NHL Entry Draft Future Draft Watch

[aragorn]

There is plenty of skill in rounds 2 and beyond but you have to look for it and not just blindly favour size and physical play.

Skilled guys available in later rounds of the draft who have had significant impacts in the regular season but mostly in the playoffs in the last 10 years:

Point
Palat
Aho
Verhaeghe
Marchessault
Kucherov
Stone
Johnson


I'm missing loads but we aren't getting those kinds of players by picking Eliasson, Roger, Ellinas, Andonovski, Wallenius, Romeo, etc.. It's not that all those players are bad but you aren't getting any skill out of them, something we sorely lack in the organization, from top to bottom.

Most of those players are longshots to make the NHL; why not make the long shot a player with star upside?

I disagree they favour size, this is something made up on here & yes there are skilled guys that are found in later rds such as Batherson & Alfredsson, but I think you have to be more lucky to acquire one than just look for it, there are 32 teams looking for it. Who knows which ones become legitimate NHL stars & who doesn't otherwise they would be ranked higher. Do you know who will become legitimate players who are ranked in the later rds they should select?

Every team picks guys that never make it, this again is not unique to the Sens although people talk on here like they are the only team that drafts duds when they all do it. We don't lack skill, the guys we drafted with skill are on the team & should be there for a few yrs to come. They have taken long shots on some guys & won some & lost some, Batherson & Stone were late picks that made it.

The league is full of these stories, they drafted Daccord as the last guy drafted in his draft class & because of the Seattle Entry draft lost him. You could argue they are in a bit of a slump, but also as they get better their draft position drops further. It will be interesting who they select this yr since there are several guys around 21 who could become good players, but regardless of who they select there will be those who applaud it & those who oppose it. Who do you want them to select at 21 OA?

 

[Alf Silfversson]

I disagree they favour size, this is something made up on here & yes there are skilled guys that are found in later rds such as Batherson & Alfredsson, but I think you have to be more lucky to acquire one than just look for it, there are 32 teams looking for it. Who knows which ones become legitimate NHL stars & who doesn't otherwise they would be ranked higher. Do you know who will become legitimate players who are ranked in the later rds they should select?

Every team picks guys that never make it, this again is not unique to the Sens although people talk on here like they are the only team that drafts duds when they all do it. We don't lack skill, the guys we drafted with skill are on the team & should be there for a few yrs to come. They have taken long shots on some guys & won some & lost some, Batherson & Stone were late picks that made it.

The league is full of these stories, they drafted Daccord as the last guy drafted in his draft class & because of the Seattle Entry draft lost him. You could argue they are in a bit of a slump, but also as they get better their draft position drops further. It will be interesting who they select this yr since there are several guys around 21 who could become good players, but regardless of who they select there will be those who applaud it & those who oppose it. Who do you want them to select at 21 OA?

If you don't think they favour size, I'm curious what you think they DO favour.

Of course I don't know who will become an NHL player in round 3+ of the draft. But the thing is that they are always going to be a long shot. We seem, lately anyway, to be picking guys who are long shots to make the NHL but if they do make it are bottom pairing and 4th line type players. And that's fine, every team needs to fill out their roster and their AHL team, but we need to start mixing it up. You need to swing for the fences sometimes or you never hit a homerun.

We need speed and skill badly in our prospect pool and our GF/G suggest we need some on the big club as well.

It's not really relevant to the conversation as we're talking about later picks but at 21 I'd love to see us get Kindel, Cullen Potter or Fiddler.

 

[PlayOn]

If you don't think they favour size, I'm curious what you think they DO favour.

Of course I don't know who will become an NHL player in round 3+ of the draft. But the thing is that they are always going to be a long shot. We seem, lately anyway, to be picking guys who are long shots to make the NHL but if they do make it are bottom pairing and 4th line type players. And that's fine, every team needs to fill out their roster and their AHL team, but we need to start mixing it up. You need to swing for the fences sometimes or you never hit a homerun.

We need speed and skill badly in our prospect pool and our GF/G suggest we need some on the big club as well.

It's not really relevant to the conversation as we're talking about later picks but at 21 I'd love to see us get Kindel, Cullen Potter or Fiddler.

Halliday, Montgomery, Moore, Beckner, Hamara off the top of my head were all swings on skill. They didn’t pick those guys to be 4th liners.

And beyond that, I think people assume too much that their perception of a player aligns with Ottawa’s scouts perceptions. Eliasson is a good example because on the one hand we have Ottawa talking about how much upside he has and here people assume they took him in the hopes he’d be a 7th D. Maybe they are wrong in their assessment of him, I don’t know, but that isn’t the same thing as deliberately shooting for low upside.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Halliday, Montgomery, Moore, Beckner, Hamara off the top of my head were all swings on skill. They didn’t pick those guys to be 4th liners.

And beyond that, I think people assume too much that their perception of a player aligns with Ottawa’s scouts perceptions. Eliasson is a good example because on the one hand we have Ottawa talking about how much upside he has and here people assume they took him in the hopes he’d be a 7th D. Maybe they are wrong in their assessment of him, I don’t know, but that isn’t the same thing as deliberately shooting for low upside.

Halliday and Hamara are the only guys listed that could be considered skill-only guys that aren't projectable as depth players.

Montgomery, Moore and Beckner could be developed into 4th liners with their good tools, and probably project as depth players at this stage.

Talking about Eliasson as a player with big upside is hilarious. They took a pure goon with above-average size/speed in the hopes they can turn him into a hockey player, which is both evidence of their overconfidence in their ability to develop players and their value on physical/play toughness being way too high relative to the rest of the league.

 

[PlayOn]

Halliday and Hamara are the only guys listed that could be considered skill-only guys that aren't projectable as depth players.

Montgomery, Moore and Beckner could be developed into 4th liners with their good tools, and probably project as depth players at this stage.

Talking about Eliasson as a player with big upside is hilarious. They took a pure goon with above-average size/speed in the hopes they can turn him into a hockey player, which is both evidence of their overconfidence in their ability to develop players and their value on physical/play toughness being way too high relative to the rest of the league.

Most of these guys aren’t gonna make it, but why would it be assumed someone like Montgomery was drafted to be a 4th liner?

Last month a London scout was quoted as saying he thinks he can be a big part of a very good team and a “middle six power forward”. Again, just because this is your perception, it doesn’t mean Ottawa drafted them believing the same.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Most of these guys aren’t gonna make it, but why would it be assumed someone like Montgomery was drafted to be a 4th liner?

Last month a London scout was quoted as saying he thinks he can be a big part of a very good team and a “middle six power forward”. Again, just because this is your perception, it doesn’t mean Ottawa drafted them believing the same.

He wasn't drafted specifically to be a 4th liner, but that doesn't mean he was drafted as a high-upside/low-floor player.

Montgomery and Moore are both big guys with great skating that can potentially be molded into NHL players, but it's doubtful they'll ever be more than 3rd/4th liners.

As 4th round picks if they end up as NHLers in any capacity that's a win, but they certainly aren't what are typically considered potential gambles or homerun picks.

Would be nice to see the staff throw the occasional day 2 draft pick at a small guy with skill. The old iteration of the scouting staff did that with Hoffman, Pageau, Prince, Dzingel, Sorensen, Wideman and Pettersson, who were all picked within a 4 year span from 2008-2011, and that's a big reason why we were one of the better drafting teams in the league during that period.

 

[PlayOn]

He wasn't drafted specifically to be a 4th liner, but that doesn't mean he was drafted as a high-upside/low-floor player.

Montgomery and Moore are both big guys with great skating that can potentially be molded into NHL players, but it's doubtful they'll ever be more than 3rd/4th liners.

As 4th round picks if they end up as NHLers in any capacity that's a win, but they certainly aren't what are typically considered potential gambles or homerun picks.

Would be nice to see the staff throw the occasional day 2 draft pick at a small guy with skill. The old iteration of the scouting staff did that with Hoffman, Pageau, Prince, Dzingel, Sorensen, Wideman and Pettersson, who were all picked within a 4 year span from 2008-2011, and that's a big reason why we were one of the better drafting teams in the league during that period.

If the argument is that David Pastrnak 2.0 could be sitting there ready for the taking and we wouldn’t pick him, I can’t disagree with that. Our scouts definitely have a type. It’s something I hope changes under Staios.

What I can’t agree with is that they are intentionally targeting low upside, or that someone they possibly see as a middle six power forward is low upside. That’s a really valuable piece at the NHL level.

 

[Hale The Villain]

If the argument is that David Pastrnak 2.0 could be sitting there ready for the taking and we wouldn’t pick him, I can’t disagree with that. Our scouts definitely have a type. It’s something I hope changes under Staios.

What I can’t agree with is that they are intentionally targeting low upside, or that someone they possibly see as a middle six power forward is low upside. That’s a really valuable piece at the NHL level.

Yeah I don't think they are intentionally targeting low upside players, it's just the unfortunate by-product of our scouts insisting that players fit specific characteristics they are looking for, mainly tools and toughness.

Players that have above-average tools and toughness usually don't also have above-average skill and smarts. There's almost always a trade-off there.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

When Don Boyd asked the prospects for jokes, one of them should have shown Boyd his drafting record.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Interesting ..

• no Nesbitt, Fiddler in the top 32.
• Nestrasil and Vansaghi back to back 25,26
• Carbonneau 30
• Braeden Cootes 23 may draw some interest from the Sens

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

When Don Boyd asked the prospects for jokes, one of them should have shown Boyd his drafting record.

Got a joke for us?

Yeah.. What do you call a scouting staff that spoon feeds their top 10 pick the answers to their interview questions? .. . "a Joke"

 

[aragorn]

If you don't think they favour size, I'm curious what you think they DO favour.

Of course I don't know who will become an NHL player in round 3+ of the draft. But the thing is that they are always going to be a long shot. We seem, lately anyway, to be picking guys who are long shots to make the NHL but if they do make it are bottom pairing and 4th line type players. And that's fine, every team needs to fill out their roster and their AHL team, but we need to start mixing it up. You need to swing for the fences sometimes or you never hit a homerun.

We need speed and skill badly in our prospect pool and our GF/G suggest we need some on the big club as well.

It's not really relevant to the conversation as we're talking about later picks but at 21 I'd love to see us get Kindel, Cullen Potter or Fiddler.

I don't think they favour one thing & look for features from the prospects that they think would be considered essential to be an Ottawa Senator. Character comes to mind, projectable skillset, IQ, athletic, coachable & willingness to learn & improve. They have swung for the fences & some have worked & some have not, these picks in terms of dollars to develop players are million dollar decisions, teams don't take these things lightly. Good prospects don't stay in the pool all that long & those that are on there for a few yrs usually end up as long shots to make it. There should be one goal, select a prospect who turns into a good player for the org, but like Baseball there will always be more strike outs than home runs.

Crookshank is a skilled forward & it seems he likely won't be around much longer even though quite a few on here thought he would be a player for this team. A lot of people on here thought Brannstrom should be an everyday player & now he is in Europe, fans are not experts. Abramov was skilled & never made it, they selected Tychonik which a lot of people on here liked & never came close. Lassie Thompson was selected in the 1st rd, that now seems was a mistake. I don't see much with Hamara being a player, but we'll see.

IMO there are at least half a dozen players if not more they could pick at 21st OA & any of them could turn into good players or not, especially if they run into injuries which no one can predict that hurts their development. If they take Fiddler, how many people will say, see I told you they only take size even though he could turn into a good player & was ranked appropriately for where they drafted him. They could take Kindel & what if he doesn't develop into a star player? Fans would then blame them for not doing their appropriate due diligence even though a lot of fans want him. IMO there are several good players that could still be on the board when they pick of all sizes, I hope they pick the guy that fits in best with this core & helps the team win a SC, but there are no guarantees with drafts & prospects of any size. How many first OA picks supposedly the most skilled in their draft yr that have not made it or been disappointments? There has been a few although rare.

 

[Senator Stanley]

Interesting ..

• no Nesbitt, Fiddler in the top 32.
• Nestrasil and Vansaghi back to back 25,26
• Carbonneau 30
• Braeden Cootes 23 may draw some interest from the Sens

They are quite low on Fiddler and his hockey sense (as they've said publicly on their Youtube podcasts). He's well down their list. Nesbitt, on the other hand, isn't too far outside the top 32.

What's notable about Carbonneau is they had him in the high teens on their mid season list and now he's at 30, so this isn't a group that never liked the player.

 

[BondraTime]

I have no issues with any of the questions or tactics they ask/use in an interview

 

[Hale The Villain]

I wonder about Henry Brzustewicz as a darkhorse option at 21.

6'2 194lb right-handed defenseman that can skate and defend. Good production and could see his numbers jump next year once Dickinson and Bonk graduate.

He's also quite physical and dropped the gloves several times this year. 77 PIMs in 67 games, which Boyd will love.

I think the Yakemchuk selection showed that they clearly place value on right-handed D over left-handed D, given their lack of supply around the league.

I'm sure we'd prefer to take a forward all things being equal, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were very high on Brzustewicz.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

I wonder about Henry Brzustewicz as a darkhorse option at 21.

6'2 194lb right-handed defenseman that can skate and defend. Good production and could see his numbers jump next year once Dickinson and Bonk graduate.

He's also quite physical and dropped the gloves several times this year. 77 PIMs in 67 games, which Boyd will love.

I think the Yakemchuk selection showed that they clearly place value on right-handed D over left-handed D, given their lack of supply around the league.

I'm sure we'd prefer to take a forward all things being equal, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were very high on Brzustewicz.

Wouldn't surprise me either and he's a good player so I wouldn't be too upset.

I know we won't go for him but I'm warming up to the idea of Cullen Potter. We need more speed and he's one of the, if not THE, best skaters in this draft.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

They are quite low on Fiddler and his hockey sense (as they've said publicly on their Youtube podcasts). He's well down their list. Nesbitt, on the other hand, isn't too far outside the top 32.

What's notable about Carbonneau is they had him in the high teens on their mid season list and now he's at 30, so this isn't a group that never liked the player.

No issues .. just pointing out a few departures from the norm. I like HockeyProspect and respect their opinions .. They flagged some things with Yakemchuk last year missed by many and I believe they had him ranked appropriately among the other top D and overall.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Another Mock just for fun

Hensler

Hensler projects as an NHL defenseman with the potential to play on a top pairing role versus his opponent’s top offensive unit. His size, skating, and strength give him the tools to succeed at the professional level. With continued development in his puck management, physicality, and improved defensive scanning or pre-reads, Hensler has the potential to be a top-pairing defenseman for an NHL franchise.

Rombach

Rombach is a structure-loving, low-maintenance defender with NHL traits. While not dynamic, his reach, IQ, and ability to kill plays will give him a long runway to develop. He’ll need to get stronger, meaner, and faster to stick as an NHL shutdown guy, but his toolkit is worth a bet in the middle rounds. On a development path that emphasizes simplicity and physicality, he could grow into a dependable penalty-killing defenseman on a middle-pair, especially for an organization that values defensive structure and size on the backend.

Hopkins

Hopkins is not a flashy or high-octane prospect, but his steadiness, maturity, and well-rounded game make him a viable NHL draft pick for organizations prioritizing structure, reliability, and two-way commitment. If he can elevate his feet and physicality, he has real utility value in pro hockey.

Frolov

Semyon Frolov’s size, athleticism, and mental toughness make him an intriguing goaltending prospect with significant long-term upside. While technical and situational improvements are needed, his foundation and ability to make critical saves under pressure suggest he has the potential to become an NHL starter. With proper coaching and development, Frolov could establish himself as a key asset for any team seeking a reliable and impactful goaltender in the future.

Amidovski

An intimidating and powerful forechecker, Amidovski can run through defenders to get to the puck and transform steals into immediate plays for teammates. Playing at a high pace, pressuring the heels of opponents and lifting sticks, he barely gives space to opponents, surprising them with his speed and physicality

Heslop

Heslop is a hard-working player with decent top-end speed, though his skating style lacks fluidity. His strong hockey instincts and a well-rounded skill set enable him to make impactful plays. Heslop’s impressive skill set allows him to be a persistent and effective force on the ice, despite his smaller stature. His exceptional maneuverability and quick hands make him a threat in tight spaces.

 

[BondraTime]

Wouldn't mind taking a stab with Nathan Quinn in the later rounds, I was always impressed with his skills when watching him this year, think he could have a big jump next season. Had no help in Quebec this year

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Pronmans' lists with players that could be available to the Sens at 21 with varying degrees of likelihood. I did not include players generally ranked well outside the 1st

Best Skater

3. Cullen Potter
6. Sascha Boumedienne
of note Lirim Amidovski (see mock above) was 9th on this list

Best puck skills

8. Jack Nesbitt

Best Hockey Sense

6. Cole Reschny

Best Shot

3. Justin Carbonneau
5. Lynden Lakovic

Best Compete

6. Malcolm Spence

Best Athlete

7. Carter Amico
8. Blake Fiddler
9. Vaclav Nestrasil
14. Joshua Ravensbergen
15. Simon Wang

Based on their 1st rounder last year its hard to say which of these traits the Sens scouts would value most

Clearly not Best Skater, Best Hockey Sense, Best Athlete ... I would venture a guess that none of the above tipped the scales.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

He is 8th on Pronger's compete list and 11th on his best Athlete list

I wonder if he is on the Sens list

I got this draft guide and will likely get the black book when it comes out. Lots of good NHL scout comments included .. which I like to find in these things.

 

[DrEasy]

He is 8th on Pronger's compete list and 11th on his best Athlete list

I wonder if he is on the Sens list

I got this draft guide and will likely get the black book when it comes out. Lots of good NHL scout comments included .. which I like to find in these things.

Don't know if we have any scouts paying attention to Russian prospects, so "probably not".

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Don't know if we have any scouts paying attention to Russian prospects, so "probably not".

The 6'5.5 220 lbs could have put him on their radar.