer. He’s even played very well in a small sample in Ottawa, scoring his first few NHL goals. He profiles as a versatile, fan favourite whose energy in the offensive end is infectious. He excels driving the net and he’s managed to improve his speed post knee injury. He has also greatly improved his on puck play and shooting ability as a pro, which has improved his outlook and upside. He has proven this year that he is knocking on the door of a full-time spot in Ottawa.

6. Roby Jarventie, RW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

At this point, Roby Jarventie just needs to stay healthy. He’s battled injuries the last two seasons in Belleville and has been shut down the rest of this year after knee surgery. The good news is that the knee has apparently been the source of his issues the last two years; this could be the permanent fix, allowing him to develop uninterrupted. The big, power winger excels playing a North/South game thanks to his speed and skill when driving wide. He likely has the highest offensive upside of any forward in the Ottawa system currently as he could end up as a consistent 25 goal guy with the Senators in the future. Just when is that future? It will depend on his rehab following the knee surgery. It seems likely that Ottawa will want him in the AHL again when he returns to try to ease him back in and that delays his timeline.

7. Egor Sokolov, LW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

A few years ago, Sokolov was considered one of the top prospects in Ottawa’s system. He had been a QMJHL star, an AHL All-star, and was looking like a potential top six forward in the future. However, the big winger’s development appears to have plateaued, as he has had a tough time breaking through to the NHL level. His skating just has never gotten to the point that it needed to in order for him to be a scoring line forward. Even though he’s passed through waivers this year, he’s still producing in the AHL and has NHL upside. Will that be realized as part of the Ottawa organization? A pending RFA, Sokolov could be a non-tender candidate. He could also be a trade candidate, or even a KHL candidate. This offseason should be an interesting one for him.

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

Things didn’t exactly go as planned at Ohio State this year as the team underperformed in comparison to expectations, however Halliday did have another solid season as a sophomore. The USHL’s modern day all-time leading scorer recently signed with the Senators and is finishing out the year with Belleville. He is a big, playmaking center whose game has made huge strides over the last five years. He’s gone from being a one dimensional and inconsistent player with big skating concerns to a play driving power pivot who actually projects as a solid pro because of his mobility and engagement level improvements. Now he will need to prove that those improvements will play well at the pro level. If all goes well, Halliday is the kind of player who could move quickly through the system. He projects as a middle six center who can be a quality net front presence on the powerplay.

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

Boucher is every draft pundits favourite joke these days because of how highly he was selected by the Senators (10th overall in 2021) and how poorly his development has gone thus far. While expectations regarding his potential need to be tempered, we believe that he has been unfairly criticized. While he was undoubtedly overdrafted, and he may never be able to shake that in the eyes of the scouting community, he remains someone with a possible NHL future. Unfortunately, injuries and suspensions have really played a large role in his stagnation. Just this year, Boucher’s start as a pro with Belleville was delayed because of a groin injury suffered during training camp. Since returning, he has been more of a role player. An excellent forechecker and a consistent physical threat, he should, at the very least, develop into a quality checking line player. He has the ability to use his speed on the counterattack, and his hands in tight are better than people think. Don’t close the book on Boucher just yet.

10. Maxence Guenette, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

An AHL All Star this year; Max Guenette has taken another step forward in what had to be considered an integral year for his development. A third-year pro, Guenette is both a pending RFA and someone facing waivers next season. He needed another solid year and to earn NHL ice time this year to prove that he could be a part of Ottawa’s future on the back end. His calling card has always been his offensive capabilities and his ability to run the powerplay. A breakout machine thanks to quick thinking and quick feet, the big, right shot defender has always put-up numbers. However, he continues to work hard to round out his game in the defensive end and has had his best pro year in that regard. He has put himself in a position to earn a spot on Ottawa’s blueline next year and projects as a third pairing guy who can help move the puck and can quarterback the secondary powerplay unit.

PROSPECT CRITERIA: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 games (30 for goalies) and less than 25 in one season (25 for goalies).

2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 200 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:02:31 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first is following the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft.

Subscribers can link to the listing here

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17
31	Brad Lambert	Wpg	C	20	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	64	21	34	55	38
32	Ivan Miroshnichenko	Wsh	LW	20	6-1/185	Washington (NHL)	21	2	4	6	6
33	Axel Sandin Pellikka	Det	D	19	5-11/180	Skelleftea (SHL)	39	10	8	18	17
34	Bradly Nadeau	Car	LW	18	5-10/165	Maine (HE)	37	19	27	46	12
35	Joshua Roy	Mtl	RW	20	6-0/190	Montreal (NHL)	23	4	5	9	0
36	Denton Mateychuk	CBJ	D	19	5-11/190	Moose Jaw (WHL)	52	17	58	75	31
37	Brayden Yager	Pit	C	19	5-11/165	Moose Jaw (WHL)	57	35	60	95	20
38	Calum Ritchie	Col	C	19	6-2/185	Oshawa (OHL)	50	28	52	80	20
39	Joakim Kemell	Nsh	RW	20	5-10/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	67	16	25	41	23
40	Colby Barlow	Wpg	LW	19	6-0/195	Owen Sound (OHL)	50	40	18	58	27
41	Jimmy Snuggerud	StL	RW	19	6-1/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	21	13	34	42
42	Matthew Coronato	Cgy	RW	21	5-10/183	Calgary (NHL)	34	3	6	9	4
43	Frank Nazar	Chi	C	20	5-10/180	Michigan (B1G)	41	17	24	41	18
44	Riley Heidt	Min	C	19	5-10/180	Prince George (WHL)	66	37	80	117	42
45	Logan Mailloux	Mtl	D	21	6-3/215	Laval (AHL)	72	14	33	47	91
46	Sebastian Cossa	Det	G	21	6-6/229	Grand Rapids (AHL)	40	22	9	2.41	0.913
47	Jagger Firkus	Sea	RW	20	5-10/155	Moose Jaw (WHL)	63	61	65	126	30
48	Mikhail Gulyayev	Col	D	19	5-11/170	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	64	4	8	12	8
49	Scott Morrow	Car	D	21	6-2/195	Massachusetts (HE)	37	6	24	30	25
50	Matthew Wood	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/195	Connecticut (HE)	35	16	12	28	43
51	Quentin Musty	SJ	LW	18	6-2/200	Sudbury (OHL)	53	43	59	102	72
52	Jacob Fowler	Mtl	G	19	6-1/215	Boston College (HE)	39	32	6	2.14	0.926
53	Fabian Lysell	Bos	RW	21	5-11/181	Providence (AHL)	56	15	35	50	37
54	Shakir Mukhamadullin	SJ	D	22	6-3/180	San Jose (AHL)	55	7	27	34	24
55	Josh Doan	Ari	RW	22	6-1/183	Arizona (NHL)	11	5	4	9	0
56	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	22	5-9/180	San Jose (NHL)	27	6	5	11	18
57	Lian Bichsel	Dal	D	19	6-6/233	Rogle (SHL)	29	2	2	4	28
58	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	24	5-10/180	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	42	11	24	35	30
59	Aatu Raty	Van	C	21	6-2/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	72	18	34	52	18
60	Oliver Moore	Chi	C	19	5-11/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	9	24	33	8
61	Samuel Honzek	Cgy	LW	19	6-4/186	Vancouver (WHL)	33	10	21	31	18
62	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	23	5-9/170	Calgary (NHL)	13	1	2	3	2
63	Seamus Casey	NJ	D	20	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	7	38	45	14
64	Tristan Luneau	Ana	D	20	6-1/195	Anaheim (NHL)	7	1	2	3	4
65	Chaz Lucius	Wpg	C	20	6-1/185	Manitoba (AHL)	17	2	11	13	6
66	Gavin Brindley	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	25	28	53	28
67	Easton Cowan	Tor	RW	18	5-10/170	London (OHL)	54	34	62	96	64
68	Zachary L'Heureux	Nsh	LW	20	5-11/195	Milwaukee (AHL)	66	19	29	48	197
69	Carson Rehkopf	Sea	LW	19	6-1/195	Kitchener (OHL)	60	52	43	95	45
70	Filip Bystedt	SJ	C	20	6-4/205	Linkopings (SHL)	47	8	9	17	2
71	Ville Koivunen	Pit	LW	20	6-0/175	Karpat (Fin-Liiga)	59	22	34	56	26
72	Noah Ostlund	Buf	C	20	5-11/163	Vaxjo Lakers (SHL)	38	12	11	23	4
73	Ethan Del Mastro	Chi	D	21	6-4/210	Rockford (AHL)	69	7	30	37	54
74	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	22	5-10/180	Henderson (AHL)	58	4	16	20	33
75	Liam Ohgren	Min	LW	20	6-1/200	Farjestads (SHL)	26	12	7	19	12
76	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	21	5-11/175	Minnesota (NHL)	16	1	3	4	6
77	Mackie Samoskevich	Fla	RW	21	5-11/190	Charlotte (AHL)	62	22	32	54	24
78	Stanislav Svozil	CBJ	D	21	6-1/180	Cleveland (AHL)	57	5	18	23	24
79	Zachary Bolduc	StL	LW	21	6-1/175	St. Louis (NHL)	25	5	4	9	6
80	Rutger McGroarty	Wpg	LW	20	6-1/200	Michigan (B1G)	36	16	36	52	6
81	Jani Nyman	Sea	RW	19	6-3/215	Ilves (Fin-Liiga)	48	26	17	43	2
82	Andrew Cristall	Wsh	LW	19	5-9/165	Kelowna (WHL)	62	40	71	111	46
83	Oliver Bonk	Phi	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	60	24	43	67	32
84	Fraser Minten	Tor	C	19	6-1/185	Kam-Sas (WHL)	43	22	26	48	25
85	Tanner Molendyk	Nsh	D	19	5-11/185	Saskatoon (WHL)	50	10	46	56	18
86	David Goyette	Sea	C	20	5-10/175	Sudbury (OHL)	68	40	77	117	29
87	David Edstrom	SJ	C	19	6-3/185	Frolunda (SHL)	44	7	12	19	8
88	Anton Wahlberg	Buf	C	18	6-3/194	Malmo (SHL)	43	5	5	10	4
89	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	22	5-9/185	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	61	5	27	32	66
90	Trey Augustine	Det	G	19	6-1/185	Michigan State (B1G)	35	23	9	2.96	0.915
91	Theo Lindstein	StL	D	19	6-0/180	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49	4	11	15	4
92	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	23	6-7/195	Belleville (AHL)	32	18	9	2.45	0.916
93	Isak Rosen	Buf	RW	21	6-0/175	Rochester (AHL)	67	20	30	50	12
94	Maveric Lamoureux	Ari	D	20	6-7/214	Drummondville (QMJHL)	39	9	24	33	53
95	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	21	6-2/180	Rockford (AHL)	38	18	16	2.65	0.906
96	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	23	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	41	10	17	27	24
97	Carter Mazur	Det	LW	22	6-0/170	Grand Rapids (AHL)	60	17	20	37	48
98	Otto Stenberg	StL	C	18	5-11/180	Frolunda (SHL)	31	3	3	6	8
99	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	LW	23	6-3/205	Milwaukee (AHL)	56	27	27	54	60
100	Nikita Chibrikov	Wpg	RW	21	5-10/170	Manitoba (AHL)	70	17	30	47	53
101	Zach Dean	StL	C	21	6-0/175	Springfield (AHL)	49	9	5	14	24
102	William Dufour	NYI	RW	22	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	55	15	10	25	35
103	Sam Rinzel	Chi	D	19	6-4/180	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	26	28	20
104	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	22	6-2/185	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	45	25	12	2.16	0.921
105	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	23	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	50	19	19	38	8
106	Corson Ceulemans	CBJ	D	20	6-2/200	Cleveland (AHL)	47	3	9	12	12
107	Michael Hrabal	Ari	G	19	6-6/209	Massachusetts (HE)	30	16	12	2.59	0.912
108	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	22	5-11/180	Vegas (NHL)	15	2	6	8	2
109	Owen Pickering	Pit	D	20	6-4/180	Swift Current (WHL)	59	7	39	46	35
110	Owen Beck	Mtl	C	20	5-11/185	Pbo-Sag (OHL)	57	34	47	81	18
111	William Wallinder	Det	D	21	6-4/190	Grand Rapids (AHL)	65	3	12	15	10
112	Xavier Bourgault	Edm	C	21	6-0/170	Bakersfield (AHL)	55	8	12	20	24
113	Jordan Dumais	CBJ	RW	20	5-8/165	Halifax (QMJHL)	21	16	31	47	6
114	Aleksi Heimosalmi	Car	D	20	5-11/170	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	47	2	14	16	12
115	Brandon Bussi	Bos	G	25	6-4/218	Providence (AHL)	41	23	10	2.67	0.913
116	Jackson Blake	Car	RW	20	5-10/160	North Dakota (NCHC)	40	22	38	60	26
117	Erik Portillo	LA	G	23	6-6/210	Ontario (AHL)	39	24	11	2.50	0.918
118	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	22	5-8/175	Laval (AHL)	47	9	19	28	10
119	Kasper Halttunen	SJ	RW	18	6-3/205	London (OHL)	57	32	29	61	61
120	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	22	5-11/165	Toronto (AHL)	68	8	31	39	43
121	Ethan Gauthier	TB	RW	19	5-11/175	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64	36	35	71	42
122	Daniil Miromanov	Cgy	D	26	6-4/200	VGK-Cgy (NHL)	24	3	4	7	8
123	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	23	5-8/155	Bridgeport (AHL)	69	18	32	50	30
124	Shai Buium	Det	D	21	6-3/210	Denver (NCHC)	43	7	29	36	14
125	Jakub Dobes	Mtl	G	22	6-3/200	Laval (AHL)	51	24	18	2.93	0.906
126	Oliver Kapanen	Mtl	C	20	6-0/170	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	51	14	20	34	32
127	Danny Nelson	NYI	C	18	6-3/200	Notre Dame (B1G)	30	9	14	23	32
128	Lenni Hameenaho	NJ	RW	19	6-0/175	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	46	14	17	31	10
129	Nick Lardis	Chi	LW	18	5-11/165	Brantford (OHL)	37	29	21	50	12
130	Ty Nelson	Sea	D	20	5-10/195	North Bay (OHL)	54	16	36	52	50
131	Isaac Howard	TB	LW	20	5-10/185	Michigan State (B1G)	36	8	28	36	10
132	Fyodor Svechkov	Nsh	C	21	6-0/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	57	16	23	39	18
133	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	21	6-1/196	Calgary (AHL)	23	3	10	13	22
134	Reid Schaefer	Nsh	LW	20	6-3/215	Milwaukee (AHL)	63	7	14	21	39
135	Zack Ostapchuk	Ott	C	20	6-3/205	Belleville (AHL)	69	17	11	28	47
136	Nathan Gaucher	Ana	C	20	6-3/207	San Diego (AHL)	72	10	15	25	68
137	Rodwin Dionicio	Ana	D	20	6-2/207	Wsr-Sag (OHL)	60	25	48	73	108
138	Eduard Sale	Sea	LW	19	6-1/170	Bar-Kit (OHL)	49	15	23	38	8
139	Danil Gushchin	SJ	RW	22	5-8/165	San Jose (AHL)	56	20	34	54	24
140	Sean Behrens	Col	D	21	5-10/175	Denver (NCHC)	44	4	27	31	53
141	Christian Kyrou	Dal	D	20	5-10/170	Texas (AHL)	57	8	15	23	22
142	Niklas Kokko	Sea	G	20	6-3/185	Pelicans (Fin-Liiga)	13	9	0	1.49	0.926
143	Vasily Ponomarev	Pit	C	22	5-10/180	Tuc-Chi-WBS (AHL)	45	9	21	30	16
144	Ryan Winterton	Sea	RW	20	6-2/190	Coachella Valley (AHL)	58	22	13	35	23
145	Dmitri Buchelnikov	Det	LW	20	5-10/165	Admiral Vladivostok (KHL)	55	13	16	29	8
146	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	Sea	C	19	6-0/165	HV 71 (SHL)	50	9	12	21	6
147	Aku Raty	Ari	RW	22	6-1/190	Tucson (AHL)	55	15	29	44	22
148	Matyas Sapovaliv	VGK	C	20	6-3/180	Saginaw (OHL)	54	19	43	62	22
149	Georgii Merkulov	Bos	C	23	5-11/175	Providence (AHL)	67	30	35	65	20
150	Topias Vilen	NJ	D	21	6-1/195	Utica (AHL)	54	2	27	29	16
151	Ryan Chesley	Wsh	D	20	6-0/200	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	6	8	19
152	Jayden Perron	Car	RW	19	5-9/165	North Dakota (NCHC)	39	11	7	18	8
153	Tristen Robins	SJ	C	22	5-10/175	San Jose (AHL)	42	7	11	18	12
154	Calle Odelius	NYI	D	19	6-0/190	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	10	0	4	4	2
155	Vincent Iorio	Wsh	D	21	6-2/190	Hershey (AHL)	60	4	10	14	30
156	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	23	6-4/215	Bakersfield (AHL)	66	28	22	50	64
157	Ronnie Attard	Phi	D	25	6-3/210	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	48	10	17	27	37
158	Niko Huuhtanen	TB	RW	20	6-2/205	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	52	19	27	46	46
159	Carson Bjarnason	Phi	G	18	6-3/185	Brandon (WHL)	46	24	17	3.01	0.907
160	Lukas Dragicevic	Sea	D	19	6-1/190	Tri-City (WHL)	66	14	36	50	52
161	Leevi Merilainen	Ott	G	21	6-2/160	Belleville (AHL)	24	10	9	2.87	0.906
162	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	22	6-4/200	Belleville (AHL)	53	5	16	21	51
163	Hunter Brzustewicz	Cgy	D	19	5-11/185	Kitchener (OHL)	67	13	79	92	24
164	Ryan Greene	Chi	C	20	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	40	12	24	36	6
165	Damian Clara	Ana	G	19	6-6/214	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	34	25	8	2.23	0.913
166	Carson Lambos	Min	D	21	6-1/200	Iowa (AHL)	69	4	10	14	64
167	Denver Barkey	Phi	C	19	5-8/160	London (OHL)	64	35	67	102	28
168	Gage Goncalves	TB	C	23	6-1/170	Syracuse (AHL)	69	13	45	58	43
169	Arshdeep Bains	Van	LW	23	6-0/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	59	16	39	55	28
170	Bogdan Konyushkov	Mtl	D	21	5-11/175	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	65	6	22	28	18
171	Alexei Kolosov	Phi	G	22	6-1/185	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	47	22	21	2.39	0.907
172	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	24	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	50	43	19	62	26
173	Filip Mesar	Mtl	C	20	5-9/175	Kitchener (OHL)	45	19	33	52	12
174	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	23	6-3/200	Hartford (AHL)	68	4	17	21	49
175	Adam Engstrom	Mtl	D	20	6-2/185	Rogle (SHL)	51	4	18	22	4
176	Michael Buchinger	StL	D	20	5-11/185	Guelph (OHL)	52	10	37	47	37
177	Semyon Chistyakov	Nsh	D	22	5-11/180	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	59	4	20	24	16
178	John Farinacci	Bos	C	23	5-11/197	Providence (AHL)	71	12	26	38	16
179	Angus Crookshank	Ott	LW	24	5-10/180	Belleville (AHL)	50	24	22	46	60
180	Yegor Sidorov	Ana	RW	19	6-0/180	Saskatoon (WHL)	66	50	38	88	66
181	Samu Tuomaala	Phi	RW	21	5-10/175	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	69	15	28	43	12
182	Logan Morrison	Sea	C	21	6-0/180	Coachella Valley (AHL)	64	16	25	41	4
183	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	21	5-11/175	Colorado (AHL)	26	4	10	14	18
184	Adam Gajan	Chi	G	19	6-3/167	Green Bay (USHL)	43	23	12	3.35	0.893
185	Nolan Allan	Chi	D	21	6-2/195	Rockford (AHL)	60	5	12	17	47
186	Oskar Olausson	Col	RW	21	6-1/180	Colorado (AHL)	39	11	9	20	24
187	Samuel Poulin	Pit	C	23	6-1/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	41	16	15	31	35
188	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	21	5-9/165	Hartford (AHL)	71	25	23	48	62
189	Colton Dach	Chi	C	21	6-4/205	Rockford (AHL)	48	11	15	26	39
190	Jack Thompson	SJ	D	22	6-0/180	Syr-SJ (AHL)	62	6	35	41	16
191	Riley Kidney	Mtl	C	21	5-11/170	Laval (AHL)	65	7	13	20	41
192	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	21	6-3/195	Belleville (AHL)	22	9	11	20	22
193	Carey Terrance	Ana	C	18	6-1/175	Erie (OHL)	56	29	23	52	25
194	Luca Del Bel Belluz	CBJ	C	20	6-1/185	Cleveland (AHL)	58	9	22	31	12
195	Luca Pinelli	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Ottawa (OHL)	68	48	34	82	44
196	Francesco Pinelli	LA	C	21	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	67	13	7	20	24
197	Elias Salomonsson	Wpg	D	19	6-1/185	Skelleftea (SHL)	31	2	9	11	58
198	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	21	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	38	24	19	43	23
199	Sasha Pastujov	Ana	RW	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	46	10	13	23	14
200	Andrew Gibson	Det	D	19	6-3/195	Saul St. Marie (OHL)	68	12	32	44	58

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 11th to 17th) – Post-NHL Trade Deadline Impact – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:06:59 +0000

_{OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) after a whistle during second period National Hockey League action between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on October 14, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)}

The trade deadline is behind us and it certainly was eventful. Although we didn’t get a lot of trades in the leadup to the final week -- just four deals in all of February -- general managers made up for lost time with six trades on Wednesday, 10 on Thursday and 23 on the final day.

This isn’t a winners and losers column, but if it was, Vegas would naturally be at the top of the winners list. The rest of the league might be annoyed at the Golden Knights’ seemingly unending ability to make blockbusters, but as a fan of one of the other 31 franchises, I suspect a lot of that is just because we collectively wish that our general manager had a bit more of Kelly McCrimmon’s boldness and the ownership for the teams we rooted for were a bit more willing to green-light whatever it takes to win.

Vegas added forwards Anthony Mantha and Tomas Hertl as well as Noah Hanifin on Friday. Clearly, the Golden Knights are gearing up for a defence of their Stanley Cup championships -- despite some lacklustre play of late -- but these aren’t exclusively win-now moves. Hertl is signed through 2029-30 and with the Sharks retaining part of his contract, he comes at a reasonable $6.75 million annually for the Golden Knights over that span. Mantha and Hanifin are on expiring contracts, but it is possible Vegas will be able to retain Hanifin’s services long-term.

Carolina also had a pretty interesting trade season with the additions of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel. Kuznetsov, who has just six goals and 17 points through 43 games this season, is definitely a risk, but it will be interesting to see if a fresh start does him any good. If nothing else, the addition of Guentzel should bolster what was already a pretty solid offense.

Florida also upgraded its forward corps by adding Vladimir Tarasenko. After falling just short of the Cup last year, I’d at the very least say that the Panthers are the team to beat in the East. The only reason why I hesitate to call the Panthers the outright Cup favourites is that I love Vancouver and Colorado in the west.

The Avalanche in particular are looking strong after grabbing Casey Mittelstadt, albeit at the high price of Bowen Byram. Colorado’s offense is the best in the league at 3.70 goals per game, but the Avalanche have been extremely reliant on Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar to drive that scoring. If you were to have judged the Avalanche from their second line down, then you would have found a team that was wanting. Adding Mittelstadt does a lot to address that shortcoming, though Alexandar Georgiev’s less-than-stellar play is still a concern. The Avalanche might wish they had acquired a veteran backup come playoff time.

Of course, that’s all just scratching the surface of how the trade deadline has changed things. Let’s do a deeper dive while highlighting some of the best teams to utilize this coming week.

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ CHI, THU @ MIN, FRI @ WPG (BTB), SUN @ STL

The Ducks don’t have much left to play for, but at least their upcoming schedule isn’t too bad. They’ll be on the road next week, playing in Chicago on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday, Winnipeg on Friday and St. Louis on Sunday. The Jets are the only of those adversaries in a playoff position.

Anaheim dealt away forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Edmonton on Wednesday and acquired Ben Meyers from the Avalanche on Friday.

Meyers was in the minors before the trade, but he’s likely to remain with the Ducks for the remainder of the campaign. Don’t expect too much from him, though. He had six goals in 53 career contests over parts of three seasons with Colorado and is likely to serve primarily on the third line in Anaheim.

The loss of Henrique will be felt, though. He had 18 goals and 42 points in 60 contests with the Ducks this season, which was good for third in the team’s scoring race at the time of his trade. His departure might increase how much Mason McTavish is leaned on. We’ve also started to see a significant spike in Max Jones’ playing time recently -- logging over 15 minutes in each of his past three contests compared to his average of 11:43 over his first 44 outings -- and that’s likely to persist for the remainder of the season.

With the Ducks looking toward the future, Olen Zellweger is likely to stay in the NHL for the rest of the season. Although he has just two assists through his first eight contests with Anaheim, the 20-year-old defenseman has offensive upside and is getting power-play ice time, so he’d be an interesting pickup for the upcoming week given the competition.

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ MTL, THU VS OTT, SAT VS SJS, SUN VS WPG (BTB)

Like Anaheim, Columbus doesn’t have any hope of making the playoffs, but next week’s schedule is still a favourable one for the Blue Jackets. They’ll play in Montreal on Tuesday before hosting the Senators on Thursday, the Sharks on Saturday and the Jets on Sunday. While Winnipeg is having a strong campaign, those other three teams are among the worst in the league.

Columbus was somewhat quiet at the deadline, but the Blue Jackets did part ways with Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke.

Their biggest move came earlier when they acquired Alexander Nylander from Pittsburgh on Feb. 22 in exchange for Emil Bemstrom. That wasn’t expected to be a noteworthy move, but Nylander has provided an incredible five goals and seven points in seven contests with the Blue Jackets. Nylander is likely to remain in a top-six role for the remainder of the season, so while he’s unlikely to maintain his point-per-game pace, the 26-year-old should continue to have fantasy relevance.

Roslovic was red hot too with four goals and 13 points in his last 12 games prior to the trade. He was serving primarily on the top line with Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau, but now that he’s gone, Kirill Marchenko might be put in that role. Marchenko has 17 goals and 32 points in 60 contests this season, and the 23-year-old might see his offensive pace increase if he does lockdown that first-line assignment.

One player who didn’t move is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. There was some suggestion back in January that he would welcome a trade because he was unhappy with his workload. Maybe that issue will get resolved over the summer, but Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov are likely to share the netminding duties fairly evenly for what’s left of the season.

Detroit Red Wings - TUE @ BUF, THU VS ARI, SAT VS BUF, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

Detroit will continue its fight for a wild-card berth next week. The Red Wings will start by playing in Buffalo on Tuesday before returning home to face the Coyotes on Thursday and the Sabres on Saturday. They’ll complete the week with a game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. None of those opponents are in a playoff position, so it’s important that the Red Wings take advantage by picking up at least six points.

The Red Wings were quiet at the deadline, though to be fair, they made their major move back in November when they signed Patrick Kane. The 35-year-old has gone on to provide 13 goals and 31 points through 31 games, so they have to be happy with that addition.

They’ll need to lean on Kane even more in the short term because Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury Monday that’s expected to cost him at least one more week. While Larkin’s unavailable, Joe Veleno might see his workload increase and consequently should have more short-term value in fantasy leagues.

This could also be a good week for David Perron, who is on a roll with a goal and four points over his past four games. He’s up to 13 goals and 32 points in 56 contests in 2023-24. Defenseman Olli Maatta has looked good recently too, supplying two goals and four points across his last four outings. Maatta typically isn’t a significant offensive contributor, though, so he would be at best a short-term pickup option.

Los Angeles Kings - MON VS NYI, WED @ STL, FRI @ CHI, SAT @ DAL (BTB)

The Kings hold a playoff position, but their postseason berth is far from secure. They’ll need to play next week while hosting the Islanders on Monday and then playing on the road against St. Louis, Chicago and Dallas on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.

LA didn’t add anyone at the deadline, so if the Kings are going to get into the playoffs, it’ll have to be with basically the same group they’ve had for the entire year. However, injuries have made their task even harder. Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) has played just four games in 2023-24 while Mikey Anderson (upper body) and Adrian Kempe (upper body) also might not be available next week.

At least Kevin Fiala has been doing his part. The 27-year-old forward has a superb seven goals and 13 points over his last nine games. With his marker Thursday, Fiala reached the 20-goal milestone for the fifth consecutive campaign, but he’s also exceeded 25 tallies just once in his career (2021-22). In other words, don’t count on him providing goals at his recent rate for much longer, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he still ended up having a strong finish to the season offensively.

Drew Doughty has looked good lately too, providing three goals and 12 points over his last 11 outings. Six of those points came with the man advantage, which is noteworthy because LA’s power play has been middling this season with a 22.6 percent success rate. However, the Kings have converted on 32.0 percent of their power plays over their past 11 games, and if they can keep that up, it will do wonders for Doughty’s fantasy value.

It wouldn’t mean much to Matt Roy -- he isn’t typically used with the man advantage -- but the 29-year-old blueliner has three even-strength assists across his past three games. That has brought Roy up to 20 points (three goals) through 61 contests -- this is his third straight campaign with at least 20 points.

Ottawa Senators - TUE VS PIT, THUS @ CBJ, SAT @ NYI, SUN VS CAR (BTB)

Ottawa has a relatively easy start to the week with a home contest against the Penguins and then a road match versus Columbus on Thursday. Things do pick up after that, though. The Senators will play on the road against the Islanders on Saturday in a contest that matters for the Islanders in their pursuit of a wild-card spot. Ottawa will conclude the week by hosting the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The Senators made just one trade in the leadup to the deadline, shipping Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round selection. That’s a minimal return for a top-six forward, but Tarasenko’s full no-trade clause tied the Senators’ hands.

Either way, Ottawa’s offense is looking a little thinner between the loss of Tarasenko and Josh Norris potentially missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. The top two lines going forward will be combinations of Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Mathieu Joseph, Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux. That will work fine, but the bottom six will be a collection of whatever Ottawa can cobble together.

For example, Boris Katchouk, who was claimed off waivers from Chicago on Friday, is likely to be a regular on the third unit going forward. The 25-year-old has five goals and nine points in 38 contests this season, so he’s not exactly expected to be a scoring threat in that role. Dominik Kubalik, who has averaged 12:30 of ice time this season while providing 10 goals and 14 points across 57 contests, might see his playing time increase too. Ridly Greig might round out that third unit despite recording just three goals and four points over his past 21 appearances.

For what it’s worth, Ottawa also has the option of calling up Angus Crookshank, who has 22 goals and 43 points in 47 contests with AHL Belleville this season. He was limited to a goal and an assist during a seven-game stint with Ottawa earlier in the campaign, but the 24-year-old averaged just 8:50 of ice time. He’d almost certainly get a bigger role if Ottawa promoted him now, so keep an eye out for that.

Pittsburgh Penguins - TUE @ OTT, THU VS SJS, SAT VS NYR, SUN VS DET (BTB)

Although the Penguins’ playoff hopes are all but gone, they still have an opportunity to at least make their final weeks of the campaign interesting. Pittsburgh will play in Ottawa on Tuesday before heading home to host the Sharks on Thursday, the Rangers on Saturday and the Red Wings on Sunday.

As already noted, the Penguins traded star forward Jake Guentzel on Thursday. Pittsburgh also shipped away defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, though the club did add Michael Bunting.

Bunting is an interesting option the rest of the way. He had 13 goals and 36 points in 60 games with Carolina before the trade, which is nothing special, but with Guentzel gone, Bunting might play alongside Sidney Crosby going forward. That’s an ideal assignment that should boost Bunting’s fantasy value.

John Ludvig is the other Pittsburgh player who was significantly impacted by the trade deadline. With Ruhwedel gone, there’s an opportunity for Ludvig, who was last in the lineup on Feb. 18, to play regularly for the remainder of the season. Ludvig isn’t much of an offensive threat with just a goal and an assist through 23 games, but he’s a physical force. The 23-year-old has 23 PIM and 51 hits in 2023-24, so he might have some value to certain fantasy managers now that he’s projected to remain in the lineup.

Beyond that, I’m really interested to see how Crosby performs for the remainder of the campaign. He’s been fantastic with 32 goals and 63 points in 61 outings but has supplied only one helper across his past five appearances. It’s probably just a slump that will end soon, but this is also a new position for the 36-year-old. Crosby is used to playing on a contender. Even last year when the Penguins failed to make the playoffs, they missed by just one point.

Personally, I expect Crosby to bounce back shortly and have a solid finish to the season, but we’ll have to wait and see if being out of contention impacts his motivation more than I suspect.

San Jose Sharks - TUE @ PHI, THUS @ PIT, SAT @ CBJ, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

The Sharks will play in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but that will be their only game next week against a team in a playoff position. After that, San Jose will continue its road trip with stops in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Columbus on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday.

San Jose traded away forwards Anthony Duclair and Tomas Hertl, defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen at the deadline. The Sharks did get Vitek Vanecek from New Jersey, but the goaltender might be done for the season due to a lower-body injury. Keep in mind, the Sharks were 15-40-7 even before those trades, so to say the squad is in a sad state now would be an understatement.

With Vanecek unavailable, Mackenzie Blackwood will likely be leaned on heavily for what’s left of the season…or at least he will be once he’s recovered from a groin injury. In the meantime, San Jose’s goaltending duo are Magnus Chrona and Devin Cooley. When Blackwood is healthy, Cooley might be sent to the minors. Regardless, none of them are good options in fantasy circles given the team in front of them.

Klim Kostin might have a little bit of value, though, to fantasy managers. The Sharks acquired him from the Red Wings on Friday. He was frequently a healthy scratch in Detroit and averaged just 8:43 when he did play, but in San Jose, Kostin might be a mainstay on the third line. That likely won’t lead to him getting much offense, but Kostin could be a good source of PIM and hits -- he has 38 and 60, respectively, through 33 appearances.

William Eklund might also be able to provide a bit of a silver lining. The 21-year-old hasn’t been as productive as hoped this campaign with 10 goals and 29 points through 60 contests, but he does have two goals and four points over his last four games, so perhaps he’ll end the season on a positive note. Certainly, the Sharks will give him plenty of opportunities at both even strength and on the power play.

Winnipeg Jets - MON VS WSH, WED VS NSH, FRI VS ANA, SUN @ CBJ

The Jets will start the week at home, hosting the Capitals on Monday, the Predators on Wednesday and the Ducks on Friday. They’ll conclude the week with a road game versus the lowly Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Winnipeg added Colin Miller and Tyler Toffoli in separate trades with New Jersey on Friday, which compliments the Jets’ addition of Sean Monahan on Feb. 2. The Jets have enjoyed an effective forward trio of Mark Scheifele (19 goals and 56 points in 56 contests), Kyle Connor (26 goals and 44 points in 46 outings) and Nikolaj Ehlers (19 goals and 44 points in 62 appearances), but the team’s scoring depth up front was lacking. With Monahan and Toffoli in the mix, Winnipeg can now roll two dangerous lines with ease.

This isn’t good news for everyone, though. Cole Perfetti has a respectable 14 goals and 31 points in 61 contests this season, but the 22-year-old has been cold for a while, providing just two assists over his last 21 games. With Winnipeg’s recent upgrades, Perfetti is projected to serve strictly in a bottom-six capacity without much, if any, power-play ice time. He might even be a healthy scratch in situations where everyone is healthy.

Vladislav Namestnikov has averaged 15:04 of ice time this season, but he might see work primarily on the third line going forward. He has been effective recently, though, with two goals and five points across his last five contests while seeing time with Connor and Scheifele, so perhaps the 31-year-old will be able to avoid that demotion in the short term.

Mason Appleton has done well lately too, collecting four assists over his last three contests, but the Jets’ additions will likely push him down in the depth charts too. Although he’s averaged 16:05 in 2023-24, he might play mostly in a bottom-six capacity going forward.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #20

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 14:04:24 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - FEBRUARY 11: Ottawa Senators Center Ridly Greig (17) before a face-off during second period National Hockey League action between the Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators on February 11, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Top 20 Ottawa Senators Prospects

1. Ridly Greig

Greig’s path has continued to climb upwards since he started in the WHL and that trajectory is a big reason why he’s going to be a graduate from this list in short order. The forward wrapped up a strong WHL career in 2021-22 as the captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings, putting up 63 points in only 39 games, while also helping Canada to a gold medal at the World Juniors. He’s practically the epitome of the “Pesky Sens'' as a hard-fought, gritty player who is absolutely fearless, while playing a highly competitive brand of hockey. At the same time, he brings an impressive shot, and hands that look softer and softer every time he hits the ice. Greig is already playing in the NHL after starting last season with a strong showing in the AHL and it seems that he’ll there stick as a middle-six asset and fan favorite.

2. Zach Ostapchuk

A bit of a surprising selection by the Senators when they called his name 39th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Ostapchuk has spent the last two seasons proving doubters wrong. On top of two World Juniors appearances where he won two gold medals, his WHL career has taken off. In 2021-22, he was named captain of the Vancouver Giants and showed that he’s a big-game player, taking his game to another level in the playoffs, where he contributed nearly two points-per-game. With over a point per game last season, he looks too good for the WHL now and is ready to take the next step. Ostapchuk is hard on the puck, brings a physical edge, and plays a solid two-way, slightly defensive-leaning game. He also has great speed and is capable of generating great plays. His game looks like it will translate very well as a bottom nine winger.

3. Mads Sogaard

Standing at a hulking 6-7”, Sogaard doesn’t need to do much in the net to stop the puck. Drafted 37th overall in 2019, the Danish goaltender made the interesting jump from the NAHL to the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, where he had a very good rookie season. He spent one more season in the WHL, performing well, before the pandemic hit. He started the 2020-21 season in Denmark and played very well, before jumping to the AHL at the end of the year. He spent more of 2021-22 in the AHL getting used to the pace and he split his time fairly evenly between the AHL and NHL last season. He moves well but can let through a bad goal a little more often than one would like. His path to the NHL may have been a little faster than anticipated as Sogaard is still pretty raw, but it looks like he’s now in the NHL to stay.

4. Egor Sokolov

Another prospect that fits the mould of a Senator, Sokolov made the jump from Russia to the QMJHL in 2017-18, his draft year. He had a solid rookie year but was ultimately passed over in the NHL Draft. He took a step forward with the Cape Breton Eagles the following year but was once again passed over. In his final year of draft eligibility, his game took a big leap in the right direction , with 92 points in 52 games, and the Senators took notice, calling his name 61st overall. He immediately made the jump to the AHL, emerging as one of the Belleville Senators' top players ever since. At 6- 3”, 223 pounds, he’s a big body who is so hard to knock off the puck, he knows how to get to the dangerous areas, and has a great shot. Sokolov’s skating is a little slow and rough, but he has the tools to slide in as a bottom six forward.

5. Lassi Thomson

Drafted 19th overall in 2019, it hasn’t seemed to come together for Thomson and that has to be a concern moving forward, with reasonable doubts not that he ever will live up to expectations. Making the jump from Finland to the WHL in his draft year, Thomson slid in seamlessly with the Kelowna Rockets, putting up good numbers and looking comfortable in doing so. After the draft, he headed back to Finland to play in the Liiga, looking ready to take a step forward in the first season before struggling in the second. He moved back to North America in 2020-21, and has mainly stuck in the AHL ever since. His game is more defensive leaning at this point, bringing physicality and good timing, but his processing with the puck is a real issue. He has the tools, but just hasn’t been able to put it all together and may have hit his ceiling as a call-up option.

6. Tyler Kleven

Kleven won’t be a blueliner who piles up the points, but he could very well become a consistent, top six defender. Drafted 44th overall in 2020, Kleven had just wrapped up his time with the USNTDP and was poised to make the jump to the University of North Dakota. After three seasons on campus, he signed his entry-level deal last year, and made the jump straight to the NHL. He is a big, defence-first prospect with a heavy shot and no qualms about playing a physical game. He’s a little slow and you don’t want him to hold on to the puck for too long, but his ability to play hard and break up plays should allow him sticking in the league. The hope would be that he can figure out his on-puck play while standing out in his off-puck performance.

7. Leevi Merilainen

Ever since the Senators called Merilainen’s name 71st overall in the 2020 Draft, there has been excitement around him from the Senators fanbase. He was drafted out of Karpat out of the U20 SM-sarja where he had very strong numbers and that continued into his DY+1 season. He then made the jump to the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs for a an up-and-down season, with a good record but not-so-great underlying numbers and was overall just a little inconsistent. He went back to Finland last season to play in the Liiga where he looked better - enough to earn a call back to North America to spend more time with the B-Sens and Senators. Merilainen is a very agile, athletic goaltender, but he’s not consistent enough to be considered a future No. 1. If he can figure it out, he could be a reliable No. 2 or 3.

8. Tyler Boucher

Speaking of players who surprised the industry by when they were drafted by the Senators, Ottawa called Boucher’s name 10th overall in 2021, one of the biggest first round draft shocks of the last decade. Ottawa has made some good calls recently though, so perhaps they knew something no one else did. The USNTDP forward then jumped to Boston University where he was unable to put things together before jumping to the OHL Ottawa 67’s. He’s a bit of a complicated prospect in that his physicality is what could carry him to the NHL, but his development has been repeatedly marred by injuries over the past few years, questioning his durability, especially considering his power forward role. Boucher has a great, hard shot, but there are concerns with the rest of his game. At this point, he projects as a bottom six winger - maybe. It’s not likely he lives up to the weight of lofty draft standing.

9. Stephen Halliday

The Senators are no stranger to selecting double-overage players in the Draft. First eligible in 2020, Halliday did not hear his name called until two years later, 104th overall in 2022. Spending the three years prior with the USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints, Halliday popped off in 2021-22, doubling his production and being named to the First All-Star Team. He moved up to the NCAA with Ohio State last season, continuing to play very well, producing over one point-per-game as an older freshman. He has a big body and protects the puck extremely well with a pleasing level of creativity in his game. He can dish the puck out well too, but his overall ceiling, especially considering his status as a late bloomer, may be muted. He’s likely an AHL regular at this point but could earn the occasional call-up. However, he has surprised in the past.

10. Maxence Guenette

A late draft pick in the 2019 Draft, the Senators called Guenette’s name 187th overall. The QMJHL defender for the Val-d’Or Foreurs has so far been a success. After spending two more seasons in the Q, he made the jump to the AHL and has been a very consistent, reliable defender. He can play big minutes, he’s light on his feet, moves very well, and plays a solid overall defensive game. He doesn’t have a whole lot of offensive upside but there is enough for him to become a bit of a two-way rearguard as opposed to being a strictly defensive guy. Guenette is very reliable. He won’t be a top guy but has the potential to slide into a bottom pairing. For a player selected in the 7th round to be on that path has to be considered a win so far for the Senators.

11. Roby Jarventie

Jarventie showed very promising progression last year in his second AHL season, even if he missed a chunk of time due to injury. He plays a straightforward North/South game and can put the puck in the net. A dark horse to earn significant time with the Senators this year?

12. Jacob Bernard Docker

We’re just not sure why we keep seeing Bernard-Docker high up on prospect lists given how little his offensive game has translated to the pro level. He should play in some capacity, but will he ever be more than an average bottom pairing defender?

13. Angus Crookshank

Is there a more underrated prospect in the Sens system than Crookshank, who led Belleville in goal scoring last year; one season removed from a significant knee injury? He’s a hard worker who could end up being a great complementary piece in Ottawa’s middle six.

14. Phillippe Daoust

The former Memorial Cup standout missed nearly the entire 2022-23 AHL season with an upper body injury. He will be looking to bounce back healthy this season and emerge as one of Belleville’s go-to offensive players.

15. Jorian Donovan

One of the most improved players in the OHL last season, Donovan’s confidence with the puck exploded as he became more aggressive, looking to use his skating and skill to be an impact puck mover. There is still work to be done defensively but his growth thus far has been profoundly positive.

16. Tomas Hamara

Conversely, Hamara’s season in the OHL was not a positive one, as he struggled mightily in the defensive end for the Kitchener Rangers as a rookie. He will return to Kitchener this year and will be asked to play a larger role on a rebuilding team.

17. Kevin Reidler

The hulking Swedish netminder had a good season in the J20 league and will be moving to the USHL this season to play with Dubuque. He likely has his eyes set on the NCAA route.

18. Donovan Sebrango

A former standout with the Canadian WJC team, Sebrango needed a fresh start after toiling in the Detroit system. Now in Ottawa, he will look to earn a large role in Belleville and get his career back on track.

19. Hoyt Stanley

Stanley was a McKeen’s favourite for the 2023 draft and, in our opinion, the Senators got a possible steal as late as they selected him. The mobile defender is incredibly raw and is very much a long-term project. The Cornell program should be great for him.

20. Oskar Pettersson

An effective straight-line attacker, Pettersson was solid in a supporting role for Sweden at the recent World Juniors. The hope is that he can earn more ice time and responsibility at the SHL level this coming season.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #19 Ottawa Senators

Josh Bell — Wed, 17 May 2023 11:33:17 +0000

There was hope that this would be the year the rebuilding Senators would finally see some playoff action for the first time in six years. While they fell short, the future remains bright. GM Pierre Dorion had built an excellent core in Brady Tkachuk (23-years-old), Josh Norris (24), Drake Batherson (25), Tim Stutzle (21), Jake Sanderson (20), and Thomas Chabot (26), all poised to hit their prime together. The timeline was accelerated with the addition of Alex DeBrincat (25) in the summer, and then Jakob Chychrun (25) at the deadline, adding two impact young players. Whether they can re-sign RFA DeBrincat remains the outstanding question heading into next season.

Ottawa has graduated an impressive group and explains the downgrade in ranking from 19^th to 12^th. It also includes Shane Pinto, the 32^nd overall pick in 2019, who can also be a difference maker going forward. Ridly Greig, the 28^th overall pick in 2020 made an appearance in 20 NHL games and would appear to have made the team for the 2023-24 season and will bring both grit and skill that should mesh well with the current group. They have no picks until the fourth round in the upcoming draft, signaling the end of the rebuild. Look for Dorion to add more character veterans, similar to Claude Giroux, and likely dip into picks for future years. Finding a lasting solution in net will also be a focus.

Ridly Greig

Ridly Greig’s path has just continued to climb upwards since he started in the WHL and is a big reason why he’s going to be a graduate from this list in short order. The forward wrapped up a strong WHL career in 2021-22 as the captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings, putting up 63 points in only 39 games, while also helping Canada to a gold medal at the World Juniors. He’s practically the epitome of the “Pesky Sens” as a hard-fought, gritty player that is absolutely fearless, and is a highly competitive forward. At the same time, he brings an impressive shot, and hands that look softer and softer every time he hits the ice. Greig is already playing in the NHL after starting the season with a strong showing in the AHL and it seems that’s where he’ll stick as a middle-six asset that Sens fans will love.

2. Zack Ostapchuk

A bit of a surprising selection by the Senators when they called his name 39th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Zack Ostapchuk has spent the last two seasons proving doubters wrong. On top of two World Juniors appearances where he won two gold medals, his WHL career seemed to take off. In 2021-22, he was named captain of the Vancouver Giants and showed that he’s a big-game player, truly stepping up in the playoffs where he was nearly a two-point-per-game player. With over a point per game this regular season, he looks too good for the WHL now and is ready to take the next step. He’s hard on the puck, brings a physical edge, and plays a solid two-way, slightly defensive-leaning, game. He also has some great speed and can make some great plays. His game looks like it will translate very well as a bottom-nine winger.

3. Mads Sogaard

Standing at a hulking 6-foot-7, Mads Sogaard doesn’t need to do much in the net to start the puck. Drafted in 2019, 37th overall, the Danish goaltender had made the interesting jump from the NAHL to the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, where he had a very good rookie season. He spent one more season in the WHL where he had another good season before the pandemic hit. He started the 2020-21 season in Denmark and played very well, before jumping to the AHL at the end of the year. He spent more of 2021-22 in the AHL getting used to the pace and this season has split his time fairly evenly between the AHL and NHL. He moves well but can let through a bad goal a little more than one would like. His path to the NHL may have been a little faster than ideal as he’s still pretty raw, but it looks like he’s in the NHL to stay.

4. Egor Sokolov

Another prospect that fits the mould of a Senator. Egor Sokolov made the jump from Russia to the QMJHL in 2017-18, his draft year. He had a solid rookie year but was ultimately passed over in the NHL Draft. He took a step forward with the Cape Breton Eagles the following year but was once again passed over. In his final year of draft eligibility, he took a big jump forward, with 92 points in 52 games and the Senators took notice, calling his name 61st overall. He immediately made the jump to the AHL and has become one of the Belleville Senators' top players ever since. At 6-foot-3, 223 pounds, he’s a big body that’s so hard to knock off the puck, knows how to get to the dangerous areas, and has a great shot. His skating is a little slow and rough, but he has the tools to slide in as a bottom-six forward.

5. Lassi Thomson

Drafted in 2019, 19th overall, it hasn’t seemed to come together for Lassi Thomson and that has to be a question moving forward if he ever will. Making the jump from Finland to the WHL in his draft year, Thomson slid in with the Kelowna Rockets seamlessly, putting up good numbers and looking comfortable. After the draft, he headed back to Finland to play in the Liiga, looking ready to take a step forward in the first season before struggling in the second. He moved back to North America and has mainly stuck in the AHL ever since. He’s more defensive leaning at this point, bringing physicality and good timing, but his processing with the puck is a real issue. He has the tools, but just hasn’t been able to put it together and may have hit his ceiling as a call-up option.

6. Tyler Kleven

Tyler Kleven won’t be a player that piles up the points, but he could very well become a consistent, top-six defender. Drafted 44th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Kleven had just wrapped up his time with the USNTDP and was poised to make the jump to the University of North Dakota. After three seasons, Kleven signed his entry-level deal this year, recently making the jump straight to the NHL. Kleven’s a big, defence-first prospect that has a heavy shot and no qualms about playing a physical game. He’s a little slow and you don’t want him to hold on to the puck for too long, but his ability to play hard and break up plays should lead to him sticking in the league. The hope would be that he can figure out his on-puck play while standing out in his off-puck performance.

7. Leevi Merilainen

Ever since the Senators called Leevi Merilainen’s name 71st overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, there has seemed to be excitement around him from Senators fans. He was drafted out of Karpat out of the U20 SM-sarja where he had very strong numbers and that continued into his DY+1 season. He then made the jump to the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs for a year where he had an up-and-down season, with a good record but not-so-great numbers and was overall just a little inconsistent. He went back to Finland this season to play in the Liiga where he looked better - enough to earn a call back to North America where he’s spent time with the B-Sens and Senators. He’s a very agile, athletic goaltender, but he’s not consistent enough to be considered a future No. 1. If he can figure it out, he could be a reliable No. 2 or 3.

8. Tyler Boucher

Speaking of players that the Senators have drafted recently that surprised, Ottawa called Tyler Boucher’s name 10th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, shocking the hockey world. They’ve made some good calls recently though, so it was worth keeping an eye on. Bouncer was selected out of the USNTDP and then jumped to Boston University where he couldn’t seem to put things together before jumping to the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. He’s a bit of a complicated prospect in that his physicality is what could carry him to the NHL, but he’s also been marred with injuries over the past few years, questioning his durability in the role he’s now known for. He does have a great, hard shot as well, but there are concerns with the rest of his game. At this point. he projects as a bottom-six winger - maybe. It’s not likely he lives up to the weight of the 10th overall selection.

9. Stephen Halliday

The Senators are no stranger to selecting double-overage players in the NHL Draft. First eligible in the 2020 NHL Draft, they drafted Stephen Halliday two years later in 2022, 104th overall. Spending the three years prior with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL, Halliday popped off in 2021-22, doubling his production and being named to the First All-Star Team. He moved up to the NCAA and Ohio State University this season, continuing to play very well, over a point-per-game as an older freshman. He’s a big body who protects the puck extremely well and does have a level of creativity in his game. He can dish the puck out well too, but his overall ceiling, especially only popping off as an older player relative to his peers. He’s likely an AHL regular at this point but could earn the occasional call-up. However, he has surprised in the past.

10. Maxence Guenette

A late draft pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the Senators called Maxence Guenette’s name 187th overall. The QMJHL defender for the Val-d’Or Foreurs has so far been a success for the Senators. After spending two more seasons in the Q, he’s made the jump to the AHL and has been a very consistent, reliable defender. He can play big minutes, he’s light on his feet and moves very well and plays a solid defensive game. He doesn’t have a whole lot of offensive upside but could become a bit of a two-way rearguard versus being a strictly defensive guy. He’s a very reliable player that won’t be a top guy but does have the potential to slide into a bottom pairing. For a player selected at 187 to be on that path has to be considered a win so far for the Senators.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 20 Prospects

Contributors – Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Ethan Hetu, Dylan Krill — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 20:01:50 +0000

VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 24: Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (57) skates up ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on April 24, 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Jake Sanderson D

Jake Sanderson was the highest-drafted defenseman at the 2020 draft, and since that point, he’s become the Senators’ top prospect without any NHL games under his belt. The six-foot-two, 190-pound defenseman has been one of the best defensemen in all of college hockey. While he only got into 23 games for the University of North Dakota last season, Sanderson was a dynamic force to be reckoned with, scoring at above a point-per-game rate and earning a selection to Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Sanderson just does so many things right in all three zones. His skating is exceptional, and he has been and will continue to be a top transitional defenseman. He likes having the puck on his stick and can be relied upon as an offensive generator both on the power play and at even strength. He’s shown an ability to fit seamlessly with highly talented teammates, something that is important to note as he’s joining a Senators team that has recently supercharged their top-six forward attack. Defensively, Sanderson plays an extremely well-rounded game, combining sound positioning, aggressive, intentional defensive stick work, and threatening (if not overwhelming) physicality. Sanderson might not have the same dynamic, special quality as other top defensive prospects, but that’s not to say that he can’t take over shifts when he’s on. He has a set of tools that will allow him to become a strong NHL defenseman and the sort of defender who has a chance to anchor a top-four pairing for many years and even, if things break right, potentially become a true top-of-the-lineup force. There might be some growing pains with Sanderson’s game, as it looks like he possibly might face top-four duty immediately as a rookie, but there are few on-ice challenges Sanderson isn’t equipped to handle and he’ll be part of what could be an exciting season in Ottawa. - EH

2 - Shane Pinto C

Expectations for Pinto were sky high coming into last season. After a strong NHL debut following his sophomore year at North Dakota in 2021, many had Pinto penciled in as a Calder Trophy candidate. However, a shoulder injury quickly killed any chance of that as Pinto was lost for the year after surgery in November. Now the expectation is that Pinto will be ready to go for training camp and is once again a Calder Trophy candidate. In a lot of ways, there are parallels between Pinto and current Senators breakout star Josh Norris. Both are well-rounded centers who excel at both ends of the ice. Both have good size and can be used as strong net front presences or down low to prolong possession. Both have good shots and scoring instincts. Realistically, Pinto and Norris could occupy the middle center spots in Ottawa’s lineup for the better part of the next decade. Pinto does need to continue to improve his skating and quickness. It is just about the only part of his game that needs improvement. Given the nature of his injury (upper body), one has to hope that Pinto has been working hard to improve this during his recovery. He should enter the year as Ottawa’s third line center and will be given significant responsibility across a variety of different situations. - BO

3 - Ridly Greig C

Whether you love Greig or hate him depends largely on whether or not he's on your team — and those feelings can burn intensely in both directions. The 28^th overall selection in the 2020 draft, and the son of former NHLer and hockey lifer Mark Greig (who currently scouts for the Philadelphia Flyers), Ridly is chaos personified on the ice. He is a center with a very impressive and well-rounded offensive toolkit and the scoring totals to match, yet one who isn't content to simply coast on his skill. If anything, he loves the nasty side of the sport the most. He will throw hits with targeted ferocity and is happy to talk trash, make stick jabs behind the refs' backs, get dirty in post-whistle scrums and utilize whatever other psychological warfare that he can to annoy the hell out of his opponents. His competitive edge is truly special, and when he is on the top of his game there are few prospects in the hockey world who can leave an impact in quite the same way that he can, which was on display at this summer's World Juniors reboot, where he was one of Canada's top forwards. However, like most players cut from similar cloth, that persona comes with drawbacks. He was suspended multiple times during his WHL career and will, perhaps fittingly, have to serve a one-game suspension to begin his NHL career after cross-checking Pierre-Luc Dubois in a preseason game in the fall of 2021. If the Senators can properly harness and focus Greig's destructive tendencies then they will be able to deploy a forward who can be a unique kind of difference-maker, especially come playoff time. - DN

4 - Egor Sokolov LW

Things really turned around for Sokolov after he committed to improving his conditioning heading into his final QMJHL season with Cape Breton in 2020. By shedding some weight, he really exploded and emerged as one of the best players in the entire CHL. As a result, Ottawa took him in the second round, in his final year of draft eligibility. Thus far as a pro, Sokolov has not disappointed, continuing to play the power game that he established as a junior player. He blends power and skill extremely well and as such, he can be a real load for defenders to handle as he drives the net. Without question, he has the offensive upside to be a top six forward at the NHL level. He could eventually be a very nice complement to some of the other young forwards Ottawa has in their stable. Is he ready for a full time NHL role? The results in an eight-game trial last year suggest that he is not and needs to continue to improve his skating and play away from the puck. However, the competition for bottom six spots in training camp will be fierce and Sokolov will be right in the thick of it. Best case scenario, he spends time in a checking line role this year, perhaps even earning some secondary powerplay time. Worst case scenario, he goes back to the AHL for another season and continues to develop. - BO

5 - Lassi Thomson D

A first-round selection by Ottawa, there was some concern that Thomson’s development had stagnated. Playing in Liiga, he was less than impressive. He even struggled in the half season he played in the AHL in 2020-21. However, he really turned a corner last season, emerging as a top defender in Belleville and leapfrogging someone Jacob Bernard-Docker, among others, on the Ottawa depth chart. Thomson has always possessed intriguing potential because of his athletic ability. He has a booming point shot that creates a lot of primary and secondary chances. He can skate with the puck, and he can defend aggressively, using his mobility to stay ahead of the action. On the other hand, his positioning and decision making have always been raw and have led to miscues at both ends. Last year, he worked to correct that and played a much safer game. As a result, he blossomed. So, what’s next for Thomson? After 16 games at the NHL level last year, he figures to earn more NHL time this coming season. Is he likely to beat out Jake Sanderson for a permanent role? Very unlikely. However, it is also likely that he becomes the team’s top call up in case of injury. After his breakout campaign, he definitely looks like he could be a #4-6 defender for the Senators in the coming years. - BO

6 - Mads Sogaard G

The hulking, 6’7 Danish netminder has been solid as a pro so far after a strong two-year stint with Medicine Hat of the WHL. Sogaard even got a nice two game audition with the Senators as an injury call up late last season, beating the Detroit Red Wings in his NHL debut. Ottawa attempted to solidify their goaltending by bringing in veteran Cam Talbot this offseason to pair with Anton Forsberg, which leaves Sogaard ticketed for the AHL yet again. However, he should also be the team’s first call up in case of injury. What makes Soogard so intriguing is that he’s an excellent athlete for a goaltender of his size. He takes up the upper portion of the net naturally with his size, but he can also cover his posts well with quick pads to take away the lower portion. It is just the technical components that continue to need refinement. Things like learning to control rebounds better, tracking the puck more efficiently and finding a balance between being aggressive and staying deep to use his size to his advantage. There might not be a better instructor to work with Sogaard than new Senators goaltending coach Zac Bierk, a large goaltender himself. Under his tutelage, Sogaard should be able to develop into an NHL netminder. Talbot’s deal is only for one year so if Sogaard has an even stronger pro year, they may opt to give him the reins in 2023-24. - BO

7 - Zack Ostapchuk C

It was a tale of two seasons in one for Ostapchuk, who came out of the gate slow in 2021-22 but turned it on down the stretch, captaining the WHL’s Giants to a massive upset of top-seeded Everett in the first round. This earned an invite to Team Canada’s under-20 team in August, where Ostapchuk anchored the third line and helped contribute to a gold medal. A Senators 2021 2^nd rounder, Ostapchuk is a lanky center who will likely never put up big offensive numbers but contributes in many other ways. Unlike most players, Ostapchuk seems more comfortable in high-traffic areas, not less. He defends well, kills penalties, and can finish plays from in tight. His skating is decent, but it will need improvement in order to play at the next level. Ostapchuk plays a direct style without much deception in his game, and offensively does his best work as the net-front presence. He gains coaches trust immediately with his defensive play, faceoffs and understanding of situations in games. Ostapchuk is adept at protecting the puck and can work in tight spaces, something that will translate well to the pro game. It will be interesting to see if the offensive side of the game comes for Ostapchuk, who admitted that he cheated for offense a bit to start last season before getting back to his game. He projects as a third-line center in the NHL, provided his progression continues. This upcoming season will likely be his last in junior. - AS

8 - Roby Jarventie RW

Rather than play another year in Liiga, Jarventie decided to play in the AHL as a 19-year-old last season, something that will likely have a positive impact on his long-term development. While his production was only average, it needs to be viewed with context. His 33 points were fifth best among U20 players in the AHL. For context, another big winger who had similar production recently in his 19-year-old AHL season was Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings, who is coming off a 35-goal season in the NHL. Jarventie also was very good at the Summer World Junior Championships for Finland, perhaps operating as their best player. All signs would point to him having a breakout year for Belleville this season. He is at his best when he can use his size and speed to drive wide, looking for opportunities to use his big shot. Armed with a big one timer, he can also be a weapon on the powerplay, working the area near the faceoff circle. The skill, size, and quickness combination is very interesting and Jarventie’s potential is that of a quality middle six scorer. That said, he will need to find a way to make other areas of his game more consistent. That includes his two-way play, attention to detail away from the puck, and his decision making with it. Still a bit of a longer-term project, the return on Jarventie will not be known for a few years still. - BO

9 - Jacob Bernard-Docker D

Calling JBD’s first full pro season a complete and utter disappointment would be unfair. However, the expectations were very high for the two-way defender out of the University of North Dakota. After turning pro late in 2021, Bernard-Docker actually jumped right to the NHL and played for Canada at the World Championships. Yet last year, he struggled mightily on the offensive side of things and the pace of play really seemed to overwhelm him and his decision making at times. No one doubts that JBD can be an NHL defender on his defensive play alone. He is an intelligent positional defender who uses plus mobility to be quick to pucks and quick to close lanes. However, his upside as an NHL player is starting to look somewhat limited. As mentioned, it would appear that Lassi Thomson has passed him on the team’s depth chart and there is no question that Jake Sanderson will do so immediately at training camp this year. So where does that leave Bernard-Docker? He likely spends the majority of another year in the AHL to try to increase his confidence with the puck at the pro level. Then Ottawa will have to make a judgment call on him. After this season, a lot more will be known. Without a significant step forward, he may end up being more of a depth defender, rather than the potential top four candidate we previously thought. - BO

10 - Tyler Boucher RW

The 10th overall selection from the 2021 NHL Draft, Tyler Boucher has yet to prove worthy of being a top 10 pick, but still shows promise to become a very physical and tough player that no team will look forward to playing against. There aren’t many players like Boucher, and that’s what makes him so unique. He has the ability to impact the game by wearing out opponents with his aggressiveness and being physical anytime there’s an opportunity, sometimes being over-aggressive. Boucher had previously played for the USNTDP, but unfortunately missed games due to having Covid-19 and also a knee injury that he obtained early in the year. During the 2021-2022 season, Boucher started the year at Boston University and played 17 games, but only produced three points (2G,1A). After a slow start, Boucher elected to leave BU and made the move to the OHL to play for the Ottawa 67’s. During his time with the 67’s, Boucher finished with 14 points (7G,7A) in 24 games. Boucher’s best assets are his physicality and competitiveness. To have a player that makes opponents think twice before going into the corners to retrieve a puck is very valuable. No matter who the opponent is, he will not back down. His presence alone allows his team to play a more simplified game, doing all the dirty work for his line. Not only is he physical, but he also brings great energy each shift. Outworking his opponents with his strength, making him very efficient in puck battles and keeping puck possession. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Boucher will look to take a step and become more of an offensive threat. With a full healthy season, Boucher will be one of the toughest players to play against in the OHL. You could also expect an increase in points. - DK

11 - Tyler Kleven

Kleven is easily one of the most physical defensive prospects on the planet right now. The 6’4 defender is also mobile for his size. This combination gives him some potential as a #4-6 defender for Ottawa. His puck skill and defensive zone awareness still needs improvement.

12 - Tomas Hamara

An intelligent two-way defender, Hamara was a third-round selection of the Sens this past draft. After giving Hamara an ELC already, it seems very likely that he’ll play in Kitchener of the OHL this season after being selected in the import draft.

13 - Leevi Merilainen

Expectations for Merilainen were pretty high heading into last OHL season with Kingston, but his performance was largely underwhelming. He will be loaned to Karpat of Liiga this season. His play tracking and ability to fight through traffic will need to improve.

14 - Stephen Halliday

The USHL’s new all time leading scorer, Halliday finally earned a draft selection after dedicating himself to improving his conditioning and off puck play. The big power center should be an immediate impact player for an improving Ohio State program this season.

15 - Angus Crookshank

A knee injury ended Crookshank’s first full pro season before it even began. Now fully healthy again, Crookshank will look to prove that the injury has not hindered his development. The high-energy, well-rounded winger still has a great chance to develop into a impactful third liner.

16 - Philippe Daoust

The Sens sent Daoust back to Saint John (QMJHL) for his overage season a few months into last season after he struggled at the AHL level. He helped the Sea Dogs capture a Memorial Cup, but does need to improve his pace and speed this offseason.

17 - Jonny Tychonick

Tychonick will take advantage of an exception allowing seniors to return for a fifth year. The athletic defender has yet to live up to the hype, so this season at UNO might be his final chance to impress the Senators.

18 - Mark Kastelic

The big power forward got into some NHL games with Ottawa last season and did not look out of place. The former Calgary Hitmen standout needs to continue to improve his quickness, but he has bottom six potential.

19 - Maxence Guenette

Guenette’s first pro season with Belleville had its ups and downs, but he did prove that he can compete at the AHL level. An intelligent two-way defender, Guenette will need to continue to improve at both ends to be an NHL player. A lack of true standout quality may hurt him.

20 - Oliver Johansson

The real wild card of Ottawa’s system. He has shown great skill and touch at the J20 level but has not broken through to the SHL full time. His upside is significant, and this year should give Senators management and fans a better indication of his likelihood of reaching it.

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: OTTAWA SENATORS – RANK: #4- TIER II

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:35:31 +0000

Ottawa Senators

#4 Ottawa - Graduations are thinning out the upper tier, and will continue to hollow out the system this year as a few more top guys look ready for the NHL.

VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 22: Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (57) skates up ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on April 22, 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

Jake Sanderson

One of the most powerful skating defensemen on the planet, Sanderson – son of similarly fast former Hartford Whaler Geoff Sanderson – could probably find his way into the Ottawa lineup now, but he prefers a second season in Grand Forks, North Dakota, playing workhorse minutes with a chance at glory (NCAA title) over fighting for third pairing minutes on the Senators with the chance at being demoted to Belleville for the sake of more playing time. This decision is understandable and will not harm his long-term prospects in the least.

In addition to Sanderson’s wheels, he also plays with a clear physical edge, ready, willing, and able to lay an opponent flat at the hint of an opportunity. His off-puck game is more than just looking for checking chances, though, as he is more than capable of ending a rush with a well-times stick check, and good luck trying to catch him out cheating his own-zone responsibilities for a fast break opportunity. For all of his speed and defensive abilities, Sanderson is also rather capable with the puck. He has a strong point shot and the touch to make plays with the puck, both handling the puck himself, and dishing it off to better-positioned teammates. Ottawa has a good number of high-end talents coming down the defensive pipeline, but more than any of them, Sanderson projects as a future #1, all-situations, game changer. - RW

Shane Pinto

Another Senators prospect who we were not as high on as the Senators at the time of his draft selection, Pinto was not so much a late bloomer as he was a multi-sport athlete who committed later than most to hockey. He emerged practically out of nowhere in his draft year, playing first for Lincoln, and then for Tri-City in the USHL, bringing a two-way, heavy game with enough skill to imagine a middle-six outcome. The Senators saw him as more of a top six center, and after two years at the University of North Dakota, they might have been correct.

Pinto brings great size, a strong skating stride, and the type of offensive zone skill set that works best when he has at least one other highly skilled player on his line that he can work in support of. He is hard to play against without being overly physically aggressive. He is very hard to dislodge from his preferred stomping grounds between the dots, and more often than not, between the hash marks. Pinto signed his ELC at the conclusion of his sophomore season, finishing his collegiate career one point shy of a point-per-game average, and then moved right into the NHL where he fit right in, at both ends. In addition to the point accumulation, Pinto is even stronger off the puck, holding things in check in his own end and doing the ‘little things’ reliably, such as his strength on faceoffs. He may or may not begin this year in the NHL, but if not, it won’t be long before he is a regular. - RW

Jacob Bernard-Docker

We were definitely wrong to not rank Bernard-Docker as a first round talent in 2018. In fact, were it not for the presence of Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot in the Ottawa system, we would say right now that JBD has the makings of a future top pairing defender in the NHL. That assessment starts with his ability to eat up a huge number of minutes on the blueline without any tangible degradation in the quality of his play. When we look at his skill set, on an individual skill basis, nothing there sticks out, for good, nor bad. He does everything at a solid, if unspectacular level. But it all ties together in his head, so the totality of his game is clearly better than the sum of his parts.

He can hold the line against the best the opposition has to offer. He can help make sure that the puck is moving in the right direction more often than not, even against those opposing first lines. He can be trusted to defend tight leads late in games. His right-handed shot is solid enough to deserve some time on a second power play unit. It would be preferential to see him spend one year in the AHL to work on his confidence playing the puck, as he can be prone to the safe play when he has enough time for something a little more daring, but his time in the AHL shouldn’t be long. He will be up soon, and to stay, and if not as a #1, the second pairing is his floor. - RW

Alex Formenton

After a strong rookie pro season with Belleville that saw Formenton make the 2019/20 AHL All Rookie team, the expectations were very high for him coming into last year. While his offensive production at both the AHL and NHL level did leave a little to be desired, Formenton did manage to establish himself as an NHL player in the second half. Playing a checking line role, Formenton managed to score four goals (in 20 games) and excelled as a penalty killer, utilizing his speed to the best of his capabilities.

Of course, speed is the highlight of Formenton’s game and is what put him on the NHL radar in the first place. An aggressive forechecker and attacker, there have never been any doubts about his ability to play a checking line role at the NHL level. It would appear that he has locked himself into that role for Ottawa this coming year. However, his upside as a scorer and someone who can play higher up in the lineup does remain a question mark. The next two seasons will be crucial for Formention, first to establish himself as a high-end checker, but then to build up confidence in his offensive abilities (specifically as a goal scorer) so that he can earn more responsibility from DJ Smith and the Ottawa coaching staff. - BO

Tyler Boucher

The son of longtime NHL goalie Brian Boucher, Tyler was adding a much-appreciated offensive component to his game this year, showing the potential to play higher up the lineup than he had in the past, before being struck with a season-ending knee injury in January. The result is a projection based on less ice time than most. Given the questions surrounding his high-end offensive upside, it was a surprise to see the Senators select him inside the Top 10 in 2021.

To his credit, in the short period of time that Boucher was able to take the ice this year, he took on a more offensively active role and was flourishing in it. Beyond just using his clear size and strength advantage to play a physical game, he was more effective at using physicality for puck possession, both gaining the puck and keeping it away from opponents. If not fending off checkers, he also showed some budding creativity with the puck, both in terms of what he could do with and passing with good touch. Boucher also showed strong enough skating ability to be able to play on a skill line. He has good edges, his stride is smooth, and he reaches top speed fairly quickly through crossovers. For all that he has seemingly added to his offensive game, the Senators are hoping that he can be a modern-day power forward (closer to a young Wayne Simmonds or a Tom Wilson than Ryan Reaves) after he finishes his stint at Boston University. Of course, he will have to prove that he is fully recovered from his knee injury to reach that projection. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Ridly Greig

Ridly Greig is one of the most intense players on the ice during his games. He is a relentless forechecker, back checker and physical presence. He doesn’t take a shift off, and makes his opponents take notice when he is on the ice. He is a player you would describe as “in the fabric of the game.” His game is more than just straight effort though. Greig isn’t just a wrecking ball. He is an intelligent player and is helpful in the transition game even if he isn’t the fleetest of foot. His skating lets him down a bit as his edges and tight turns are not as effective as they could be when trying to maintain speed during dynamic directional changes. His speed in the north/south style of game is fine which suits his style of play though.

His shot is a good weapon for Greig as he has velocity and accuracy. His playmaking is good, but not elite. Greig makes a living working hard on puck retrievals and driving to the net with and without the puck. He has a bit of Kris Draper in him, where you know exactly what he will give you and where you can line him up. He will be able to handle difficult line assignments, provide energy and could be a 20-goal support player. He plays a brand of hockey that old school hockey people will love and despite not being a physical monster (in terms of his physical size), it has not prevented him from playing like one. - VG

Tyler Kleven

One of the beneficiaries of the COVID-forced absences of players from Michigan and Boston University from the WJC, Kleven actually only appeared in two games for the Gold Medal winning American side but made his mark when he had the opportunity. Tall, strong, and rangy, he is first and foremost a defensive-minded defender. He keeps tight gaps, and closes them effectively and efficiently, shutting down opposing rushes with ease. A strong, swift skater, his legs greatly assist in his at-home duties. Kleven also occasionally attempts to put his feet to use in the offensive zone, although any fleeting success he has there is at least as much a function of the timing of his foray as it is about his inherent skillset.

He has the booming shot you might expect given his size, although he doesn’t give it the full wind-up treatment all that often. His hands, lacking much suppleness, hold back his ability to produce offense, and limit his puck carrying to 2-3 steps, and his passing game to mostly D-to-D type movement. I would expect Kleven to spend another two years on campus, emerging at the end as half of a reliable shutdown pair, adding time on the penalty kill to his duties at even strength. More of a coach’s favorite than a player sought after in fantasy hockey, Kleven should develop into a solid pro. - RW

Egor Sokolov

Sokolov is the personification of perseverance. A former highly touted young prospect, he went through the draft twice after two decent seasons in the QMJHL. However, entering his final year of draft eligibility, Sokolov dedicated himself to improving his conditioning and the results were extraordinary. He transformed himself into one of the best players in the QMJHL and was rewarded with a second-round selection by the Senators.

The biggest takeaway from that final QMJHL season was that by improving his conditioning, Sokolov was also able to improve his skating considerably. A big, strong power winger, Sokolov’s hands and finishing ability are excellent. By improving his overall quickness and elusiveness, everything else fell into place. As a first-year pro in Belleville last year, Sokolov continued his incredible progression by leading the AHL in rookie goal scoring with 15. At this point, he should begin to push for a roster spot in Ottawa as early as this season, given the rebuilding nature of the Senators. He has the potential to be a top six forward for Ottawa and someone who figures into their long-term plans despite the incredible forward depth that they have accrued. - BO

Logan Brown

It is clear that the Ottawa Senators still believe in Logan Brown as a potential NHL forward, as they protected him from the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft. But it is also clear that the opportunity window for the former 11th overall pick is slowly closing. Now eligible for waivers, Brown has seen the likes of Tim Stutzle, Colin White, and Drake Batherson pass him on the depth chart. This coming season may be his final opportunity to earn a permanent spot on the Senators.

A massive center, Brown has always been lauded for his playmaking ability, vision, and puck protection talents. He can drive time of possession in the offensive end. His play away from the puck has certainly come a long way from his time in the OHL, but consistency has remained an issue. Brown has become a high end first line player in the AHL, but at the NHL level, he has looked a step behind the play and has been unable to dominate down low and near the net the way that he has shown at other levels. Knowing that this may be his last training camp to make a positive impression, Brown has to come into training camp this year and earn that permanent spot. It is not too late for him to live up to his potential as a top six center. - BO

Roby Jarventie

For as much as Jarventie’s disappointing showing at the last WJC can be seen as concerning, his consistently strong domestic play should be seen as more telling of the positive developmental steps taken in the year since the Senators made him a second-round pick. A big, bodied winger with a very strong shot and a good skating stride, the most likely case is that his shutout at the WJC (no points in six games) was the exception and his impressive work in Liiga (top goal scorer among rookies in that circuit) and in a late-season short stint in the AHL were the rule.

The question that Ottawa will be trying to answer this year as Jarventie (likely) spends the season with AHL Belleville, is can he be anything more than a sniping winger who has to be shielded from defensive situations? He has never been one to spend time on the penalty kill, and that is unlikely to change going forward, but he has at least shown in his past that he can play in the dirty areas and do well enough when it comes to fighting for loose pucks. Likely he will need at least two full(ish) seasons in the AHL to both acclimate to the North American game and establish how he can fit in productively. The best-case scenario is a top six NHL power play specialist who puts the puck in the net. Worst case is a quickish return to Finland, where he plays the same role. - RW

Leevi Merilainen

Ottawa Senators and Kingston Frontenac fans alike wait with bated breath to see how Merilainen performs in his first season in North America, as he will backstop the Shane Wright led Fronts in the OHL this year. Fresh off a strong performance for Finland at the World Junior summer showcase, Merilainen is rising quickly up the Ottawa prospect depth chart.

Mads Sogaard

The massive (6’7) Danish netminder was undefeated, a perfect 7-0, in his first pro season on a Belleville team with a bit of a logjam in net. The loss of Joey Daccord to Seattle should open up more opportunity for him this coming season and with another good year, he could really put himself in a grouping among the best goaltending prospects on the planet.

Filip Gustavsson

Yes, yes...another goalie. Really, these three could be ranked in any order, with Gustavsson being the closest to making an impact. Formerly acquired as part of the Derick Brassard deal to Pittsburgh, Gustavsson was solid in a cup of coffee at the NHL level last season and will push Anton Forsberg for the back-up gig behind Matt Murray this season.

Lassi Thomson

2020/21 was perhaps a year to forget for the former first-round selection. The smooth skating two-way defender took a step backwards in Liiga to start the year, then had a tough time with the pace and physicality of the AHL to finish the year. Entering his second pro season, he will look to bounce back before he gets passed on the depth chart by other prospects in a deep system.

Angus Crookshank

After a solid, but unspectacular three years at the University of New Hampshire (a low scoring, balanced team), Crookshank turned pro after his junior season and had a terrific pro debut to close out last year with Belleville. A pest with skill, Crookshank looks the part of a future elite third liner for the Sens and could move quickly through the system with another solid pro year.