The days of waiting until June for the NHL draft is over for Sens fans. The team has had some hiccups in the early going, but they’re a markedly improved roster from this time last year.
Most of their top end prospects have graduated to the NHL by now, but that’s not to say they aren’t refilling the cupboard for the future. With that said, here is the monthly prospect report following the month of October. We will head all the way to Europe, which seems to be a much more common place for Ottawa’s prospects to reside these days.
KHL:
Yes, technically Vitaly Abramov is still a prospect in my books at 24 years of age. He was once a prospect that had some promise, but it’s possible it was blind optimism. Right now, he is playing for CSKA Moskva and producing decent numbers. For the year he currently has 11pts (8G, 3A) in 24 games played.
Liiga:
As the only prospect playing in the Finnish Elite League, Leevi Merilainen has been a brick wall. Scoring is never super high in the Liiga, but his performance has still been great despite his shaky September. He has taken a hold of the starter spot for Karpat, with a .934 save percentage this month. He will continue to battle it out with fellow 2020 draft pick Joel Blomqvist for more starts as the season wears on.
Sweden:
It felt like as Daniel Alfredsson was winding down his career, the Sens were always selecting Swedish players in the NHL draft. But from 2014-2020, they bucked that trend by only picking 4 players from Sweden across 7 drafts. But in 2021 and 2022, they managed to select 5.
The most notable out of the 5 is Oskar Pettersson, a 3rd round pick in 2022. In his draft +1 year, Pettersson has shown his goal scoring ability. He leads the Rogle J-20 team in points with 18, including 10 goals in 15 games. He was called up for 2 games in the SHL but played 2 minutes. Expect Pettersson to play the year out in the J20 league, then make his way up to the pros next season.
Oliver Johansson continues to be a fascinating prospect, because not much is known about him. By all accounts, he impressed at development camp this past summer. He was also very good last year in the J20 league, with 41 points in 33 games. But this year, he has been playing all over the place. He started out in the J-20 league with 5 points in 4 games, then got called up to the SHL for 6 games but saw very little playing time. Now he’s in the AllSvenskan where he is playing a little more, hovering around 10 minutes a night. But in that time, he has 0 points in 7 games.
When Kevin Reidler was drafted in the 5th round this year, he was seen as a project. He was a 6’6 goaltender who was born 11 days before the cutoff date for the 2023 draft. And this year, he is showing why the Sens will not need him for some time. AIK (also in the J20 league) is Reidler’s team and they have a 2-7-1 record, but the .887 save percentage also sticks out.
Filip Nordberg has most likely moved on from the J20 league onto the AllSvenskan as an 18-year-old defenseman. He isn’t going to wow you with offensive numbers, but there’s potential with this player. 1 assist and a +2 rating through 8 games is a solid start for his pro career.
USHL:
Cameron O’Neill continues his steady progression in the USHL. He’s currently second in scoring with 7 points in 8 games. O’Neill plays for the Tri-City Storm, who haven’t scored a lot of goals (for a junior level) with 28 in 9 games. The Storm are also tied for second last in the league. So, considering the teams’ start, O’Neill has had a pleasant debut on the year.
Much like Filip Nordberg, Theo Wallberg plays a safe and sound game. Instead of staying in the J20 league for his draft +1 year, Wallberg decided to play for the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL. While getting accustomed to the North American ice, he’s been everything scouts have expected. With 2 points in 8 games, he’s not going to wow you with his scoring prowess. But his +3 rating is first on the team, and I would expect his offense to come mid-way through the season.
NCAA:
While he might be a 20-year old freshman, Stephen Halliday has done very well for Ohio State. His 10 points in 10 games is tied for first in scoring for the Buckeyes. 7 of those points are assists, showing why he was picked in the 2022 NHL draft despite being an over-age player. Ohio State is a fantastic team, with a 7-2 record so expect this scoring pace to continue.
In his fourth year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Luke Loheits’ responsibility and production has improved. He’s now an assistant captain and is one of the Senators’ older prospects at 22 years of age. His 4 points in 8 games is a decent start, but time is running out for Loheit. If he wants to earn a contract from the Sens, he must continue this production.
Much like Loheit, defenseman Johnny Tychonick is also running out of time. He was a 2nd round pick in 2018 by the Sens but has been passed on the depth chart for years. 4 points in 8 games is an okay start but more should be expected from a 22-year-old. Even with his transfer to the University of Nebraska, his offensive production hasn’t increased. His organizational rights expire this summer, and it will be interesting to see if he gets a contract or an Amateur Try out with the Belleville Senators.
Despite Jakov Novak being 24, his rights still belong to the Ottawa Senators. He’s also in his final season in the NCAA, playing for Northeastern University. Like Loheit, he’s an assistant captain with similar offensive production. 3 goals in 8 games is what he produced in the month of October.
Originally, Tyson Dyck was supposed to transfer to the USHL this season. There must have been a late change, because he was a surprise addition to UMass. His 3 points in 7 games as an 18-year-old shows he’s a player to watch this year. As a 2022 7th round pick, he certainly could be a steal down the line.
And finally, we finish this list off with defenseman Tyler Kleven. While Kleven was a steady force for North Dakota in his first two NCAA seasons, this one seems a little off. While he was never known for his offensive game, 0 points in 7 games is surprising for a player of his caliber. As a junior gaining more responsibility, his team worst -7 rating is a surprising stat. Kleven had a +27 through 60 career games before this season, so let’s see where he goes from here.
WHL:
Fresh off of a World Junior appearance, Zach Ostapchuk enters the season as the captain of the Vancouver Giants. In his final year of junior, Ostapchuk should see his best offensive output yet. His leadership and physicality are both traits that could make him an effective bottom six player at the NHL level. His 9 points in 8 games is a good start, which shows he’s not just a big body.
While the Prince Albert Raiders have had a tough start (3-9-0) to the season, Carson Latimer is doing his best to snap them out of it. His 8 points in 11 games has been a pleasant surprise, considering he’s not projected to be a huge scorer in the pros. His speed and penalty killing will be valuable assets if he wants to make it to the big leagues. I’d expect him to have around a point per game season this year.
OHL:
The Ottawa 67’s are off to a great start to the season, with a 10-1 record. Tyler Boucher is playing a key role, with 10 points (7 goals) in 9 games. While it’s not domination, it’s assuring to note that Boucher is getting reps. Injuries have been a big storyline the past two seasons, and Boucher is putting that to rest so far. If he wants to instill confidence in fans, this production needs to continue.
Tomas Hamara was regarded as the most popular 2022 draft pick among fans. Hamara has made the transition from junior in Finland to Kitchener of the OHL and has fared pretty well. His 6 points in 9 games is what was expected. His transition game is his calling card, and is moving pucks well with his new club.
Jorian Donovan is a defenseman that I would keep an eye on this year. Last year, he was pushed down the lineup and was even healthy scratched at times. But the Hamilton Bulldogs were a top team, and since then have lost a ton of top players. Now Donovan will have much more responsibility on the backend. He has 4 points in his first 8 games, and I would expect him to score around this pace for the year.
2021 2nd round pick Ben Roger is now entering his final season as a junior player. When the Senators picked him in the 2nd round, it came as a surprise to many. He’s 6’4 and shoots right possessing an NHL frame, so I would expect him to sign at the end of the season. But for now, his 2 points in 8 games is where we thought he would be.
When Chandler Romeo was picked in 2021, it was clear they were selecting a project. He was a late birthday and was 6’5, so there was something to work with. He’s a defensive defenseman, but like Roger doesn’t have an entry level contract right now. Romeo has 2 points in 12 games with a -4 rating.
-Damian Smith
Twitter: @Damian__Smith
Photo: Tony Webster. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.