After playing 48 of 82 regular-season games, the Ottawa Senators are 17-23-8, sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference and 28th in the NHL. With playoffs not being a possibility this season, the team will look to the 2020 draft in June and free agency to continue their rebuild.
Over the last few drafts, the Ottawa Senators have signed new players to help them succeed in the future, and this year was a critical step in their development. With a current cap space of $16.5- million, a projected cap space of $6.3-million, and 11 picks in the 2020 draft, they have the space to restructure the team. In the first round specifically, they have their own pick and another received from San Jose from the Erik Karlsson deal. In a star-studded draft, particularly the first round, the Senators owning two potential top five lottery picks is huge.
Looking at their current roster, the majority of their prospects have some NHL ice time, helping them gain confidence and understand what it takes to play at the highest level. Their young roster players have also received many minutes of ice time, however, they still need more work and pieces before they contend for the Stanley Cup again.
On offence, the Senators have a wealth of talented youth, such as Brady Tkachuk (20), Colin White (22), Nick Paul (24), Filip Chlapik (22) and Anthony Duclair (24) who are all learning from veterans like Jean Gabriel Pageau (27), Mikkel Boedker (30) and Marian Gaborik (37). Duclair, Pageau, and Tkachuk lead the Senators in points scored with 33, 31 and 27 respectively. Connor Brown is also there, tied with Pageau at 31.
In prior drafts, they acquired many young skilled defensemen such as Thomas Chabot (22), Dylan Demelo (26), and Christian Wolanin (24) who are all being mentored by seasoned veterans like Mark Borowiecki (30), Ron Hainsey (38) and Nikita Zaitsev (28). Some of these youngsters are seeing a significant improvement since last season, with more points and a higher plus-minus average. Last season, Chabot totaled 55 points, he already has 27 halfway through the season and he has proven that he scores in bunches. Last year Dylan Demelo had a -1 plus-minus and this year he has played many more minutes with a +6 plus-minus.
The Senators also have several talented prospects playing for their farm team in Belleville, Ont., including right-winger Drake Batherson (21), Erik Brännström (20) and Lassi Thomson (19) on defense, centerman Logan Brown (21), and left-winger Alex Formenton (20) among others. These players, with a few more years of development in the minors and working with veterans in the NHL, will be the future of the team.
Though they have slightly improved their offence and defence from last season, they still have lots of work to do in both respects to be considered elite.
Head coach D.J. Smith has slightly improved the team defensively both in man and in zone coverage. Last year, defence was a huge problem and they gave up a league-worst 302 goals. This year, more than halfway through the season they have given up 163 goals, which is currently the sixth-worst in the NHL. There has been a small improvement, but goals against is still a major problem that needs to be fixed through the draft and free agency.
Despite the high goals against average, they are increasing their time of possession and spending more time in the neutral and attacking zone than in their defensive end compared to last season. It’s not a top 10 defense, but it’s getting there. Their new schemes seem to be working.
Another aspect of the Senators’ game that is continuing to slightly improve is their ability to score. Last year, their offence was mediocre: they scored 242 goals, near the bottom of the league. This year they have 130 and are projected to score 250, only a slight improvement. Ottawa has also won about 50.6 per cent of its face-offs, which is in the middle of the pack in the NHL and their time of possession is also relatively average. So their offense needs a boost.
However, the Senators’ biggest problem is their special teams units. Ottawa is dead-last in the league in power-play percentage, with only 18 power-play goals on 147 chances, clicking at just a mere 12.2 per cent efficiency. Their penalty kill is not much better either, sitting 15th-best in the league. However, they have scored eight shorthanded goals, tied for second-best in the NHL and only gave up five shorthanded goals on 159 opposing power plays, a light in an otherwise dark void.
If the Senators get one or even two, top five picks in the draft, they’ll acquire some of the top prospects who can help them out immensely with offence, defence, and special teams.
Here are some players the Senators could sign next season.
Alexis Lafreniere is a dominant left winger for the Rimouski Océanic who can shoot, score, and set up plays. His six-foot-one, 196-pound frame helps him win physical battles, but doesn’t slow him down. He is great in the face off dot, a great two-way forward and is a weapon on the power-play given his speed. He leads the QMJHL in scoring with 24 goals, 57 assists, and 81 points. According to the NHL’s website, Lafreniere is the consensus first overall pick.
Quinton Byfield is a speedy center for the Sudbury Wolves who has amazing stick-handling abilities, a really hard shot and is a lethal scorer. He is a force in the face off circle and contributes on special teams. He is seventh in OHL scoring and is projected to go second overall.
Frölunda HC winger Lucas Raymond is exceptionally skilled with a high hockey IQ, especially under pressure. He can finish plays just as well as he can create them. He is creative in transition and uses his speed to juke around defenders with ease.
Cole Perfetti is a center and left-winger for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL. He possesses excellent hands and is a skilled passer and playmaker. He has good vision and a deadly shot. His defensive abilities and smart play on the power-play will help out a team.
In the later rounds, they can look for some more defensive prospects to add to their defensive depth like Jamie Drysdale, Alec Bélanger, and William Wallinder. They might also draft a franchise goalie too, like Yaroslav Askarov, Nico Daws or Joel Hofer.
With their new top forwards and draft picks on inexpensive rookie contracts, and their three youngest defensemen Chabot, Demelo, and Wolanin each receiving an annual salary against the cap of less than $1-million on their rookie deals, it really helps the Senators afford to bring back key pieces of their team to mentor the new acquisitions. With the money that is left, the Senators can resign key veteran free agents like Pageau, Boedker, Duclair, Borowiecki, Chris Tierney and Logan Brown among others.
The process of a rebuild may be slow, and often takes longer than a season to complete, but with each passing season the Senators inch closer to becoming contenders again soon.
Feature image from file.
