Which 1st Rounder to Forfeit?

[Bjornar Moxnes]

FFS just forfeit it.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

We better be going all-in if we're doing this.

 

[RyCam]

Well... Any team but the Bruins

The Bruins still have some extremely good(and still fairly young) players: Pasta, Swayman, Lindholm, McAvoy(who was injured for a good chunk of this season), Zacha, Geekie, and Boston is still a premiere destination for free agents, to write them off would be foolish.

 

[Senator Stanley]

More that he would keep because he has sketched out a deal with a team already re: Ullmark and Boston at last year's deadline

Perhaps. It's pretty early in the process for that, though.

We also have to remember that other teams might (and in my opinion, should) place more value on our unprotected 2026 first than 21st overall in 2025. If the goal is to trade a 1st for immediate help, you don't necessarily choose to keep 2025 and forfeit 2026.

 

[Sun God Nika]

Well... Any team but the Bruins

Bruins have money cap space and pasta McAvoy and swayman , I think they miss but the 100% COULD have a good year

 

[Hale The Villain]

Staois walked around the question but ended by saying "highly likely that we keep our pick."

Also, "we have good scouts".

I can live with keeping the 21st pick and using it on a high upside skill player, even if giving up an unprotected 1st in a better draft next year is a massive risk, but the problem is that we won't select a skilled player because WE DON'T HAVE GOOD SCOUTS.

I understand Staios is a nice guy and doesn't like to fire people, but my god man I don't know how much more you need to see.

Incredibly disappointing to hear him say that. The scouting staff is the biggest problem in this organization and they'll destroy all his good work if kept in place.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

I can live with keeping the 21st pick and using it on a high upside skill player, even if giving up an unprotected 1st in a better draft next year is a massive risk, but the problem is that we won't select a skilled player because WE DON'T HAVE GOOD SCOUTS.

I understand Staios is a nice guy and doesn't like to fire people, but my god man I don't know how much more you need to see.

Incredibly disappointing to hear him say that. The scouting staff is the biggest problem in this organization and they'll destroy all his good work if kept in place.

Which is why I'm ok with just trading the pick for immediate help.

Our scouts are probably in love with a projected 3rd liner at the draft and I have no desire to have a mediocre season with no draft pick to compensate it. Go all-in if you're going to do this shit.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

So now that we are here. Who are the actual realistic targets. Available at that spot and someone our scouts would lik

 

[Gil Gunderson]

So now that we are here. Who are the actual realistic targets. Available at that spot and someone our scouts would lik

Is there a way to sort the top 90 by PIM?

 

[Hale The Villain]

So now that we are here. Who are the actual realistic targets. Available at that spot and someone our scouts would lik

Jack Nesbitt: 74 PIMs in 64 games
Eric Nilson: 56 PIMs in 37 games
Cole McKinney: 55 PIMs in 55 games
Malcom Spence: 57 PIMs in 65 games
Vaclav Nestrasil: 51 PIMs in 61 games

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Jack Nesbitt: 74 PIMs in 64 games
Eric Nilson: 56 PIMs in 37 games
Cole McKinney: 55 PIMs in 55 games
Malcom Spence: 57 PIMs in 65 games
Vaclav Nestrasil: 51 PIMs in 61 games

Malcolm Spence at 21st overall is actually a good pick.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Jack Nesbitt: 74 PIMs in 64 games
Eric Nilson: 56 PIMs in 37 games
Cole McKinney: 55 PIMs in 55 games
Malcom Spence: 57 PIMs in 65 games
Vaclav Nestrasil: 51 PIMs in 61 games

Seems pretty low. Not sure why we're keeping the pick.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Is there a way to sort the top 90 by PIM?

I know you're joking but yes: Elite Prospects - NHL Draft Center

Don Boyd never drafted a player in the top 2 rounds with less PIMs than GP in his tenure as head scout in Columbus, and he just happened to take the guys with the most PIMs with our top picks last year in Yakemchuk and Eliasson, so it's legitimately something we should be looking at when examining potential Sens picks.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Malcolm Spence at 21st overall is actually a good pick.

Meh. Will be a solid 3rd liner, don't know if there's much potential beyond that.

We could do a lot worse, but still we don't need more 3rd liners, we need top end talent.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

I know you're joking but yes: Elite Prospects - NHL Draft Center

Don Boyd has never drafted a player in the top 2 rounds with less PIMs than GP in his tenure as head scout in Columbus, and he just happened to take the guys with the most PIMs with our top picks last year in Yakemchuk and Eliasson, so it's legitimately something we should be looking at when examining potential Sens picks.

Yeah, Don Boyd genuinely sucks. Not sure why we have him as our f***ing head scout. Such a drag on the organization.

 

[bicboi64]

Meh. Will be a solid 3rd liner, don't know if there's much potential beyond that.

We could do a lot worse, but still we don't need more 3rd liners, we need top end talent.

Then again, how often is top end talent available at 21? Easier to draft that earlier on in the draft, but at 20, the crapshoot starts.

Having said that, focusing on prospects offensive production over their PIM, and even considering someone below 6ft2 would be a good start.

I'd love for them to draft a skilled guy like Ryabkin or Reschny

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Meh. Will be a solid 3rd liner, don't know if there's much potential beyond that.

We could do a lot worse, but still we don't need more 3rd liners, we need top end talent.

That's a lot of this draft. Doesn't seem like there is much upside in general.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Staois walked around the question but ended by saying "highly likely that we keep our pick."

Also, "we have good scouts".

I think its risky. We could be a bubble team again and it doesn't take that much to miss and thus give Vegas a lottery chance
The 2026 draft is supposed to be stronger
We have good scouts. They talk a lot about areas to improve but they don't mention scouting. Scouting is an area to improve and we probably have some good scouts.

Keeping 21 this year .. very hard to predict but if I had to bet we would be passing on anyone 5'10 or under regardless of how good they look and how they play.
They will project a bigger player to grow into a better player even if they have not been up to now.

Staios said I know what we are going to do but I am not going to share it followed by its highly likely that we keep our pick.
Keep it to select a player? or use in a trade ?

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

I think its risky. We could be a bubble team again and it doesn't take that much to miss and thus give Vegas a lottery chance
The 2026 draft is supposed to be stronger
We have good scouts. They talk a lot about areas to improve but they don't mention scouting. Scouting is an area to improve and we probably have some good scouts.

Keeping 21 this year .. very hard to predict but if I had to bet we would be passing on anyone 5'10 or under regardless of how good they look and how they play.
They will project a bigger player to grow into a better player.

Staios said I know what we are going to do but I am not going to share it followed by its highly likely that we keep our pick.
Keep it to select a player? or use in a trade ?

Vegas doesn't get the pick.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Then again, how often is top end talent available at 21? Easier to draft that earlier on in the draft, but at 20, the crapshoot starts.

Having said that, focusing on prospects offensive production over their PIM, and even considering someone below 6ft2 would be a good start.

I'd love for them to draft a skilled guy like Ryabkin or Reschny

If the consensus rankings are to be believed, there's a decent chance Kindel and/or Reshny are available at 21.

Both have high-end IQ and skill and clearly project as top 6 players if they make it, with an outside shot at being stars if they can improve their skating and bulk up.

We've drafted for nothing but size and toughness for 4 years now. Badly need to introduce some skill and smarts to the pipeline.

 

[Norris4Norris]

I love this team but next year playoffs are not guaranteed.

Injuries can happen and others teams can get better. I still think we make the playoffs, but we have a long history of not doing that. Why in the world are we not forfeiting this years pick for a potentially better pick in next years better draft class?

Another problem I have is how bad our scouting has been. Many people have pointed this out. Staios has been a good GM so far. Does he not have enough experience in this league to hire the right people for the job and to recognize that our record of drafting has been subpar. How can we make smart decisions and get a diamond in the rough in the 2nd or 3rd round when we perennially waste our first rounder for a projected 2nd rounder who ends up not making it in the NHL.

Size isn't everything should be the motto here.

 

[Masked]

You dont know the bolded and there is already a precedent. As well as common sense that can be applied here.

The precedent was a very gray area where New Jersey got punished for a contract that was deemed cap circumvention. That sort of offence has a dispute mechanism built into the CBA.

The Senators clearly broke the rules for claiming a NTC was not in place when it was. What can Ottawa appeal based upon? The facts are pretty clear. The NHL did the same thing to the Coyotes when they were testing draft prospects during a period they weren't allowed.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

If the consensus rankings are to be believed, there's a decent chance Kindel and/or Reshny are available at 21.

Both have high-end IQ and skill and clearly project as top 6 players if they make it, with an outside shot at being stars if they can improve their skating and bulk up.

We've drafted for nothing but size and toughness for 4 years now. Badly need to introduce some skill and smarts to the pipeline.

Don't hold your breath

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Vegas doesn't get the pick.

They could trade our pick to Vegas for a B prospect and our pick next year ?
or formulate a trade to get a prospect and retain our pick next year. Not sure what it would look like

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Honestly, really happy with this decision.

No doubt the 2026 Draft is deeper, but our prospect pool is in crisis mode.

2021 Draft - finished bottom 10 in the NHL, only pick that played in the NHL is Ostapchuk, who is no longer with the organization
2022 Draft - finished bottom 10 in the NHL, no picks that have played NHL games yet (Hamara, Halliday and Donovan could be guys that do)
2023 Draft - finished bottom 12 in the NHL, no picks that have played NHL games yet (we did not pick until Round 4)
2024 Draft - finished bottom 10 in the NHL, Carter Yakemchuk (others are too early to tell)

We need to do serious damage control from trading our 2022 and 2023 1st round pick (as well as almost every pick in the 2023 Draft), as well as absolutely butchering the 2021 Draft.

We went to the ECF in 2017 and bottomed out in 2018. We did a great job at coming away with Tkachuk, Stutzle and Sanderson in 2018 and 2020, as well as adding in Kleven, Greig and Meralainen in 2020. But, my goodness, we were a shitty team for so many years, and traded away almost as many high picks as we ended up drafting. The 2026 Draft pick might be a higher pick, it might be a deeper draft, but I don't think we can afford to not pick in the first round this year. Next years pick will come with an extra year of development time.