Craig Button said this morning that this is the best prospect pool in the league. And how can you possible disagree with that as this was one of the best pool's BEFORE having two top 5 picks. That's the one good thing about trading all your stars - you are left with a butt load of quality prospects. And a lot of these prospects you will be seeing in NHL action as soon as this year. I didn't include goalies, but don't underestimate their depth in that department either.
#1 Tim Stutzle C/LW (3rd, 2020, 18yo) - Pretty obvious choice. Will jump right into the top 6 and have an impact. NHL: 2020-21 Potential: 1st Line Centre
#2 Jake Sanderson LD (5th, 2020, 18yo) - Again, pretty obvious. Not quite ready for the NHL yet but once he is, watch out for Ottawa's defence. NHL: 2021-22 Potential: Top 2D
#3 Drake Batherson RW (121st, 2017, 22yo) - 116 points in his first 103 games at the pro level in the AHL. Will also jump right into the top 6 this year. NHL: 2020-21
Potential: 1st line RW
#4 Erik Brannstrom RD/LD (Mark Stone Trade, 2019, 21yo) - When you're traded for Mark Stone, you better be a top prospect. Did not look ready for the NHL last season but regained his confidence dominating in the AHL. NHL: 2020-21 Potential: Top 3D
#5 Josh Norris C (Erik Karlsson Trade, 2018, 21yo) - Former 1st round pick did not disappoint by being the AHL Rookie of the year with 61 points in 56 games. NHL: 2020-21 Potential: 2nd Line Centre
#6 Alex Formenton LW (47th, 2017, 21yo) - Youngest player to ever play a game for the Sens. He may not have McDavid's hands, but he certainly has his feet. He showed he can pitch in offensively with 53 points in 61 games in his first year pro in the AHL. NHL: 2020-21 Potential: 2nd Line LW
#7 Logan Brown C (11th, 2016, 22yo) - He has so much potential but he can also drop on this list real fast if he doesn't realize that potential soon. He dominates at every level but needs to find consistency in the NHL. NHL: 2020-21 Potential: 2nd Line Centre
#8 Lassi Thomson RD (19th, 2019, 20yo) - Now in his 2nd year of playing against men in the Liiga and also captained Team Finland in the WJC. One of many first round picks that will be part of the sens stacked future D core. NHL: 2021-22 Potential: Top 4 D
#9 Jacob Bernard-Docker RD (26th, 2018, 20yo) - He's either going to be the perfect partner for Chabot or build great chemistry with Sanderson this year at Nodak for a future dominant shut down 2nd pair. Won't produce much offensively, but he won't have to. NHL: 2021-22 Potential: Top 4 D
#10 Ridley Greig C (28th, 2020, 18yo) - You know you have a good prospect pool when your most recent first round pick is #10. Other teams are going to hate playing against this guy. Might not have the top end offensive talent but he is going to have an impactful role in the top 9. NHL: 2023-24 Potential: 3rd Line Centre
#11 Shane Pinto C (32nd, 2019, 19yo) - After a lot of sens fans were disappointed for choosing this player, he changed their minds pretty quickly with a strong NCAA season and stronger WJC performance. Not the highest ceiling, but for sure will be an NHL player. NHL: 2022-23 Potential: 3rd Line Centre
#12 Vitaly Abramov LW/RW (Matt Duchene Trade, 2019, 22yo) - Kind of an under the radar prospect but could be a sneaky good energy line player like we saw in Yanni Gourde this post-season. Put up an impressive 41 points in 51 games in the AHL. NHL: 2020-21 Potential: Bottom 6 wing
#13 Rudolfs Balcers LW/RW (Erik Karlsson Trade, 2018, 23yo) - When he's in the AHL the game looks to easy for him. Whether he can be an effective top 9 player or a bottom 6 player will depend on whether he can translate his game to the NHL level. We will see this year. NHL: 2020-21 Potential: Top 9 Winger
#14 Roby Jarventie LW (33rd, 2020, 18yo) - A big powerforward with a nice shot. A lot of people were upset that their team DIDN'T pick this player in the draft. Well, we got him. NHL: 2023-24 Potential: Top 9 Winger
#15 Egor Sokolov RW (61st, 2020, 20yo) - 6'4', 235 pounds, 52 games, 46 goals, 92 points. That's all I have to say. NHL: 2022-23 Potential: Top 9 winger
Honourable mentions: Tyler Kleven (44th, 2020, 18yo), Jonathan Davidsson (Matt Duchene Trade, 2019, 23yo), Johnny Tychonick (48th, 2018, 20yo)
Insane prospect list. Egor Sokolov was a very good pick at #61, I got to watch him closely in the LHJMQ and he's going to be a big scoring winger, wish the Habs got him.
I’m very happy for Ottawa, although I’m sad for the sharks I’m excited to see Ottawa flourish and get to see some wild hockey here in Ottawa soon. I wasn’t incredibly high on Norris but I always told Ottawa fans it was a real bright kid to get and he’s gonna be unreal now
I also remember when I predicted Ottawa as a team that’s going to compete this year (I’m sure if you scroll through my hundreds of posts you could find it in the past 6 months) that they would be a playoff team I was literally torn apart; now I’m glad I stuck with that hot take lol - Murray - Nilsson is gonna be solid i believe
Wouldn't surprise me one bit if we saw him in the NHL this season. At least as a callup
yeah they said hes been training like nuts and dropped some weight so well see. I think hes pat maroon at a minumum. Great all around list BTW I legit agree with everything
I also remember when I predicted Ottawa as a team that’s going to compete this year (I’m sure if you scroll through my hundreds of posts you could find it in the past 6 months) that they would be a playoff team I was literally torn apart; now I’m glad I stuck with that hot take lol - Murray - Nilsson is gonna be solid i believe
this year no, next year yes. Im really hoping they draft one of Guenther, Johnson, Raty next year
I also remember when I predicted Ottawa as a team that’s going to compete this year (I’m sure if you scroll through my hundreds of posts you could find it in the past 6 months) that they would be a playoff team I was literally torn apart; now I’m glad I stuck with that hot take lol - Murray - Nilsson is gonna be solid i believe
I hope so. A lot of people still have them as a lottery team but I hope they stay competitive throughout the year!
this year no, next year yes. Im really hoping they draft one of Guenther, Johnson, Raty next year
I’m confident they’ll be competing for wild card, I’m high on Murray so that’s also why but I think they’ll surprise teams (much like Columbus this year).
Quoting: Melnyk_0ut
I hope so. A lot of people still have them as a lottery team but I hope they stay competitive throughout the year!
It’ll be hard to replace JGP, and other moves they made to acquire futures at the last TDL so that’s the only reason i can see for this team struggling but I think the sens aren’t done their offseason - like the guys on tsn1200 have been saying: there’s gonna be a couple UFA acquisitions I believe, nothing special or big names but it’ll be interesting
Also last fun note is how many of these guys have connections with each other before the sens. (JBD, Pinto, Kleven, Sanderson At UND. Thomson and jarventie are on the same team in the LIIIGA. Sanderson and Greig's dads are friends and they're also good friends. Norris and Brady are pals, and Sokolov and Batherson were billet brothers in Cape-Breton for a year). All very interesting chemistry combos
Also last fun note is how many of these guys have connections with each other before the sens. (JBD, Pinto, Kleven, Sanderson At UND. Thomson and jarventie are on the same team in the LIIIGA. Sanderson and Greig's dads are friends and they're also good friends. Norris and Brady are pals, and Sokolov and Batherson were billet brothers in Cape-Breton for a year). All very interesting chemistry combos
Have you seen the Venn diagram for these observations? It's hilarious! If your dad played in the NHL, you are committed to Nodak and you are friends with someone on the team, welcome to the Ottawa Senators!
Sokolov IMO is the dark horse of the draft, he was passed over in 2019 at the draft because he was overweight and out of shape, this year he lost 20 LBS or so and his skating improved alot. Should be NHL ready can potentially be top 6 if he keeps his conditioning up.
unless OTT draft 1st OA or in a spot where a top end scoring F is slotted in next years draft, the Sanderson pick could be the worst selection in sens history, expecting Norris, Batherson, L.Brown, Formenton be consistently score 30+ goals is a massive gamble. The difference in potential between the 4 sens F prospect and perfetti,Rossi,Quinn and Holtz is greater than sanderson and the sens top D prospect.
Sokolov IMO is the dark horse of the draft, he was passed over in 2019 at the draft because he was overweight and out of shape, this year he lost 20 LBS or so and his skating improved alot. Should be NHL ready can potentially be top 6 if he keeps his conditioning up.
unless OTT draft 1st OA or in a spot where a top end scoring F is slotted in next years draft, the Sanderson pick could be the worst selection in sens history, expecting Norris, Batherson, L.Brown, Formenton be consistently score 30+ goals is a massive gamble. The difference in potential between the 4 sens F prospect and perfetti,Rossi,Quinn and Holtz is greater than sanderson and the sens top D prospect.
Before we call this selection (that was made 2 days ago) the worst selection in history, let's just take a minute and remember that the Sens chose Alexandre Daigle 1st overall in 1993. Okay, now that we have that settled, this draft was no joke for the Sens. It was their absolute top priority for well over a year now not just for their scouts, but for Pierre Dorion himself too. This pick was not made in a quick decision, it was made with months and months of evaluation, debate and discussion. Myself, I was hopping for Rossi with the 5th pick. But I trust their decision to go with Sanderson. If it was that obvious and the difference between Rossi and Sanderson was that significant then you'd think they would have thought about that right? And for the people saying "Well they should have gone with BPA instead of position", the sens didn't exactly need a Left Defenceman so they clearly weren't going by position. Let's just slow down here and let time decide who the best pick would have been instead of saying he's a bust 2 days after being picked. Also, Anaheim didn't take a forward at #6 either so they weren't the only ones.
Are you planning to send him back down to the AHL or Europe to "develope"
NOPE.
Than he's an NHL player not a prospect.
Oh man I know this is just a technicality but you are so wrong. I don't even know where to begin so I'm not even going to say anything. Maybe someone else can chime in here.
Oh man I know this is just a technicality but you are so wrong. I don't even know where to begin so I'm not even going to say anything. Maybe someone else can chime in here.
there is nothing to chime in on.
If he's wearing an OTT sweater and playing in the NHL he's an NHL player.
He's EARNED that.
You don't get to take that from him.
You aren't a prospect skating NHL games. That isn't how it works.
You play big boy games and get a big boy check, and you are welcomed to the NHL.
I don't know why that is so hard for you to figure out.
Prospects are players that will one day make it to the NHL.
He's made it already. Period. You dress him, you skate him. He's an NHL player.
there is nothing to chime in on.
If he's wearing an OTT sweater and playing in the NHL he's an NHL player.
He's EARNED that.
You don't get to take that from him.
You aren't a prospect skating NHL games. That isn't how it works.
You play big boy games and get a big boy check, and you are welcomed to the NHL.
I don't know why that is so hard for you to figure out.
Prospects are players that will one day make it to the NHL.
He's made it already. Period. You dress him, you skate him. He's an NHL player.
I'm not trying to take anything away from him. In fact, I have him as the #1 ranked prospect on this team which is pretty good. And I know he will most likely be on this team come January where he will lose his prospect status. But as of this moment, he is not signed to an NHL contract with the team, he has not played a single NHL game and he has not even skated with the team a single time. If there was a normal prospect development camp after the draft as usual, he would be there. McDavid went to Edmonton's in 2015 because he was a prospect too at one point. Once you are established with the team and are a full-time NHL player, you are no longer a prospect. I don't think many people besides yourself would disagree with me here I'm sorry.
there is nothing to chime in on.
If he's wearing an OTT sweater and playing in the NHL he's an NHL player.
He's EARNED that.
You don't get to take that from him.
You aren't a prospect skating NHL games. That isn't how it works.
You play big boy games and get a big boy check, and you are welcomed to the NHL.
I don't know why that is so hard for you to figure out.
Prospects are players that will one day make it to the NHL.
He's made it already. Period. You dress him, you skate him. He's an NHL player.
Just wondering when we dressed him, and when he actually made it to the NHL (past tense)? He could still have a bad camp and get sent to the DEL or AHL. Very unlikely, but he doesn’t have a contract so he’s not making any big boy bucks, hasn’t played a game yet, and doesn’t have a guaranteed spot on the team. He’s a prospect until he makes the team in camp. Just because we expect him to make the team doesn’t make him not a prospect, otherwise Formenton, Batherson, Norris, Brannstrom, and Brown aren’t prospects either.
I'm not trying to take anything away from him. In fact, I have him as the #1 ranked prospect on this team which is pretty good. And I know he will most likely be on this team come January where he will lose his prospect status. But as of this moment, he is not signed to an NHL contract with the team, he has not played a single NHL game and he has not even skated with the team a single time. If there was a normal prospect development camp after the draft as usual, he would be there. McDavid went to Edmonton's in 2015 because he was a prospect too at one point. Once you are established with the team and are a full-time NHL player, you are no longer a prospect. I don't think many people besides yourself would disagree with me here I'm sorry.
Quoting: Alfie11
Just wondering when we dressed him, and when he actually made it to the NHL (past tense)? He could still have a bad camp and get sent to the DEL or AHL. Very unlikely, but he doesn’t have a contract so he’s not making any big boy bucks, hasn’t played a game yet, and doesn’t have a guaranteed spot on the team. He’s a prospect until he makes the team in camp. Just because we expect him to make the team doesn’t make him not a prospect, otherwise Formenton, Batherson, Norris, Brannstrom, and Brown aren’t prospects either.
do either one of you actually think he's not playing opening day?
Just answer honestly.
Because if he is, he's not a prospect.
Yeah he doesn't have a contract yet....there are a lot of NHL players who don't have a contract right now too. Doesn't mean they aren't NHL players.
Hall is still an NHL player. He has no contract.
As I said. Prospects are guys who one day will make the team.
He's not waiting till one day to make the team. He's made it.
He'll be playing. He's an NHL player.
It would be different if you were sending him back to another league to develop. They probably aren't.
He's an NHL rookie. Not a prospect.
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