Xspyrit
DJ Dorion
"Young legs" is certainly a term used to refer to young players. If you are 25-27 y/o and not established in the NHL yet, it's either because you are a late bloomer or had serious injurie(s) (ex : Wolanin). Chances are that you won't be a significant player in the end. That being said, by that age, you probably already have several pro seasons under your belt (ex : Artyem Zub, Dadonov), that's why it's a bit hard to qualify you as "young legs" relatively to other NHL players. Also, by the time you are in your 3rd/4th NHL season, you might still be young and certainly can still improve, but the "young player" excuses might not be valid much longer...
For fun, I took a quick look at Sens U-25 players every season during the last decade
Not listing u-25 players that didn't play at least 25% of the season, so with less than 20 GP (except for 2012-13 where it's 12 GP)
2011-12 (Total : 11)
4 D-men : Karlsson (21 y/o, 81 GP), Cowen (21 y/o, 82 GP), Rundblad (21 y/o, 24 GP), Lee (24 y/o, 35 GP)
7 Forwards : Turris (22 y/o, 49 GP), Foligno (24 y/o, 82 GP), Z. Smith (23 y/o, 81 GP), Daugavins (23 y/o, 65 GP), Butler (24 y/o, 56 GP), Da Costa (22 y/o, 22 GP), O'Brien (23 y/o, 28 GP)
2012-13 (Total : 13)
4 D-men : Karlsson (22 y/o, 17 GP), Cowen (22 y/o, * injured), Wiercioch (22 y/o, 42 GP), Gryba (24 y/o, 33 GP)
8 Forwards : Zibanejad (19 y/o, 42 GP), Turris (23 y/o, 48 GP), Silfverberg (22 y/o, 48 GP), Z. Smith (24 y/o, 48 GP), O'Brien (24 y/o, 29 GP), Daugavins (24 y/o, 19 GP), Conacher (23 y/o, 12 GP), Dziurzynski (23 y/o, 12 GP)
1 Goalie : Lehner (21 y/o, 12 GP)
2013-14 (Total : 11)
4 D-men : Karlsson (23 y/o, 82 GP), Wiercioch (23 y/o, 53 GP), Ceci (20 y/o, 49 GP), Cowen (23 y/o, 68 GP)
6 Forwards : Turris (24 y/o, 82 GP), Zibanejad (20 y/o, 69 GP), Hoffman (24 y/o, 25 GP), Pageau (21 y/o, 28 GP), Conacher (24 y/o, 60 GP), Grant (23 y/o, 20 GP) + (Stone 21 y/o, missing the cut with 19 GP)
1 Goalie : Lehner (22 y/o, 36 GP)
2014-15 (Total : 10)
4 D-men : Karlsson (24 y/o, 82 GP), Ceci (21 y/o, 81 GP), Wiercioch (24 y/o, 56 GP), Cowen (24 y/o, 54 GP)
5 Forwards : Stone (22 y/o, 80 GP), Zibanejad (21 y/o, 80 GP), Pageau (22 y/o, 50 GP), Lazar (19 y/o, 67 GP), Chiasson (24 y/o, 76 GP)
1 Goalie : Lehner (23 y/o, 25 GP)
2015-16 (Total : 10)
1 D-man : Ceci (22 y/o, 75 GP)
9 Forwards : Stone (23 y/o, 75 GP), Zibanejad (22 y/o, 81 GP), Pageau (23 y/o, 82 GP), Lazar (20 y/o, 76 GP), Prince (23 y/o, 42 GP), Dzingel (23 y/o, 30 GP), Puempel (23 y/o, 26 GP), Paul (20 y/o, 24 GP), McCormick (23 y/o, 20 GP)
2016-17 (Total : 6)
2 D-men : Ceci (23 y/o, 79 GP), Claesson (24 y/o, 33 GP)
4 Forwards : Stone (24 y/o, 71 GP), Pageau (24 y/o, 82 GP), Dzingel (24 y/o, 81 GP), Lazar (21 y/o, 33 GP)
2017-18 (Total : 5)
3 D-men : Chabot (21 y/o, 63 GP), Ceci (24 y/o, 82 GP), Harpur (23 y/o, 41 GP)
2 Forwards : White (21 y/o, 21 GP), Chlapik (20 y/o, 20 GP)
2018-19 (Total : 12)
5 D-men : Chabot (22 y/o, 70 GP), Jaros (22 y/o, 61), Lajoie (21 y/o, 56) Wolanin (23 y/o, 30), Harpur (24 y/o, 51 GP)
7 Forwards : Tkachuk (19 y/o, 71 GP), White (22 y/o, 71 GP), Tierney (24 y/o, 81 GP), Balcers (21 y/o, 36 GP), Duclair (23 y/o, 21 GP), Batherson (20 y/o, 20 GP), Paul (23 y/o, 20 GP)
2019-20 (Total : 11)
3 D-men : Chabot (23 y/o, 71 GP), Brannstrom (20 y/o, 31 GP), Englund (24 y/o, 24 GP)
8 Forwards : Tkachuk (20 y/o, 71 GP), Duclair (24 y/o, 66 GP), White (23 y/o, 61 GP), Paul (24 y/o, 56 GP), Batherson (21 y/o, 23 GP), Brown (21 y/o, 23 GP), Chlapik (22 y/o, 31 GP), Beaudin (22 y/o, 22 GP)
2020-21 (Total : 6 so far)
1 D-man : Chabot (24 y/o, ??? GP)
5 Forwards : Tkachuk (21 y/o, ??? GP), Batherson (22 y/o, ??? GP), Norris (21 y/o, ??? GP), Stutzle (19 y/o, ??? GP), White (24 y/o, ??? GP)
Can we stop referring to the current team as a "young team" until there's at least several more young players? It's a veteran NHL team with a few VERY GOOD young players (2 lotto picks, 2 mid 1st round picks that developed well and a later round pick gem). Look at most NHL teams and how they are built. It's pretty much the same with several teams having more u-25 players and a few teams having less.
When Dorion took the team in 2016, you could see that suddenly there was less "young players" on the roster. After the terrible downfall of 2017-18, it looked like we were going to give a lot of opportunities to the youth again in 2018-19 & 2019-20. But it looks like the plan really changed this year. IMO, this desire to win/compete is a bit PREMATURE. We'll see how that works out and a lot of things can change (injury bug?) before the end of the season but so far, outside of the "big 3" rookie forwards, it's not looking like a big opportunity year for young guys.
I'll remain hopeful about Pinto, Formenton, Sanderson and JBD making the team in the next 2 seasons after this one. Not sure what the plan is for Brannstrom and Logan Brown.
For fun, I took a quick look at Sens U-25 players every season during the last decade
Not listing u-25 players that didn't play at least 25% of the season, so with less than 20 GP (except for 2012-13 where it's 12 GP)
2011-12 (Total : 11)
4 D-men : Karlsson (21 y/o, 81 GP), Cowen (21 y/o, 82 GP), Rundblad (21 y/o, 24 GP), Lee (24 y/o, 35 GP)
7 Forwards : Turris (22 y/o, 49 GP), Foligno (24 y/o, 82 GP), Z. Smith (23 y/o, 81 GP), Daugavins (23 y/o, 65 GP), Butler (24 y/o, 56 GP), Da Costa (22 y/o, 22 GP), O'Brien (23 y/o, 28 GP)
2012-13 (Total : 13)
4 D-men : Karlsson (22 y/o, 17 GP), Cowen (22 y/o, * injured), Wiercioch (22 y/o, 42 GP), Gryba (24 y/o, 33 GP)
8 Forwards : Zibanejad (19 y/o, 42 GP), Turris (23 y/o, 48 GP), Silfverberg (22 y/o, 48 GP), Z. Smith (24 y/o, 48 GP), O'Brien (24 y/o, 29 GP), Daugavins (24 y/o, 19 GP), Conacher (23 y/o, 12 GP), Dziurzynski (23 y/o, 12 GP)
1 Goalie : Lehner (21 y/o, 12 GP)
2013-14 (Total : 11)
4 D-men : Karlsson (23 y/o, 82 GP), Wiercioch (23 y/o, 53 GP), Ceci (20 y/o, 49 GP), Cowen (23 y/o, 68 GP)
6 Forwards : Turris (24 y/o, 82 GP), Zibanejad (20 y/o, 69 GP), Hoffman (24 y/o, 25 GP), Pageau (21 y/o, 28 GP), Conacher (24 y/o, 60 GP), Grant (23 y/o, 20 GP) + (Stone 21 y/o, missing the cut with 19 GP)
1 Goalie : Lehner (22 y/o, 36 GP)
2014-15 (Total : 10)
4 D-men : Karlsson (24 y/o, 82 GP), Ceci (21 y/o, 81 GP), Wiercioch (24 y/o, 56 GP), Cowen (24 y/o, 54 GP)
5 Forwards : Stone (22 y/o, 80 GP), Zibanejad (21 y/o, 80 GP), Pageau (22 y/o, 50 GP), Lazar (19 y/o, 67 GP), Chiasson (24 y/o, 76 GP)
1 Goalie : Lehner (23 y/o, 25 GP)
2015-16 (Total : 10)
1 D-man : Ceci (22 y/o, 75 GP)
9 Forwards : Stone (23 y/o, 75 GP), Zibanejad (22 y/o, 81 GP), Pageau (23 y/o, 82 GP), Lazar (20 y/o, 76 GP), Prince (23 y/o, 42 GP), Dzingel (23 y/o, 30 GP), Puempel (23 y/o, 26 GP), Paul (20 y/o, 24 GP), McCormick (23 y/o, 20 GP)
2016-17 (Total : 6)
2 D-men : Ceci (23 y/o, 79 GP), Claesson (24 y/o, 33 GP)
4 Forwards : Stone (24 y/o, 71 GP), Pageau (24 y/o, 82 GP), Dzingel (24 y/o, 81 GP), Lazar (21 y/o, 33 GP)
2017-18 (Total : 5)
3 D-men : Chabot (21 y/o, 63 GP), Ceci (24 y/o, 82 GP), Harpur (23 y/o, 41 GP)
2 Forwards : White (21 y/o, 21 GP), Chlapik (20 y/o, 20 GP)
2018-19 (Total : 12)
5 D-men : Chabot (22 y/o, 70 GP), Jaros (22 y/o, 61), Lajoie (21 y/o, 56) Wolanin (23 y/o, 30), Harpur (24 y/o, 51 GP)
7 Forwards : Tkachuk (19 y/o, 71 GP), White (22 y/o, 71 GP), Tierney (24 y/o, 81 GP), Balcers (21 y/o, 36 GP), Duclair (23 y/o, 21 GP), Batherson (20 y/o, 20 GP), Paul (23 y/o, 20 GP)
2019-20 (Total : 11)
3 D-men : Chabot (23 y/o, 71 GP), Brannstrom (20 y/o, 31 GP), Englund (24 y/o, 24 GP)
8 Forwards : Tkachuk (20 y/o, 71 GP), Duclair (24 y/o, 66 GP), White (23 y/o, 61 GP), Paul (24 y/o, 56 GP), Batherson (21 y/o, 23 GP), Brown (21 y/o, 23 GP), Chlapik (22 y/o, 31 GP), Beaudin (22 y/o, 22 GP)
2020-21 (Total : 6 so far)
1 D-man : Chabot (24 y/o, ??? GP)
5 Forwards : Tkachuk (21 y/o, ??? GP), Batherson (22 y/o, ??? GP), Norris (21 y/o, ??? GP), Stutzle (19 y/o, ??? GP), White (24 y/o, ??? GP)
Can we stop referring to the current team as a "young team" until there's at least several more young players? It's a veteran NHL team with a few VERY GOOD young players (2 lotto picks, 2 mid 1st round picks that developed well and a later round pick gem). Look at most NHL teams and how they are built. It's pretty much the same with several teams having more u-25 players and a few teams having less.
When Dorion took the team in 2016, you could see that suddenly there was less "young players" on the roster. After the terrible downfall of 2017-18, it looked like we were going to give a lot of opportunities to the youth again in 2018-19 & 2019-20. But it looks like the plan really changed this year. IMO, this desire to win/compete is a bit PREMATURE. We'll see how that works out and a lot of things can change (injury bug?) before the end of the season but so far, outside of the "big 3" rookie forwards, it's not looking like a big opportunity year for young guys.
I'll remain hopeful about Pinto, Formenton, Sanderson and JBD making the team in the next 2 seasons after this one. Not sure what the plan is for Brannstrom and Logan Brown.
Last edited: