It’s that time of year folks. Training camp for the Ottawa Senators is officially here. All of the players are in Ottawa, ready for a very exciting season. But one player remains unsigned. That’s of course, 23-year-old Alex Formenton.
Pierre Dorion previously said he expected Formenton to be signed by training camp, but with the Sens first preseason game slated for tomorrow, that’s obviously now out of the question. Is Formenton not signed because of the Hockey Canada investigation or because of contract negotiations? Hard to say, though there’s been ample speculation on the matter over the last few weeks. That being said, if he is indeed cleared of any involvement in the case, from a hockey standpoint Formenton is a valuable piece to this team. He’s a good penalty killer and has blazing speed. It’s no secret that his absence would be felt.
Tyler Motte was signed as a free agent recently, leading many to believe that he would be the logical choice for Formentons’ replacement for the season. However, Motte has scored at a 19-point per season pace over his first 269 games in the NHL. Ideally, he’d be placed on the 4th line. So, there should be a hole left on the third line left wing, to play with Shane Pinto and Mathieu Joseph. Here are 4 players that could compete for that spot.
Ridly Greig (LW/C)
The drawback: Greig seems to be the obvious replacement, but who knows how he fares against professional competition. He’s proven that he was too good for junior last year with 63 points in 39 WHL games. Now he’s going to be playing against men on a regular basis which should give a better indication of where his development is at. He has played 8 games in Belleville at least but likely needs a bigger sample size. For a 5’11” player, he’s listed as 163 pounds. Perhaps he would start off the season strong, but 82 games are a grind even for seasoned veterans, let alone a rookie with a slender frame whose game is predicated on throwing the body and getting to the greasy parts of the ice.
The argument: One day, Greig is going to thrive as a top 9 forward. He’s not only skilled but has the ability to play on any line. He has great passing ability, but also has a knack for goal scoring as well. Out of all the players on this list, he has the highest ceiling. And after his strong World Junior performance, he comes into camp with plenty of momentum. Greig could also help this line with faceoffs, as he played a fair deal of centre in junior. He didn’t wow anyone winning 48% of his draws, but could be used on the left faceoff dot, where Pinto (a right shot) can take draws on the other side.
Egor Sokolov
The drawback: It’s all about pace and skating for Sokolov. However, he’s been working to improve those attributes. By the sounds of it, Sokolov has been trimming down to help keep up with NHL skating. We all know he can score in the AHL; he has scored 75 points through his first 99 games. But unless you have elite hockey IQ, being a below average skater will always hold players back. We saw that this past year, where he played 8 games with the big club. His performance: very good along the boards, in front of the net and the slot. But it all comes down to skating as he struggled to keep up on rushes at times.
The argument: Over the past 2 seasons, Sokolov has been Belleville’s best forward. He’s probably not going to be a line driver in the NHL, but he has an underrated offensive skill set. He’s known as a goal scorer, but 31 of his 50 points this year were assists. Compared to the others on this list, Sokolov has the biggest size. He stands at 6’4”, with an NHL ready frame. The NHL physicality won’t be an issue for the 22-year-old.
Viktor Lodin
The drawback: Well, this is a player I would have never thrown in an NHL conversation even as recently as last summer. However, we are seeing the rise of Lodin. That doesn’t mean he has weaknesses to his game, though. By all accounts, it seems to be consistency and his compete level. When you look at the Ottawa Senators, they want a roster full of players with a high compete level. This is influenced by Head Coach DJ Smith. With ongoing skepticism of his ability to “not take any shifts off”, I wouldn’t expect DJ Smith to have him break camp with the team.
The argument: Lodin has an excellent skillset. While he can score goals, his playmaking is probably his strongest asset. Pinto and Joseph both have above average goal scoring abilities. And they are more likely to shoot than to pass. So having Lodin on the left side as the passer could create a nice offensive line. He has good size at 6’2” and transitioned very well from the SHL to North America last year. In his 10 games with Belleville, he recorded 8 points (including 5 goals). He is the oldest one on this list, so this could be one of his best chances to crack a top 9 spot. How long he’ll be on the shelf for after taking some bumps and bruises in the Rookie tournament however may ultimately make the coaches decision that much easier.
Angus Crookshank
The drawback: The jury is still out on Crookshank and his upside in the NHL. He was a 5th round pick in 2018 and has exceeded expectations for a player selected that late. Does he have top 6 potential? Probably not. Could he be a depth, or 4th liner one day? Probably. But can he play 14 minutes a night, playing shut down minutes after not playing for a year and half? Well, that’s what we’ll have to see, if he gets the opportunity. He will be 23 come opening night so like Lodin, there’s not a ton of runway left for him as a “prospect”.
The argument: Out of all players listed, I would say Crookshank is the most well rounded. He isn’t the biggest guy at 5’10” and 180 pounds, but there’s a lot more to his game. If Ridly Greig had an older brother who showed him how to be a hockey player, it would be Angus Crookshank. Earlier this year, Crookshank described his game as “gritty skill.” His compete level is second to none, but he can put up points as well. After signing his entry level contract in 2021, his transition from the NCAA to the AHL was about as smooth as they come. He completed that AHL year with 16 points in 19 games. His offensive instincts are solid, and his defensive game doesn’t have any glaring holes. But with his gritty style of play, one would expect Crookshank to play on a 4th line one day.
All 4 players bring different elements to the ice, and all are at different stages of their pro careers. Shane Pinto and Mathieu Joseph should be the line that handles most of the defensive matchups this year. So ideally, this player should do well in their own zone. And that is where I pick: Angus Crookshank. Out of all players, he’s the most responsible in all 3 zones and has a playing style that can complement Pinto and Joseph.
Is it possible Formenton signs a contract very soon? For sure. And because of the Sens acquisitions this off season, it’s almost certain all 4 of these players start the year in the AHL. But if there’s an injury to a forward in the top 9, look for one of these names to get the first call up.
-Damian Smith
Twitter: @Damian__Smith
Photo: Ken Lund. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.