If trade deadline rumours can be believed — and, hey, sometimes they’re true! — the Ottawa Senators may soon be adding pieces to their prospect pipeline.
Ottawa has made just nine total picks in each of the past two drafts and a pair of those players — 2017 first-rounder Shane Bowers and 2016 second-rounder Jonathan Dahlen — have since been traded. Clearly, the Sens could stand to bulk up the cupboard a bit.
But enough with the hypotheticals; all we can do is evaluate the players Ottawa does have in the system. Here, then, is a top-five ranking of Senators prospects.
(Editor’s note: For the moment, Sportsnet considers Colin White an NHL player. If he returns to the AHL ranks, he will go back in the prospect mix.)
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1. Logan Brown, 19, C, Kitchener Rangers
Drafted: First round, 11th overall, 2016
Season to date: 17GP | 15G | 15A | 30P | -1
After missing nearly a month with a knee injury sustained at the World Junior Championship, Brown finally debuted for Kitchener, which acquired him from the defending (and now rebuilding) Memorial Cup-champion Windsor Spitfires. The early results are delightful, with Brown posting two goals and six points in a pair of contests with the Rangers. Only two OHL players — Blues pick Jordan Kyrou and Kings prospect Gabe Vilardi — have a higher points-per-game mark than Brown’s 1.76.
“With Logan, it’s drive,” said a scout for a rival club. “He’s got all the tools; it’s how much he’s going to push himself. [But] people are going to be taking shots with big centres [who have] ability for a long time. You give him as much time as he needs to figure it out.”
2. Drake Batherson, 19, C, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
Drafted: Fourth round, 121st overall, 2017
Season to date: 33GP | 19G | 34A | 53P | +1
Like Brown, Batherson was moved at the CHL deadline and he’s posted 12 helpers — compared to two goals — in nine outings with the Armada. By now, most people are familiar with Batherson’s story as a fast-riser who was passed over entirely in the 2016 draft.
“I think if there was a bigger history with Batherson, he could be [No. 1 on this list],” said the scout.
3. Filip Chlapik, 20, C, Belleville Senators
Drafted: Second round, 48th overall, 2015
Season to date: 31GP | 6G | 10A | 16P | -11
Chlapik spent most of January with the big club, but was felled by a suspected concussion just before the all-star break and has subsequently been returned to the Baby Sens.
“He’s probably a better player when he goes up,” the scout said, noting Chlapik has an “NHL brain” and might find it harder to stand out in the messier AHL game.
Speaking of messes, Sens fans may be in danger of soiling themselves at this comparison: The scout believes Chlapik has things in common with this year’s NHL breakout scoring star, William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Their profiles would be similar; smart, real good hockey sense,” he said. “He’s going to be a guy coaches will trust and they’re going to give him every opportunity to develop that offensive side.”
That doesn’t mean 30 goals is just around the corner, though it’s certainly something to keep an eye on as the young Czech develops.
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4. Alex Formenton, 18, LW, London Knights
Drafted: Second round, 47th overall, 2017
Season to date: 28GP | 15G | 14A | 29P | +3
Here’s the thing; when a guy makes the team out of camp four months after he was anything but a top-five pick, expectations skyrocket. Formenton is a solid player with a great attitude and blazing speed; he’s virtually assured a decade-long NHL career. That said, his high-end potential might not be what people are imagining.
“The depth of his game, we’ll have to see,” said the scout.
5. Christian Jaros, 21, D, Belleville Senators
Drafted: Fifth round, 139th overall, 2015
Season to date: 31GP | 2G | 10A | 12P | -3
The rugged Jaros — who has not played since blocking a shot on Jan. 20 versus the Laval Rocket — presents an interesting question: “I’m still debating whether his hockey sense is not high or whether he’s just an aggressive kid who needs to tone it back,” said the scout.
Fellow young D-man Ben Harpur is a safer bet to carve out an NHL career in Ottawa, but Jaros carries a little more intrigue and that’s why he’s on this list.
REASON FOR OPTIMISM
Max Lajoie, 20, D, Belleville Senators
Drafted: Fifth round, 133rd overall, 2016
Season to date: 30GP | 0G | 7A | 7P | -9
Lajoie has been out of the lineup since being crunched into the boards on Jan. 19 in Laval. His speed, awareness and shot make him somebody to monitor long-term, even if he’s unrefined now.
“There are tools there you should [be patient] with,” said the scout. “He’s got a skill set that’s hard to find.”
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