While four Senators prospects continue to participate in the World Juniors, let’s not forget the rest of them outside the Senators organization. This will be my monthly prospect report for each and every prospect playing outside the Senators organization. We’ll start off in the KHL:
Russia (KHL)
Vitaly Abramov: 24-year-old Vitaly Abramov has yet to play in December since getting injured in late November. He currently has 14 points in 34 games for CSKA Moskva
Sweden (SHL, AllSvenkan, J20 League)
Oliver Johansson: Johansson is continuing to find consistency at the pro level. It’s clear he’s too good for the J20 league over in Sweden and is on one of the stronger teams (IF Bjorkloven) in the AllSvenskan. He has 6 points in 21 games at the moment.
Filip Nordberg: Like Johansson, Nordberg is also getting used to being a full time pro in the AllSvenskan. He started off in the J20 league as the Sodertalje SK captain, but then was called up and has been there ever since. While the stats won’t wow you, that’s not Nordberg’s game. He has 4 points in 22 games, is a +3 and has only 6 penalty minutes.
Oskar Pettersson: While he’s currently playing at the World Juniors, he also recently made the jump from the J20 league to the pros. This time though, it’s in the SHL, the top Swedish league. He’s not getting a ton of ice time, but rarely does an 18-year-old player crack a roster in this league. This month, he had 2 points in 5 SHL games.
Kevin Reidler: The first couple of months were a challenge for Reidler as he became the starter for AIK in the J20 league. He was hovering around an .890 save percentage until recently, where he sits at a .907. He’s in the middle of the pack for goaltenders right now but seems to be getting the ball rolling.
Finland (Liiga)
Leevi Merilainen: Merilainen is one of the most divisive prospects in the Senators system. He struggled last year in the OHL, but he has done very well this year with a .921 save percentage in the Liiga. Considering this is the top men’s league in Finland, I’d take this play anytime of the week.
United States (NCAA, USHL)
Tyson Dyck: Dyck started off strong with 5 points in his first 7 games for UMass but has cooled down over the past few months. He’s gone pointless in his last five. In fact, he hasn’t played a game since November 18th, but that’s mostly due to school scheduling. Look for Dyck to get back running in the new year.
Stephen Halliday: Stephen Halliday ended his month on a high note, with 4 points in his last 4 games. The Ohio State freshman is now up to 17 points in 20 games. While he may be an older freshman at 20 years of age, I’d expect Halliday to continue this pace throughout the season.
Tyler Kleven: As Klevens’ responsibility grows at North Dakota, his offensive production does as well. He had a slow start with 0 points in his first 8 games. But since then, he’s had 7 in his last 10. If everything goes according to plan, I’d expect Kleven to sign with the Senators when his season is over.
Luke Loheit: With 7 points in 16 games, Loheit has now set a career high in points for Minnesota-Duluth. On December 3rd, he recorded 3 assists against Colorado College. He was never drafted to be an offensive dynamo, but we’ll see if he ultimately lands an NHL contract or an amateur tryout with the club.
Jakov Novak: Since transferring over from Bentley University to Northeastern, Novaks’ production has decreased slightly. In his final year of eligibility, he has 5 points in 19 games played. In December, he mustered only 1 assist in 4 games.
Johnny Tychonick: Being a 2nd round pick from 2018, you would have expected Tychonick to sign his entry level contract with the Senators. However, Tychonick was always seen as an offensive defenseman. His offensive game never translated well from the BCHL to the NCAA, which shot him down prospect rankings. But in his final year of NCAA eligibility, Tychonick is playing a key role for Omaha. In December, Tychonick recorded 3 points in 5 games. And this season, he sits at a career high 14 points in 19 games.
Cameron O’Neill: While he got off to a good start, O’Neill has slowed down of late. His 1 point in 6 December games place him at 14 points in 23 games for the Tri-City Storm. For a player that has great offensive tools, you’d expect him to increase his production.
Theo Wallberg: For a 6th round pick, Wallberg has done everything that’s been expected of him. His offensive numbers won’t jump off the page with 9 points in 24 games, but it doesn’t seem like there are any glaring holes to his game. He is a team leading +10 on one of the weaker teams in the league. He also happens to be 6”5, which is an added bonus.
CHL (OHL, WHL)
Tyler Boucher: I’m happy Boucher has gotten his reps in this year, including a current World Juniors run for Team USA. But in 17 OHL games, he has just 15 points. Regardless of where he was drafted, a player turning 20 this month ideally should be scoring a little more. However, Boucher has been quite consistent when it comes to scoring. He has points in 12/17 games which means he finds ways to contribute on any given night. That is a professional trait.
Jorian Donovan: Donovan may be the most improved player from the Senators 2022 draft class. With a more important role with the Hamilton Bulldogs this year, we’ve seen his offense reach new heights. While he’s “cooled down” in December, the 5th round pick is still producing with 9 points in his last 12 games. There are only 10 defensemen in the OHL that are out scoring Donovan today. He now sits at 26 points in 30 games.
Tomas Hamara: Since switching from the Liiga to the OHL, Hamara has had his struggles transitioning. While his -13 in 24 games is still something that sticks out, 11 points seems a little low for a player of his calibre. He isn’t known as a massive point producer, rather a smooth puck moving defenseman. He’s now playing for team Czechia in the World Juniors so let’s see if he comes back to Kitchener with some renewed confidence.
Zach Ostapchuk: This is a player that is developing quite nicely. He doesn’t have an incredibly high ceiling, but he’s a big body with some skill that will give him a great chance to make the NHL one day. In his final season playing for the Vancouver Giants, Ostapchuk has 29 points in 21 games as team captain. This great play earned him a spot on the World Junior squad for Team Canada. In December, he had 5 assists in 3 games played.
Carson Latimer: While Latimer is a prospect that doesn’t have an entry level contract just yet, I would fully expect him to get one this season. His 28 points in 31 games is nothing eye popping, but everything about Latimer screams fourth line penalty killer. He’s a fast winger that is always going to give it 100%. Just a couple of days ago, he was traded to the Winnipeg Ice in hopes of chasing a league title and Memorial Cup.
Ben Roger: Roger remains one of the quieter prospects in the Senators system. He was drafted later in the 2021 2nd round because he’s a 6’4 right shot defenseman. He has the tools to become an effective third pair defenseman one day, but he will have to play with a puck mover. 6 points in 23 OHL games as a 20-year-old is nothing too convincing. Despite being a fairly high draft pick, he still doesn’t have a contract.
Chandler Romeo: Like Roger, Romeo isn’t known for his offensive game. His 5 points in 22 games are expected. We’ll see if the 2021 7th round pick signs his entry level contract this summer.
-Damian Smith
Twitter: @Damian__Smith
Photo: Flibirigit. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.