2023-24 Senators Prospect Watch

[R2010]

Staios also said something about how after they picked a lot of the guys they liked didn’t go until later. So I wouldn’t be surprised if they actually did have Beaudoin that high.

Still can't believe we passed on Buium.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Still can't believe we passed on Buium.

The top players we have chosen in the draft before that were Boucher nordberg stanley and then we picked Yakemchuk and Elliason

We were never ever picking Buium.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Imagine if we had the 2-4th pick lol. No way in hell would we have picked Demidov.

 

[PlayOn]

Still can't believe we passed on Buium.

If a player has question marks around how they’ll adapt to tight-checking, physical hockey, the Sens aren’t going to take him.

It is what it is. There are pros and cons to this. The pro is you will likely not encounter a scenario where you’re a good team that’s built for regular season hockey only. The con is that you will miss out on some special talent.

If Yak is good I don’t think anyone will really miss Buium. If Yak sucks we’ll never hear the end of it. I guess we’ll see.

 

[Sens in Process]

To me, his effort level and body language look the same as they did last year.

But yes, several things can be true. And maybe there were nights this year where he really did look totally uninterested. I can only speak to the handful of games I've seen.

I’ve been posting since early in the season about his transformation, and it’s nice to get confirmation of his intentional change in playing style and overall approach to the game. I think anyone who watched a sample of 20 or so games from each of the last two seasons would see he’s a completely different player.

The article also mentions his improved skating, which I believe is accurate.

I liked him a lot last season—more than most—but this year, it’s kind of surprising to watch his commitment to risk-averse, winning hockey. I don’t think he’s disengaged or sulking; he seems intent on doing what’s necessary to win.

I wouldn't be too worried about the drop in production for Yakemchuk. Mynio massively struggled in producing offense in the Calgary system and his late hot streak made his numbers more respectable. Mynio was benched and relegated to third pairing for a while. This is a player who was one Canada's best d-men at the WJC, but even he had problems adjusting to the Calgary system.

Calgary also a very similar team up front to what they had last season, with only the additions of Hvidston and later Howe, while loosing Muranov and Fawcett. They lack offensive depth and you really don't get bump in easy points.

Some people may love Parekh, and he may indeed turn out to be a star. I watched his last two games of the series against Erie and caught him occasionally during the regular season. Sure, he’s absolutely amazing at times—a super high-end offensive talent. But there are big stretches in games where he can be an absolute mess, demonstrating wild inconsistency that leaves you asking yourself, “WTF is he doing?” I said before in a recent post - several minutes in a game he looks totally out of joint or just selfish. Saginaw lost to far less talented team and Parekh was on the ice for a lot of goals.

 

[aragorn]

I don’t know if he’s deliberately changing his style of play but Calgaary is such a weird team. Most of their acquisitions throughout the year have produced at a lesser rate aftee joining Calgary than before, which is usually the opposite of how junior hockey usually works

Maybe there is something to it, maybe it’s cope. I’d just like to see him in the pros ASAP at this point, but an AHL stint this year isn’t looking very likely.

What I got from that was that he is playing more of a team game & concentrating more on the defensive side since the team doesn't need his offence as much. They say "Defence wins" after all & both Ottawa & Calgary are both better teams since they both have put much more infaces on playing better defensively this season.

I genuinely don't understand the question or what you're getting at.

The article includes quotes from Yakemchuk. I am reading into Yakemchuk's own statements. That's all.

It's almost like this board doesn't like it when you talk up our players.

Imagine if we had the 2-4th pick lol. No way in hell would we have picked Demidov.

Why not? We drafted Stutzle & Sanderson.

 

[Sens in Process]

I don’t know if he’s deliberately changing his style of play but Calgaary is such a weird team. Most of their acquisitions throughout the year have produced at a lesser rate aftee joining Calgary than before, which is usually the opposite of how junior hockey usually works

Maybe there is something to it, maybe it’s cope. I’d just like to see him in the pros ASAP at this point, but an AHL stint this year isn’t looking very likely.

This is a good point here, look at guys Hvidston and Howe - both have put up big numbers elsewhere, when they were younger, relative to their production in Calgary . When you factor in games, it is like 20 point drop in production. Context matter folks.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

This is a good point here, look at guys Hvidston and Howe - both have put up big numbers elsewhere, when they were younger, relative to their production in Calgary . When you factor in games, it is like 20 point drop in production. Context matter folks.

I’m still cautiously optimistic based on his insane camp and preseason he had but it’s a pretty small sample size and we’ve seen prospects impress there and do notbing later on.

Still, a 19 year old doing what he did against NHLers has to count for something, right?

 

[Sens in Process]

I’m still cautiously optimistic based on his insane camp and preseason he had but it’s a pretty small sample size and we’ve seen prospects impress there and do notbing later on.

Still, a 19 year old doing what he did against NHLers has to count for something, right?

I think Yakemchuk is a guy that will benefit from more structured play, where he can read and react with with good players that can get him the puck. I think his drop in production this year has to be considered context with Mynio. Hvidston and Howe - it seems like a trend for most players. Also, Kindle and Tulk only really took off when they were paired together. Kindl driving his own line this year was not productive. When they made the deal for Howe, I was pretty excited. But if I only judged him on his play in Calgary, I would think he isn't deserving of the pedigree of making the WJC. He was tried apart from Kindl and Tulk and it was not pretty in terms of production.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

If a player has question marks around how they’ll adapt to tight-checking, physical hockey, the Sens aren’t going to take him.

It is what it is. There are pros and cons to this. The pro is you will likely not encounter a scenario where you’re a good team that’s built for regular season hockey only. The con is that you will miss out on some special talent.

If Yak is good I don’t think anyone will really miss Buium. If Yak sucks we’ll never hear the end of it. I guess we’ll see.

I think the “only built for regular season hockey” is a bit of a myth

 

[PlayOn]

I think the “only built for regular season hockey” is a bit of a myth

I don’t really think it’s a myth, but I do think it’s overused as a justification for everything where most of the time it’s more complicated than that.

I don’t really believe individual players are elite in the regular season and then suck in the playoffs. That stuff is almost always a reflection of team problems with depth/goaltending, bad luck etc as far as I’m concerned.

But I do think in a 7 game series a team that can wear you down physically has an edge. The games ramp up and you can visually see how much more intense it is. The ability to finish checks, move bodies from in front of the net etc becomes significantly more important in the grind of a series.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I don’t really think it’s a myth, but I do think it’s overused as a justification for everything where most of the time it’s more complicated than that.

I don’t really believe individual players are elite in the regular season and then suck in the playoffs. That stuff is almost always a reflection of team problems with depth/goaltending, bad luck etc as far as I’m concerned.

But I do think in a 7 game series a team that can wear you down physically has an edge. The games ramp up and you can visually see how much more intense it is. The ability to finish checks, move bodies from in front of the net etc becomes significantly more important in the grind of a series.

If you’re team is completely made up of that sure.

But like having a bigger team and then a Buium won’t bury you.

But you’re right. There ssuually a lot of missing context in “X player didn’t do well in the playoffs must not be built for it”

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Do you guys think Trent Mann had lassi Thomson ahead of Cole Canfield in the 2019 draft?

 

[PlayOn]

If you’re team is completely made up of that sure.

But like having a bigger team and then a Buium won’t bury you.

But you’re right. There ssuually a lot of missing context in “X player didn’t do well in the playoffs must not be built for it”

No I agree - I don’t think it means you can never break the mold. Sens are too rigid as a whole, I’d like to see them expand their checklist of the five things they seem to look for in every pick lol.

But Yak, in his full potential, is a dman you will never have the opportunity to obtain via trade or free agency. It’s hard to find an offensively talented defenceman with a physical edge to their game, and now add in the fact that he’s a right shot. So it’s not always as simple as not liking the other player - when you’re picking 7th overall there is almost surely going to be a player or two that better aligns with the type of team you want and that you see upside in.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

No I agree - I don’t think it means you can never break the mold. Sens are too rigid as a whole, I’d like to see them expand their checklist of the five things they seem to look for in every pick lol.

But Yak, in his full potential, is a dman you will never have the opportunity to obtain via trade or free agency. It’s hard to find an offensively talented defenceman with a physical edge to their game, and now add in the fact that he’s a right shot. So it’s not always as simple as not liking the other player - when you’re picking 7th overall there is almost surely going to be a player or two that better aligns with the type of team you want and that you see upside in.

Well yak at his perceived full potential.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Do you guys think Trent Mann had lassi Thomson ahead of Cole Canfield in the 2019 draft?

Harley was our most desired prospect. We wouldn't have gone for Chychrun if we got Harley, imho. Probably would have selected Matthew Wood 2023, and Strbak with our 2nd.

Sanderson-Harley
Chabot-Zub
Kleven-Matinpalo

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Harley was our most desired prospect. We wouldn't have gone for Chychrun if we got Harley, imho. Probably would have selected Matthew Wood 2023, and Strbak with our 2nd.

Sanderson-Harley
Chabot-Zub
Kleven-Matinpalo

But where did we have 40 goal scorer Cole Canfield?

 

[Burrowsaurus]

It’s still so insane to me that we did a complete tear down.

And Dorion decided to draft high and high talent in ONLY TWO f***ing drafts! TWO. 2!! And then said “ahh that should be enough. And then after drafting Tyler Boucher he said “we don’t even need first round picks anymore”

 

[Senator Stanley]

It’s still so insane to me that we did a complete tear down.

And Dorion decided to draft high and high talent in ONLY TWO f***ing drafts! TWO. 2!! And then said “ahh that should be enough. And then after drafting Tyler Boucher he said “we don’t even need first round picks anymore”

Arrogance plus stupidity is a dangerous combo.

 

[DrEasy]

It’s still so insane to me that we did a complete tear down.

And Dorion decided to draft high and high talent in ONLY TWO f***ing drafts! TWO. 2!! And then said “ahh that should be enough. And then after drafting Tyler Boucher he said “we don’t even need first round picks anymore”

Remember how he also initially signed Zub to only a 1 year (or was it two years) deal because Lassi and JBD would be taking care of our RD in the near future?

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Remember how he also initially signed Zub to only a 1 year (or was it two years) deal because Lassi and JBD would be taking care of our RD in the near future?

Heard him say “lass and jbd, that’s your top 4 on the right side”

 

[Hale The Villain]

Remember how he also initially signed Zub to only a 1 year (or was it two years) deal because Lassi and JBD would be taking care of our RD in the near future?

Walked Zub right to UFA to make room for those two.

We're very fortunate he agreed to re-sign here.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

If a player has question marks around how they’ll adapt to tight-checking, physical hockey, the Sens aren’t going to take him.

It is what it is. There are pros and cons to this. The pro is you will likely not encounter a scenario where you’re a good team that’s built for regular season hockey only. The con is that you will miss out on some special talent.

If Yak is good I don’t think anyone will really miss Buium. If Yak sucks we’ll never hear the end of it. I guess we’ll see.

Teams like Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay weren't overally physical-at least not their top 6-and they won multiple Cups.

Physicality is simply the least important aspect of a player in the modern NHL. Yes, you can't have a team full of wimps, but what wins Cups is high-end skill and talent.

The fact that the Sens' current scouting staff will never ever consider drafting guys like Catton and Buium simply means they suck at their job.

 

[Sens in Process]

Article on Yakemchuk.

MSN

At the 18:30 mark, the writer of this article goes into more detail about Yakemchuk. A couple of interesting notes: He did not like the Yakemchuk pick at 7 last season and he covers the WHL in some capacity.

 

[SlapJack]

At the 18:30 mark, the writer of this article goes into more detail about Yakemchuk. A couple of interesting notes: He did not like the Yakemchuk pick at 7 last season and he covers the WHL in some capacity.

The knowledge level of those guys are about on par to above average posters here I would say. Was encouraging to hear that Yak was playing effectively as a shut down D, but take it with a grain of salt.

Ottawa management did send him down with that in mind and I wonder how much influence the pro owners have over the junior team. Like Ottawa knows he needs to get better defensively and ask him to do x, y and z to work on, but what if the junior club is saying, "WE NEED MORE OFFENSE" Would be interesting to know how the pro teams communicate with the junior teams about player development