Jorian Donovan – McKeen's Hockey

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

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:00:23 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - MARCH 26: Carter Yakemchuk #58 of the Ottawa Senators follows through on a shot during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 26, 2026, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

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

After reaching the postseason for the first time in eight years last season, the Ottawa Senators appear to be slowly transitioning toward contention. The challenge, however, is that the organization currently sits in an uncomfortable middle ground: competitive enough to push for the playoffs, but without a particularly deep prospect pool to drive the next wave of improvement.

The club also refrained from making significant moves at the most recent trade deadline, electing to hold onto its current assets rather than signal a clear shift in direction. Ottawa will enter the upcoming draft with the 32nd pick in this year's draft, no second-round pick, along with three third-round selections, which should help add depth to the middle tier of the prospect pool.

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

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

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	2024-25 TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
Ott	1	Carter Yakemchuk	D	20	6-3/210	Belleville (AHL)	54	10	30	40	36
Ott	1	Carter Yakemchuk	D	20	6-3/210	Ottawa (NHL)	4	1	1	2	2
Ott	2	Stephen Halliday	C	23	6-4/210	Ottawa (NHL)	30	4	7	11	2
Ott	2	Stephen Halliday	C	23	6-4/210	Belleville (AHL)	29	2	27	29	16
Ott	3	Logan Hensler	D	19	6-3/195	Wisconsin (NCAA)	23	4	8	12	20
Ott	4	Jorian Donovan	D	22	6-1/180	Belleville (AHL)	61	4	17	21	89
Ott	4	Jorian Donovan	D	22	6-1/180	Ottawa (NHL)	2	0	0	0	0
Ott	5	Kevin Reidler	G	21	6-6/200	Penn State (NCAA)	18	11	7	3.31	0.901
Ott	6	Owen Beckner	C	21	6-1/175	Colorado College (NCAA)	30	8	15	23	4
Ott	7	Blake Montgomery	LW	21	6-4/195	Wisconsin (NCAA)	38	9	8	17	67
Ott	7	Blake Montgomery	LW	21	6-4/195	Belleville (AHL)	3	1	0	1	6
Ott	8	Matthew Andonovski	D	21	6-1/200	Kitchener (OHL)	24	1	13	14	43
Ott	8	Matthew Andonovski	D	21	6-1/200	Belleville (AHL)	3	0	0	0	0
Ott	9	Hoyt Stanley	D	21	6-3/200	Cornell (NCAA)	34	3	12	15	33
Ott	9	Hoyt Stanley	D	21	6-3/200	Belleville (AHL)	6	1	0	1	0
Ott	10	Lucas Beckman	G	18	6-2/180	BaC-Chi (QMJHL)	38	17	15	2.60	0.917
Ott	11	Tyler Boucher	RW	23	6-2/215	Belleville (AHL)	47	12	14	26	68
Ott	12	Xavier Bourgault	C	23	6-0/170	Belleville (AHL)	70	25	32	57	34
Ott	12	Xavier Bourgault	C	23	6-0/170	Ottawa (NHL)	2	0	0	0	0
Ott	13	Oskar Pettersson	RW	22	6-2/195	Belleville (AHL)	69	9	9	18	16
Ott	14	Javon Moore	LW	20	6-5/205	Minnesota (NCAA)	36	8	13	21	4
Ott	15	Gabriel Eliasson	D	19	6-7/220	Barrie (OHL)	61	2	6	8	122

Carter Yakemchuk, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #25

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 19:49:15 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 26: Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen (1) takes a drink during second period National Hockey League action between the Utah Hockey Club and Ottawa Senators on January 26, 2025, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 25th (May 2025 - 24th)
GM: Steve Staois Hired: December 2023
COACH: Travis Green Hired: May 2024

The Ottawa Senators drop ever-so-slightly in our rankings, anchored by one clear-cut potential star and a handful of promising supporting pieces.

At the top is Carter Yakemchuk, a skilled and toolsy defenseman taken seventh overall in 2024. While his production dipped slightly from his draft year, he remains a “jack-of-all-trades” asset with top-pair upside. Nearly making the NHL roster out of camp last fall, Yakemchuk is poised to challenge again next season. Should he stick, he’d join a young core headlined by Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, and Brady Tkachuk, making Ottawa’s long-awaited breakout feel increasingly within reach.

Stephen Halliday, a 2022 fourth-round pick, emerged as Belleville’s AHL rookie leader with 51 points in 71 games. Up front, Blake Montgomery—the team’s highest-ranked non-AHL prospect—has impressed in his draft-plus-one campaign with London, producing 50 points in 51 games and setting the stage for another Memorial Cup push.

In net, Mads Søgaard and Leevi Meriläinen provide stability in the pipeline. Meriläinen, 22, posted an 8-3-1 record in his first extended NHL look and could be ready to step in as soon as 2025-26.

The Sens’ 2025 first-round pick, Logan Hensler (23rd overall), joins the fold as another long-term building block on the back end. Combined with the fact that most of Ottawa’s recent high selections remain in-house, the team is well-positioned to continue adding quality prospects.

Still, the organization’s hunger for immediate success could shift priorities quickly. In a push to finally move from potential to playoff presence, those same young assets might become trade chips if management opts to accelerate the process.

Ottawa Senators Top-15 Prospects

1 - Carter Yakemchuk

Some Sens fans might notice that Yakemchuk's production this season dipped compared to last year and then worry, in turn, that his actual on-ice performance has regressed. What actually happened was not so much a step backwards, but rather, an adjustment to a new head coach and a significant alteration to his role and playing style. While he's still an explosive offensive talent who can pull off highlight-reel moves that most other defenders his age could only dream of, he had fewer chances and a shorter leash to do that this season on a deeper, more balanced, and more structured team. This isn't necessarily a bad thing either, as these changes made his game more fleshed out and better suited to the professional levels, while cleaning up some of the things that had been holding him back. Yakemchuk still possesses an enormous ceiling as a do-it-all defenceman, and he will likely get another long look as a potential NHLer in Ottawa's next training camp this fall.

2 - Leevi Merilainen

Merilainen’s performance took a big step this season, taking over the starter’s crease in Belleville and having a very strong stint in the NHL. He’s a very good mover; he has good edges, strong pushes, and he’s quite flexible. He covers a lot of net and generally positions himself pretty well, which allows him to move through the crease quickly. He sometimes can let in a weaker goal with a far-side shot that he fails to get a hand on, which isn’t that concerning. He could fare to control his body better in movement when he’s put into more chaotic situations as well. But generally, he can be reliable in the crease and rather calm, which bodes well for him. He’s a goalie that is well rounded and good at many things but not necessarily elite at any or have many flaws. With his early success and runway in Ottawa, he’s likely to work out, and with his skill set, he should make for a great tandem goalie.

3 - Logan Hensler

Few draft year defencemen had a better season than Logan Hensler this past season. Slotting in at third for all Senators prospects, Hensler projects to be a very solid two-way defenceman that could make Ottawa’s roster sooner than many think. Wisconsin chucked Hensler into a lot of tough defensive situations this year, initially it challenged the previously offence-first defenceman. However, after New Years, he really blossomed as a great two-way defenceman who should only get better next season. Making the U.S. World Juniors team this past season was a big step. He will have a bigger role this year in the hopes that the Americans can three-peat. Beyond that, Hensler should get as good a chance as any player to make the Senators in two or three years from now.

4 - Stephen Halliday

Stephen Halliday had an impressive season as the top offensive contributor for the Belleville Senators. The best part about Halliday’s game is his intelligence with the puck. Even though he’s not the best skater in the world, Halliday is able to use his skill to draw in opposing defenders, which creates open seams all around the ice for his teammates. Halliday is also very strong on his skates; he’s very difficult to move when he’s around the net, he can tip pucks, and he can shield pucks away from opposing players. With these skills, Halliday projects as a top six NHL forward who can hold his own through heavy and physical play at both ends of the ice. He probably won’t become a first line player in the NHL, as his skating still needs improvement, but he should become a consistent top six or middle six option in one or two seasons for the Ottawa Senators. Halliday is a nice find for a player who had been passed over twice in the NHL draft before being selected.

5 - Blake Montgomery

Montgomery entered the OHL on a crazy hot streak, after signing with London out of the USHL. The big winger had 16 goals in his first 25 games, before cooling off considerably down the stretch. He’s an impressive physical specimen with a unique upside. His combination of size and speed makes him such a dangerous north-south attacker. When he builds a head of steam coming through the neutral zone, few defenders can handle him in transition. Montgomery is skilled too; he can beat defenders one on one and has the hands to create extra time and space for himself when his speed does get neutralized. The decision making does leave something to be desired and he can disappear for stretches. When his physical attributes are less of an advantage at higher levels, how effective will he be? The Senators should be patient with him. Let him attend Wisconsin next year and play a few seasons of college to help him refine his game. Then bring him into the fold at the pro level. Montgomery is unquestionably a project, but one with an intriguing upside as a middle six contributor.

6 - Jorian Donovan

Jorian Donovan played well in limited minutes as a first-year pro for the Belleville Senators. The key to Donovan’s game is his mobility, particularly with regard to his skating. He’s good on his edges and has good gap control, and these skills allow him to skate and compete with players that are older and more mature than he is in the pro game. It did take some time for Donovan to get acclimated to consistently playing against men, but he made real strides last season as a first-year pro straight out of the OHL. As of right now, Donovan looks like he projects as a number five or six NHL defenceman, but with more offence Donovan could develop into a top four defender. These next couple of seasons in Belleville will be really important for Donovan, as he should get increased opportunity on the power play and the penalty kill. With the right coaching, it’s not hard to envision a path to the NHL for Donovan in the next couple of seasons.

7 - Donovan Sebrango

Donovan Sebrango has had an up-and-down experience in the pro game, as he has seen time in the NHL, the AHL, and the ECHL over recent years. Although Sebrango has not yet been signed to an NHL contract by the Ottawa Senators, there’s a lot to like about his game. He’s a capable defensive defenceman who competes hard against opposing players for time and space, and he can be an effective member of any team’s penalty kill. Sebrango has even improved his offensive and transitional play over recent years, as he has become better at getting the puck up to his forwards out of his own zone. As of right now, Sebrango probably projects as a number six or seven NHL defenceman who can kill penalties, but his overall game is trending in the right direction. There’s a good chance he gets more games with the Ottawa Senators this upcoming season, even though he may not develop into that bona fide top four defenceman that some might have thought when he was originally drafted by Detroit.

8 - Luke Ellinas

Ellinas’ draft plus one year with the Kitchener Rangers wasn’t the smoothest; he battled a few nagging injuries that led to inconsistencies. Yet, his end to the year with a dominant playoff performance really has Ottawa fans excited for the future and what this season in the OHL will bring. Ellinas is best described as having a work-man-like mentality. He is a strong boards player. He consistently wins jousts near the crease. He is always looking to play through the middle of the ice and get pucks to the net. He competes physically in all three zones. Is his NHL upside significant? Probably not. However, as he continues to improve his skating and his confidence with the puck, there’s a real chance that Ellinas could develop into a quality bottom six option for the Senators in the future. Look for him to be a point per game player in the OHL this year before turning the pro the season after.

9 - Gabriel Eliasson

The 39th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Eliasson spent this past season playing in the OHL with the Barrie Colts after reneging on his commitment to the University of Michigan. Truthfully, his transition to the OHL was a bit of a rocky one. Yes, his massive frame and desire to assert himself physically did make him a defensive asset at times. This is especially true when you consider that Eliasson is a fairly mobile player for a defender his size. However, he struggled with his decision making, both in terms of puck management and discipline, and that held him back from being a more reliable player for the Colts. It is expected that he will return to Barrie of the OHL this coming season and that hope is that a second year in the league can help him refine his skill set further. Without significant alterations to his game, it is difficult to see him as anything more than a future depth defender in Ottawa.

10 - Lucas Beckman

Lucas Beckman is a polarizing goalie prospect who has both elite traits and significant drawbacks. Beckman has shown an incredible aptitude in reading play, positioning, and has a great stance. He also was a top goalie in the CHL as a 17-year-old, playing in 63 total games posting phenomenal numbers. His level of consistency of high-quality performances at such a young age is unprecedented, where he stole many games for Baie-Comeau. His issues, however, are concerning. His athleticism is average and not consistently displayed efficiently. Not detrimental, but not helpful. His real issue is that he isn’t a good skater yet. Skating is arguably the most important goalie skill, and notoriously difficult to improve drastically. Even though he has the anticipation and positional awareness, if his feet can’t keep up, he will struggle with faster play. If his skating didn’t improve, it would be questionable if he could be effective in the NHL. But Beckman claimed skating will be an area of focus for his development, and if he were to make serious improvements, he could unlock an incredible ceiling in the NHL.

11 - Kevin Reidler

After 27 wins in 38 starts for Dubuque of the USHL in the 2023-24 season, things were looking very promising for the extremely tall Swede as he headed to college hockey. His stats this past season for Nebraska-Omaha weren’t half bad when you consider he won 80% of his decisions, but Reidler’s development ultimately stalled by being a pure back-up who only got into 8 games of action whatsoever. He’s now heading to Penn State hoping to get a new lease on life.

12 - Matthew Andonovski

Andonovski is a player who has a good bit of snarl and takes a lot of pride in making life hard for opponents. Somewhat ironically, his wonderful stats in the 2023-24 season (including a +58) took quite a hit this past season in which he captained a strong Kitchener side that went on a very healthy playoff run (16 games). He’s now equipped with an ELC, and we’ll see if his game is one that adjusts well to the hard knocks AHL.

13 - Hoyt Stanley

A well-built RHD with solid mobility coming, Stanley continues to establish himself as a safe and determined defender slowly molding his craft as a future NHLer. There was minimal improvement pointwise vis-a-vis his freshman season, but Stanley was a go-to defender from the start racking up 19+ minutes of TOI 26 times this season. His 40 penalty minutes look like a lot but 19 came in a late January affair in which eight players collected 12 or more.

14 - Xavier Bourgault

With technical skating deficiencies holding Bourgault back from truly breaking through as a dynamic goal scorer and playmaker, his trade to the Ottawa Senators hasn’t done much to put him on path to an NHL job, much less one of scoring responsibility. We’d like to see him move away from being a perimeter player and get himself into spots where he can make better use of his lethal release, but time is running out on his prospect status.

15 - Tyler Boucher

By now, the whole scouting community is well aware that - as expected - Boucher was wildly over drafted as a top 10 pick. Injuries and suspensions have played a considerable role in his stagnation to date, and this past season was no exception. When in the line-up, a lack of AHL production hasn’t helped, but excellent forechecking and consistent physical presence mean there’s a quality checking line player here. Skill in tight and on the counterattack indicate further upside.

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 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).

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.

2022 NHL DRAFT MIDSEASON RANKING: TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES WITH VIDEO – #91 thru #100

Brock Otten — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 19:32:51 +0000

In case you missed it, we updated our 2022 NHL Draft rankings recently. You can find that here. Shane Wright still headlines the list but the gap is unquestionably closing as other candidates elevate their play.

With this piece our intention is to briefly introduce you to each of the players that fill out the rest of the Top 100 (ranked 50-100), after previously looking at the Top 50. Below you will find a short summary of their games in addition to a top highlight. In the coming months you will see in-depth scouting reports published by our regional scouts on each of these players (like this one on Shane Wright).

Yoan Loshing. Photo by Daneil St. Louis.

Yoan Loshing - Center - Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

Loshing is an interesting case study. Born and raised in Quebec, Loshing played in the GTHL for the Mississauga Senators during his QMJHL draft year. What he lacks in size (at 5’9), he makes up for with quickness and skill. He loves to lead the attack and is a very dynamic mover who can back up defenders with his speed or maneuver around them with strong edgework and nonlinear movement. This makes him such a tough cover in the offensive zone. He brings energy without the puck too and is willing to use his speed to forecheck and apply pressure. Outside of his speed, his shot is his second-best quality. He can really pick corners and doesn’t need a ton of time and space to do so. After a bit of a slow start, Loshing was playing his best hockey of the season right before the pandemic hiatus. Hopefully he is able to pick up where he left off after the restart and become a more consistent offensive contributor.

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Jack Devine - Wing - Denver (NCAA)

A freshman at the University of Denver this year, Devine was previously a member of the U.S. National Development program. He has had a really solid start to his NCAA career, especially when you consider his inconsistent ice time on a stacked Pioneers team. Devine’s best asset is his intelligence level, especially as a playmaker/facilitator. Not the most dynamic or naturally gifted skater, Devine makes the best of his skill set by protecting the puck well, reading coverage, and making quick decisions with the puck. Even without an explosive stride and terrific size, he manages to consistently find soft spots through advanced anticipation and by outworking other defenders. Without elite physical tools, you are unlikely to see him climb scouting lists much higher than this, but he has a real solid chance of becoming a quality pro because of his processing ability and work rate. Playing out of a solid program in Denver will also give him a chance to upgrade his skating and improve his strength before turning pro.

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Ruslan Gazizov - Wing - London Knights (OHL)

At this point, Dale Hunter looks a little perplexed on what to do with this talented Russian forward. Gazizov’s hands and playmaking ability are top notch. He does really well to create extra time and space for himself in the offensive end because he can keep the puck on a string. He also shows terrific vision and has even run the point of the powerplay at times this year. However, it’s clear that he has some deficiencies that need to be cleaned up before he truly earns the trust of London’s coaching staff. His defensive zone engagement and physical play has been a notch below what was expected (given his previous performances internationally). Additionally, it is clear that he will need to upgrade his explosiveness to find consistent success in North America on the smaller ice surface. All that said, his offensive ceiling is quite high because of his creativity and skill. He will be a player to truly keep an eye on in the second half to see if he can make some necessary adjustments.

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Jackson Dorrington - Defense - Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)

Dorrington has to be considered one of the most physical defenders available for the draft this year. He consistently lowers the boom on attackers as they try to cross the blueline and he is equally relentless near the crease and below the goal line. However, he is also a strong mover, and this allows him to really play a suffocating brand of defense. The offensive skill set is raw. He looks comfortable carrying the puck at times, and tentative at others. Playing in his first USHL season, he has plenty of time to build confidence in his ability to start the breakout with his feet. Even if the offensive game ends up having limitations, he has the skill set to develop into a strong stay at home type at the next level. Dorrington also has an interesting story. He is a distant cousin of Art Dorrington, the first black player to sign an NHL contract (with the New York Rangers in 1950). Jackson will head to Northeastern next year, a good place for his development.

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Jorian Donovan - Defense - Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)

The son of former NHL’er Shean Donovan, Jorian inherited his father’s quickness and explosive stride. He looks most comfortable leading the breakout where he is extremely confident and aggressive, pushing deep into opposing territory. His transitional attacking skills give him significant offensive potential. The rest of his game is a major work in progress. His decision-making leaves some to be desired. His defensive play can be erratic as he loses himself in coverage. That said, since an extremely rocky start, he has improved with each passing month and is learning to get the best out of his strong physical toolset. The turnovers are becoming less frequent. He is playing with more physical intensity in the defensive end. Moving down the lineup and playing less has really allowed him to breathe and settle down, allowing the game to come to him, rather than forcing it. No question, given his size, skating, and skill, in addition to his pedigree, Donovan will be a player highly coveted by NHL teams, perhaps more so than independent scouting rankings (like ours) indicate.

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Jere Lassila - Center - JyP (Fin U20)

A few years ago, Lassila was thought to be, perhaps, the best of the 2004 Finnish class. Heck, even this summer he served as the captain of Finland’s entry at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup. A hyper intelligent two-way center, Lassila’s physical tools just haven’t developed at the same rate as his peers who have since passed him. Pushing 5’10, and 175lbs, Lassila’s lack of strength and power prevents him from being a consistent contributor at this point in time, even at the U20 level, where he has not shown significant progression from a year ago. His skating mechanics are solid, and so is his agility, however there is room for him to get quicker and more powerful in order to get the kind of separation he needs to be the play driver that he was at the lower levels. Our Finnish scouting team still really likes him as a longer-term project, with the belief that once he matures physically, he will emerge as a solid prospect again because of his vision, creativity, and overall awareness at both ends.

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Tucker Robertson - Center/Wing - Peterborough Petes (OHL)

We had Tucker Robertson ranked as an HM in our draft rankings last year after a really strong performance at the Erie Invitational (organized to give OHL players a chance to impress scouts after the cancellation of the season). He went undrafted in 2021 and it turns out, not only were we wrong to not have him on our final list, but so were NHL scouts. Robertson has been lights out for the Petes this year. He brings a consistently high energy level and is an aggressive forechecker who just always seems to be around the puck. However, his skill development has been terrific this year as he looks quicker, more poised and creative, and is showing the ability to make moves at full speed. Robertson has been lethal in all situations for the Petes, excelling especially as a penalty killer. There is no doubt that he will be selected this time around, the question is how high? We believe he is a strong candidate for the first three rounds.

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Noah Warren - Defense - Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)

Unquestionably, Warren belongs in the relatively large group of impressive big and athletic defenders available this year. The 6’5, right shot defender is an impressive skater, with especially strong four-way mobility for such a big, young man. Warren already excels in the defensive end with his ability to close gaps and physically impose his will down low. His potential as a stay-at-home defender is quite significant. However, the big, athletic defenders ranked ahead of Warren (in that first/second round range) have shown more offensively to date. Warren can struggle with his exits and his overall decision making with the puck. At this point in time, his puck skills do look somewhat limited which could, in turn, limit his NHL potential. However, the package of size and athleticism is going to be very alluring. The floor is still relatively high, but the ceiling is extremely high if he is able to harness some of his raw offensive tools.

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Zakary Lavoie - Wing - Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)

Selected seventh overall by the Steelheads in the 2020 Draft, Lavoie was thought to be among the best goal scorers in this Ontario age group. And while that hasn’t quite come to fruition yet, Lavoie has progressed well in his rookie OHL season. Forming excellent chemistry with Owen Beck (who is ranked inside of our first round), Lavoie has become a terrific complementary winger. He forechecks hard. He backchecks hard. He brings a physical element. He’s an above average skater who can beat defenders wide and to loose pucks. And best of all, he still has that big wrist shot that he is slowly gaining confidence in using. At this point, his strength on the puck and overall puck skills will need to improve in order for him to be the focal point and someone who can consistently lead the attack. However, even as is, there’s upside here as a hard working, middle six goal scorer.

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Boston Buckberger - Defense - Brooks Bandits (AJHL)

Another re-entry that cracks our Top 100, Buckberger is playing in his first season above the AAA level, joining the storied Brooks Bandits franchise (who have a good recent track record of developing offensive defenders). The Wisconsin commit actually attended the Philadelphia Flyers training camp this past offseason as their scouts took notice of his play in the Saskatchewan minor hockey loop. Like another former Bandit’s defender, Buckberger’s best asset is his mobility. He really stands out with his ability to lead the attack out of the defensive zone and create plays off the line. The rest of his game is a bit of a work in progress. He’s very much a long-term project. But there is a lot of offensive upside here. The cancellation of the World Junior A Challenge really hurts a player like him, but Brooks should have a lengthy playoff run in the AJHL, giving Buckberger a chance to shine down the stretch.

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2022 NHLDRAFT: MCKEEN’S MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 100

Brock Otten — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 20:59:29 +0000

RED DEER, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 26: USA vs Slovakia preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at WP Centrium on December 26, 2021 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

A new year means a new draft ranking at McKeen’s Hockey, as we expand our list at mid-season to a Top 100. Back in mid-November, we released our preliminary ranking, a top 32, so this serves not only as an update, but an expansion too.

Like many, we were disappointed with the abrupt ending of the World Junior Championships, not just because it robbed us of some terrific hockey, but because it prevented a high-quality look at some of the best talents in this draft year. While a poor showing at the World Juniors is often dismissed, a strong showing can really help elevate a player’s standing. Ultimately, the decision to stop the tournament was the correct one, given the circumstances, however, hopefully the World Under 18’s can occur in Germany as planned in April.

At this point Kingston Frontenacs center and former CHL exceptional status player Shane Wright remains at the top of our rankings, however the gap is admittedly closing between him and some of the other players inside of our top five. Defenseman Simon Nemec is having a historically good season in the Slovak men’s league and will play for Slovakia at the Olympics. Center Logan Cooley is proving to be a dynamic two-way threat and is fresh off a terrific performance at the Biosteel All American Game. Center Matthew Savoie of the Winnipeg Ice continues to lead the WHL in scoring on the top ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League. A year ago, it was unfathomable to imagine anyone else but Wright being selected first overall. That concept is not as far-fetched today. Without question, Wright will need to pick up his play in the second half to withstand his competitors.

Looking specifically at those ranked inside our first round (top 32), the positional breakdown is as follows: 10 defenders, 22 forwards, and zero goaltenders. In fact, we do not have a single goaltender ranked inside the first two rounds. Tyler Brennan and Topias Leinonen are our top goaltenders, ranked 84th and 87th, respectively. The quality and depth of goaltenders available this year may be the worst that we have ever seen as a scouting staff.

Regionally, the breakdown is as follows: ten players from the CHL, seven players from the USHL (more specifically the NTDP), four players in Sweden, four players in Russia, three players in Finland, two players in Slovakia, and two players in Czechia. The U.S. National Development program is extremely well represented with ten players inside of our first two rounds.

This top 100 was formed in consultation with our regional scouts and our video scouting team. Now that we have our midseason list formed, look for our annual, in-depth individual scouting reports to start being published in the very near future.

Shane Wright of the KIngston Frontenacs. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Shane Wright	C	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/190	5-Jan-04	25-12-19-31
2	Simon Nemec	D	HK Nitra (Svk)	6-1/190	15-Feb-04	28-0-19-19
3	Matthew Savoie	C	Winnipeg (WHL)	5-9/180	1-Jan-04	35-19-34-53
4	Logan Cooley	C	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/180	4-May-04	25-15-20-35
5	Danila Yurov	RW	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	6-1/175	22-Dec-03	21-0-0-0
6	Joakim Kemell	RW	JyP (Fin-Liiga)	5-11/175	27-Apr-04	21-12-6-18
7	Juraj Slafkovsky	LW	TPS (Fin-Liiga)	6-4/225	30-Mar-04	20-1-3-4
8	Conor Geekie	C	Winnipeg (WHL)	6-4/205	5-May-04	35-11-27-38
9	Brad Lambert	C	JyP (Fin-Liiga)	6-0/180	19-Dec-03	24-2-4-6
10	Ivan Miroshnichenko	LW	Omskie Krylia (VHL)	6-1/185	4-Feb-04	30-9-6-15
11	David Jiricek	D	HC Plzen (Cze)	6-3/190	28-Nov-03	29-5-6-11
12	Filip Mesar	C	HK Poprad (Svk)	5-10/165	3-Jan-04	22-6-5-11
13	Pavel Mintyukov	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/190	25-Nov-03	31-6-17-23
14	Denton Mateychuk	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	5-11/190	12-Jul-04	35-7-24-31
15	Marco Kasper	C	Rogle BK (SHL)	6-1/185	8-Apr-04	27-4-2-6
16	Alexander Perevalov	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)	6-0/190	16-Apr-04	29-19-20-39
17	Seamus Casey	D	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/160	8-Jan-04	31-5-13-18
18	Frank Nazar	C	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/175	14-Jan-04	33-15-23-38
19	Noah Ostlund	C	Djurgardens J20 (Swe J20)	5-10/160	11-Mar-04	19-6-18-24
20	Cutter Gauthier	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-2/190	19-Jan-04	33-20-12-32
21	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	C	Djurgardens J20 (Swe J20)	5-11/170	24-Jul-04	25-19-15-34
22	Tristan Luneau	D	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-2/175	12-Jan-04	26-5-10-15
23	Nathan Gaucher	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/205	6-Nov-03	30-15-11-26
24	Ty Nelson	D	North Bay (OHL)	5-9/195	30-Mar-04	33-5-21-26
25	Vladimir Grudinin	D	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)	5-10/160	9-Dec-03	15-2-7-9
26	Owen Beck	C	Mississauga (OHL)	5-11/190	3-Feb-04	33-13-16-29
27	Simon Forsmark	D	Orebro (SHL)	6-2/195	17-Oct-03	22-0-1-1
28	Mats Lindgren	D	Kamloops (WHL)	5-11/175	26-Aug-04	34-2-19-21
29	Rutger McGroarty	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/205	30-Mar-04	27-15-17-32
30	Jiri Kulich	C	Karlovy Vary (Cze)	6-0/175	14-Apr-04	31-7-4-11
31	Isaac Howard	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/180	30-Mar-04	33-15-24-39
32	Jimmy Snuggerud	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/185	1-Jun-04	33-16-22-38
33	Filip Bystedt	C	Linkopings (SHL)	6-4/185	4-Feb-04	14-1-1-2
34	Brandon Lisowsky	LW	Saskatoon (WHL)	5-8/175	13-Apr-04	35-19-10-29
35	Jagger Firkus	RW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	5-10/155	29-Apr-04	38-23-21-44
36	Maveric Lamoureux	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-7/195	13-Jan-04	30-3-8-11
37	Matthew Poitras	C	Guelph (OHL)	5-11/175	10-Mar-04	29-10-13-23
38	Adam Ingram	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-2/165	14-Oct-03	27-16-20-36
39	Liam Ohgren	LW	Djurgardens (SHL)	6-0/185	28-Jan-04	21-1-1-2
40	Calle Odelius	D	Djurgardens J20 (Swe J20)	6-0/185	30-May-04	28-4-17-21
41	Sam Rinzel	D	Chaska (USHS-MN)	6-4/180	25-Jun-04	13-3-13-16
42	Ludwig Persson	LW	Frolunda J20 (Swe J20)	6-0/180	8-Oct-03	24-16-19-35
43	Artyom Duda	D	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (Rus)	6-1/180	8-Apr-04	36-11-20-31
44	Jani Nyman	RW	KOOVEE (Fin-Mestis)	6-3/210	30-Jul-04	23-14-9-23
45	Matyas Sapovaliv	C	Saginaw (OHL)	6-3/180	12-Feb-04	31-10-16-26
46	Kevin Korchinski	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-1/185	21-Jun-04	32-4-24-28
47	Gleb Trikozov	RW	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	6-1/185	12-Aug-04	17-9-8-17
48	David Goyette	C	Sudbury (OHL)	5-11/170	27-Mar-04	32-12-18-30
49	Owen Pickering	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6-3/180	27-Jan-04	34-6-15-21
50	Lian Bichsel	D	Leksands (SHL)	6-5/215	18-May-04	13-0-1-1
51	Paul Ludwinski	LW	Kingston (OHL)	5-11/175	23-Apr-04	28-6-13-19
52	Jordan Dumais	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-8/165	15-Apr-04	30-16-31-47
53	Aleksanteri Kaskimaki	LW	HIFK (Fin U20)	6-0/185	6-Feb-04	22-15-14-29
54	Luca Del Bel Belluz	C	Mississauga (OHL)	6-1/180	10-Nov-03	33-18-27-45
55	Ryan Chesley	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/195	27-Feb-04	32-2-5-7
56	Danny Zhilkin	C	Guelph (OHL)	6-2/185	19-Dec-03	27-10-14-24
57	Isaiah George	D	London (OHL)	6-0/195	15-Feb-04	29-1-9-10
58	Rieger Lorenz	LW	Okotoks (AJHL)	6-1/185	30-Mar-04	43-28-39-67
59	Tyler Duke	D	USN U18 (USDP)	5-8/180	19-Jul-04	27-1-7-8
60	Mattias Havelid	D	Linkopings (SHL)	5-9/170	1-Jan-04	12-0-0-0
61	Arseni Koromyslov	D	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	6-3/180	3-Nov-03	22-0-8-8
62	Jack Hughes 2	C	Northeastern (NCAA-HE)	6-0/165	2-Nov-03	22-5-4-9
63	Lane Hutson	D	USN U18 (USDP)	5-8/150	14-Feb-04	33-4-25-29
64	Gavin Hayes	RW	Flint (OHL)	6-1/175	14-May-04	30-8-9-17
65	Otto Salin	D	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	5-11/185	7-Mar-04	5-0-1-1
66	Hunter Haight	C	Barrie (OHL)	5-10/175	4-Apr-04	24-8-6-14
67	Antonin Verreault	LW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	5-8/165	28-Jul-04	29-8-18-26
68	Cameron Lund	RW	Green Bay (USHL)	6-2/185	7-Jun-04	30-11-9-20
69	Bryce McConnell-Barker	C	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-1/185	4-Jun-04	34-11-12-23
70	Brennan Ali	C	Lincoln (USHL)	6-1/195	9-Feb-04	2-0-0-0
71	David Spacek	D	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-0/170	18-Feb-03	27-5-20-25
72	Angus Booth	D	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	6-0/175	27-Apr-04	30-1-20-21
73	Jake Livanavage	D	Chicago (USHL)	5-9/160	6-May-04	32-2-25-27
74	Markus Vidicek	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-10/160	21-Mar-04	30-9-18-27
75	Matthew Seminoff	RW	Kamloops (WHL)	5-10/160	27-Dec-03	30-15-18-33
76	Kasper Kulonummi	D	Jokerit (Fin U20)	6-0/175	1-Mar-04	25-2-16-18
77	Vinzenz Rohrer	RW	Ottawa (OHL)	5-10/160	9-Sep-04	30-9-14-23
78	Elias Salomonsson	D	Skelleftea J20 (Swe J20)	6-1/170	31-Aug-04	24-8-9-17
79	Liam Arnsby	C	North Bay (OHL)	5-10/180	20-Nov-03	32-8-10-18
80	Daniil Orlov	D	Sakhalinskiye Akuly (MHL)	6-2/180	21-Dec-03	44-8-18-26
81	Quinn Finley	LW	Madison (USHL)	6-0/170	8-Aug-04	14-5-5-10
82	Topi Ronni	C	Tappara (Fin U20)	6-1/180	5-May-04	21-7-11-18
83	Jordan Gustafson	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/180	20-Jan-04	29-13-18-31
84	Tyler Brennan	G	Prince George (WHL)	6-4/190	27-Sep-03	8-11-2, 3.34, .902
85	Cole Spicer	C	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/175	13-Jun-04	31-10-12-22
86	Ryan Greene	C	Green Bay (USHL)	6-1/175	21-Oct-03	28-10-16-26
87	Topias Leinonen	G	JyP (Fin U20)	6-4/215	19-Jul-04	17GP, 2.17, .919
88	Alexander Suzdalev	LW	HV 71 J20 (Swe J20)	6-2/175	5-Mar-04	31-11-22-33
89	Pano Fimis	C	Niagara (OHL)	5-10/175	17-Jun-04	27-5-14-19
90	Spencer Sova	D	Erie (OHL)	6-1/185	10-Jan-04	30-2-12-14
91	Yoan Loshing	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-9/160	29-Feb-04	19-8-5-13
92	Jack Devine	RW	Denver (NCHC)	5-11/175	1-Oct-03	19-2-12-14
93	Ruslan Gazizov	RW	London (OHL)	5-11/185	21-Jan-04	20-5-11-16
94	Jackson Dorrington	D	Des Moines (USHL)	6-2/190	13-Apr-04	27-3-7-10
95	Jorian Donovan	D	Hamilton (OHL)	6-1/180	5-Apr-04	31-3-9-12
96	Jere Lassila	C	JyP (Fin U20)	5-9/170	8-Mar-04	13-7-4-11
97	Tucker Robertson	C	Peterborough (OHL)	5-11/190	22-Jun-03	31-19-23-42
98	Noah Warren	D	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-5/215	15-Jul-04	29-3-9-12
99	Zakary Lavoie	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	5-11/170	15-Mar-04	31-10-15-25
100	Boston Buckberger	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-10/175	1-Jun-03	42-11-9-20

2022 NHLDRAFT: MCKEEN’S MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 32

Brock Otten — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 20:58:52 +0000

Shane Wright of the KIngston Frontenacs. Photo by Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Shane Wright	C	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/190	5-Jan-04	25-12-19-31
2	Simon Nemec	D	HK Nitra (Svk)	6-1/190	15-Feb-04	28-0-19-19
3	Matthew Savoie	C	Winnipeg (WHL)	5-9/180	1-Jan-04	35-19-34-53
4	Logan Cooley	C	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/180	4-May-04	25-15-20-35
5	Danila Yurov	RW	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	6-1/175	22-Dec-03	21-0-0-0
6	Joakim Kemell	RW	JyP (Fin-Liiga)	5-11/175	27-Apr-04	21-12-6-18
7	Juraj Slafkovsky	LW	TPS (Fin-Liiga)	6-4/225	30-Mar-04	20-1-3-4
8	Conor Geekie	C	Winnipeg (WHL)	6-4/205	5-May-04	35-11-27-38
9	Brad Lambert	C	JyP (Fin-Liiga)	6-0/180	19-Dec-03	24-2-4-6
10	Ivan Miroshnichenko	LW	Omskie Krylia (VHL)	6-1/185	4-Feb-04	30-9-6-15
11	David Jiricek	D	HC Plzen (Cze)	6-3/190	28-Nov-03	29-5-6-11
12	Filip Mesar	C	HK Poprad (Svk)	5-10/165	3-Jan-04	22-6-5-11
13	Pavel Mintyukov	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/190	25-Nov-03	31-6-17-23
14	Denton Mateychuk	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	5-11/190	12-Jul-04	35-7-24-31
15	Marco Kasper	C	Rogle BK (SHL)	6-1/185	8-Apr-04	27-4-2-6
16	Alexander Perevalov	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)	6-0/190	16-Apr-04	29-19-20-39
17	Seamus Casey	D	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/160	8-Jan-04	31-5-13-18
18	Frank Nazar	C	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/175	14-Jan-04	33-15-23-38
19	Noah Ostlund	C	Djurgardens J20 (Swe J20)	5-10/160	11-Mar-04	19-6-18-24
20	Cutter Gauthier	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-2/190	19-Jan-04	33-20-12-32
21	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	C	Djurgardens J20 (Swe J20)	5-11/170	24-Jul-04	25-19-15-34
22	Tristan Luneau	D	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-2/175	12-Jan-04	26-5-10-15
23	Nathan Gaucher	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/205	6-Nov-03	30-15-11-26
24	Ty Nelson	D	North Bay (OHL)	5-9/195	30-Mar-04	33-5-21-26
25	Vladimir Grudinin	D	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)	5-10/160	9-Dec-03	15-2-7-9
26	Owen Beck	C	Mississauga (OHL)	5-11/190	3-Feb-04	33-13-16-29
27	Simon Forsmark	D	Orebro (SHL)	6-2/195	17-Oct-03	22-0-1-1
28	Mats Lindgren	D	Kamloops (WHL)	5-11/175	26-Aug-04	34-2-19-21
29	Rutger McGroarty	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/205	30-Mar-04	27-15-17-32
30	Jiri Kulich	C	Karlovy Vary (Cze)	6-0/175	14-Apr-04	31-7-4-11
31	Isaac Howard	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/180	30-Mar-04	33-15-24-39
32	Jimmy Snuggerud	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/185	1-Jun-04	33-16-22-38

Jorian Donovan – McKeen's Hockey

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

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

Carter Yakemchuk, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Stephen Halliday, C, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Logan Hensler, D, University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

Jorian Donovan, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Kevin Reidler, G, Penn State University (NCAA)

Owen Beckner, C, Colorado College (NCAA)

Blake Montgomery, LW, University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

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

Matthew Andonovski, D, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Lucas Beckman, G, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)

Tyler Boucher, RW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Xavier Bourgault, C, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Oskar Pettersson, RW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Javon Moore, LW, University of Minnesota (NCAA)

Gabriel Eliasson, D, Barrie Colts (OHL)

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #25

Ottawa Senators Top-15 Prospects

1 - Carter Yakemchuk

2 - Leevi Merilainen

3 - Logan Hensler

4 - Stephen Halliday

5 - Blake Montgomery

6 - Jorian Donovan

7 - Donovan Sebrango

8 - Luke Ellinas

9 - Gabriel Eliasson

10 - Lucas Beckman

11 - Kevin Reidler

12 - Matthew Andonovski

13 - Hoyt Stanley

14 - Xavier Bourgault

15 - Tyler Boucher

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

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

Ottawa Senators Top-15 Prospects

1. Carter Yakemchuk

2. Mads Sogaard

3. Xavier Bourgault

4. Zack Ostapchuk

5. Leevi Merilainen

6. Tyler Kleven

7. Angus Crookshank

8. Stephen Halliday

9. Gabriel Eliasson

10. Tyler Boucher

11. Maxence Guenette

12. Jorian Donovan

13. Oskar Pettersson

14. Tomas Hamara

15. Kevin Reidler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 20 Ottawa Senators Prospects

1. Ridly Greig

2. Zach Ostapchuk

3. Mads Sogaard

4. Egor Sokolov

5. Lassi Thomson

6. Tyler Kleven

7. Leevi Merilainen

8. Tyler Boucher

9. Stephen Halliday

10. Maxence Guenette

11. Roby Jarventie

12. Jacob Bernard Docker

13. Angus Crookshank

14. Phillippe Daoust

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