Ottawa can parlay picks to NHL-enabled players

Just two years ago, the Ottawa Senators covered everything about high-draft picks. Two of the top five were selected.

Who do they take? Tim Stetzle and Jake Sanderson, it turned out.

This time, the question of who Ottawa chooses is lessened — will they continue to choose?

In the days leading up to the NHL draft in Montreal on Thursday, Senators will be able to package their top picks (seventh overall) in a different way to get players to step into the lineup this fall. There was a lot of speculation. There is just as much talk of senators pursuing one or both of their goals (top four defensemen and top six forwards) through free agents.

Look for a senator who drafts a wide mix of forwards and defenses with the picks they use, and perhaps a goalkeeper who didn’t draft last year.

In total, Senator holds 11 picks, including 5 in the first 3 rounds.

Ottawa 2022 Draft Topic: Rd 1 (7), Rd 2 (39, 64), Rd 3 (72, 87), Rd 4 (104), Rd 5 (136, 143, 151) Rd 6 (168), Rd 7 (206).

Potential Round 1 target

RW Joakim Kemell, JYP (SM Liiga)

5-10, 185 pounds

Shoot: R

GP GA PTS PIM

39 15 8 23 2

Kemel is not the biggest player in the top ten, but he is one of the most skilled players. Originally from Jyväskylä, Finland, Finland has successfully completed its season in Liga, scoring 15 goals and 23 points in 39 games. A powerful skater and energetic player, Kemel has aggressive tools that allow him to quarterback his power play. Many scouts consider him a top 6 NHL winger when Kemel reaches his potential.

C Matthew Savoie, Winnipeg Ice (WHL)

5-9, 179

Shoot R

GP GA PTS PIM

65 35 55 90 32

Savoie, the only other Canadian in the Top 10 other than Shane Wright, is at the heart of the Top 3 of the draft and can be the most dynamic. Some analysts compare him to Tampa Bay Lightning’s Brayden Point. Like Point, Savoie is an explosive skater, with great hands and the ability to reach the scoring area, despite his small stature. Depending on how the first six picks go, Saboa can be a great pickup at number 7. Savoy scored 34 points in power play.

D David Zirisek, HC Plzen (Czech Republic)

6-3, £ 190

Shoot R

GP GA PTS PIM

29 5 6 11 49

Suppose Simon Nemec, one of the top defenses in the draft, died by the time Senz picked at number 7. If so, Jirisek is a strong choice when looking for a D-man with a pick. 3 inches higher than the smooth skating Nemeck, Jirícek is a shutdown type defense with heavy shots. Jirícek missed out for a while due to a knee injury this season and gained a boost by returning to the Czech Republic to play at the World Championships. Can be projected onto the NHL’s top four defenses.

First round pick last year: RW Tyler Voucher, 10th overall

Senators drew heat from fans by choosing such a high Boucher in the 2021 draft, overtaking something like Cole Sillinger, who was ranked 12th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets.Schillinger raised 39 points As a true NHL rookie last season when Boucher was trying to find a foothold between Boston University and OHL 67.

Mentioning the dispute over Boucher to Ottawa’s chief amateur scout, Trentman, who was promoted to assistant general manager last week, points out a few things.

1. Don’t give up on Boucher. He suffered injuries to his shoulders and knees and retreated after being infected with COVID-19 last season.

two. Mann likes the possibility of Boucher’s power forward, which had a 22-minute penalty to score 14 points in 67 24 games after leaving Boston U in the middle of the season.

Time will tell. The 6-1, 205-pound Boucher is a batter with a strong shot. But he can catch up with some of his 2021 draft companions.

Organizational needs

As mentioned above, Senators are on the market with one impact positive and another defensive. And while these priorities aren’t what they feel can be addressed directly in this draft, along with that, they may exchange one or more picks to improve the team.

Mann considers this draft decent, but because he is talented and not top heavy, the team may consider returning to the draft to take advantage of the available pick depths. In other words, the team may later act the same in a more homogeneous draft and exchange higher picks for current players or prospects.

The most important consideration for senators is that they no longer consider themselves utilizing high-draft picks, but rather along the curve to a strong core led by Brady Kecak and Thomas. Think of it as a club trying to find an important complementary piece that fits Chabot, Josh Norris, Stützle, etc.

After missing the playoffs of the last five seasons, Sens aims to compete for a position at least after the 2023 season.