The NHL and the Ottawa Senators were impacted greatly by the global pandemic, and the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and the subsequent picks were no exception. That is to say that one integral aspect of the draft that was not impacted was talent. The Ottawa Senators really were a beneficiary of that fact. Here we look at what made the draft so special, and the time leading up to it so vitally important.
A Review of the 2020 Draft for the Ottawa Senators and Their Picks
The 2020 draft and the selections made with the picks were magical for the Ottawa Senators. Conversely, the preparation, whether knowingly or not from General Manager Pierre Dorion, started years earlier. The most notable of potential starting points occurred in 2017. The success of that year’s team meant that the core group of players could demand big money contracts, and deservingly so.
The Impact of the 2017 Epic Playoff Run
The 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs ended as the Pittsburgh Penguins reclaimed their crown. However, Senator fans will proudly boast about the epic battle their team brought forth. It truly was a battle for the ages. The Ottawa Senators pushed the mighty Sidney Crosby-led Penguins to seven games in the Eastern Conference Final Series. What’s more impressive, the game went into double overtime. All the Senators played hard, especially Erik Karlsson, Clarke MacArthur, and goaltender Craig Anderson. If it were not for the heroics of the Penguins Chris Kunitz, who knows how it would have played out. In the end, it was not meant to be for the Ottawa Senators. The organization did try to keep the group together for the next season to see if they could re-capture the lightning in a bottle. It was not to be. Ottawa finished second last that year in the Eastern Conference.
The Infamous Erik Karlsson Trade That Kickstarted the Rebuild
The major moves started before the kickstart of the 2018-19 campaign. On September 13, 2018, most Sens fans will remember the news. Franchise defenceman Erik Karlsson was traded to the San Jose Sharks. Now, it was beneficial to the Sharks, as they would go on to the Western Conference Finals. Only to lose to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues. In contrast, this trade re-shaped the Ottawa Senators, and it all revolves around the 2020 draft. The Sens received three players in return for Karlsson: Dylan DeMelo, Chris Tierney, and Rudolfs Balcers. They also picked up a prospect and a pick. The prospect was none other than Joshua Norris. He had been the 19th overall selection in the 2017 draft to the Sharks. Next, the draft pick was a 2020 first-rounder. So, the tone was beginning to be set.
The Other Big Moves by Dorion
The moves continued throughout 2018-19. Later in the year, the Senators dealt Mark Stone to the Vegas Golden Knights. The thinking was the $9.5M Stone would eventually take, would be too rich for the Senators blood. Furthermore, this was well advertised as an organization on the rebuild. At this point, other key members of their recent team, such as Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel had been moved. Therefore, it was the consensus that anybody could be moved, especially if it meant picks or prospects coming back.
Eventually, around the trade deadline of 2020, Jean-Gabriel Pageau was swapped to the New York Islanders. The Senators received a 2020 second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in 2022. This conditional pick was converted to a first-round pick in 2020 if the Islanders were below the top-three picks in the draft, which they were. Sometimes conditional picks end up lopsided one way or another, this being a prime example.
The Sens still had their own selection as well, which with a poor 2019-20, they knew would be decent. Also, they had made more trades to stock up their second round as well. The 44th overall pick came from the Toronto Maple Leafs trade on October 7, 2020, which had swapped picks with them and the Islanders. Additionally, the 61st spot came from Vegas which was originally with the Dallas Stars. If one would think the stars weren’t aligned for the Senators, you would be fooling yourself.
Time for the 2020 Draft
If we can set the tone for the 2020 draft, the knowledge was league-wide that the Ottawa Senators entered the draft with 13 picks. Yes, an unheralded 13. If not noteworthy, then I don’t know what is. After some Dorion making moves, they ended up with 10. Most notable, and memorable, however, was the Canadian Icon, longtime Jeopardy Alex Trebek’s appearance. Appearing via video feed from the Jeopardy studios, Trebek made their third overall selection. That pick is none other than the Superstar German, Tim Stützle. Furthermore, the Senators would use the fifth overall pick for University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks defenceman, 2022-23 NHL rookie, Jake Sanderson. In just one season with the big club, he looks to be a difference-maker.
The Best of the Rest
The Senators had several big picks from later on as well. The converted first-round pick from the Jean-Gabriel Pageau trade ended up a Ridly Greig. The 20-year-old made his debut in 2022-23 with Ottawa and contributed nine points in 20 games. In addition, there were other important selections (and their respective overall pick spot), in Tyler Kleven (44th), Egor Sokolov (61st), and Leevi Merilainen (71st). All three will likely start in Belleville for the upcoming season, but look for the three to garner attention for a shot with the big club as the season progresses.
One more player we have not mentioned was the 33rd overall pick. Roby Jarventie, of Koovee (Mestis). Today, Jarventie is still only just ahead of his 21st birthday. He is a big guy, at 6’2” and 214 lbs. He is offensive-minded and has good vision in the O-zone. In 2022-23 he was successful in scoring at a 0.75 PPG pace for the Belleville Senators at the AHL level. It will be interesting to see if his abilities translate to the NHL and whether he gets a strong look for the 2023-24 Ottawa Senator roster.
Well so far, the 2020 draft has been paying more than basic dividends for the Ottawa Senators. The top two picks, Stutzle and Sanderson, have proven to be dynamic NHL players. The true depth of the success of the draft, may very well yet to be determined. However, it is looking optimistic. Only time will tell.
Main Photo: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
