Here we take a look at the Ottawa Senators top prospects ahead of training camp for the 2023-24 hockey season.
2023 Ottawa Senators Top Prospects
1.) Ridly Greig
The top prospect of the Ottawa Senators, Ridly Greig, is a player with an almost unending amount of energy. The 2020 first-round pick is involved in everything on the ice. He is a brilliant mix of skill in all three zones and pure grit. If there is a scrum, he is more than likely involved in it. While the saying “he plays the game the right way” is slightly overused at times, it does fit Greig’s style extremely well. He is high-energy, defensively responsible, and unfazed by physicality.
He is willing to go to the dirty areas to win and most of his points come from strong plays in front of the net. However, that isn’t to say that he possesses great offensive skills. He has strong skating and speed and uses it well to attack the defence. His playmaking and vision are also good and his overall IQ creates the separation needed to be impactful offensively. This strong overall game and presence from Greig was one of the reasons that he was able to play 20 games during the 2022-2023 NHL season, where he had 9 points. That performance last year was strong production for the prospect, who will be looking to become a full-time NHLer next season.
From a Senators point of view, Greig might be one of the key pieces for their future. Adding raw relentless physicality to a lineup with creative stars like Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk could be what takes the Senators back into the postseason after six seasons without it.
2.) Tyler Kleven
Another of the Ottawa Senators top prospects is Tyler Kleven, who is looking to crack the opening night roster on the blue line. Like Greig, Kleven is another player who was taken in the 2020 NHL draft, who last season got a taste of the NHL. After another strong season in the NCAA, he was able to get eight NHL games under his belt. Here he did admirably and even got two points to show for it. Now he is hoping that he is able to find a permanent spot on the NHL roster with a strong pre-season.
Kleven is a player who has all the tools to become a solid top-four defenceman in the NHL. His size is great and he uses it well to box out forwards in front of the net. His speed is also better than most 6’4″ defencemen. Mechanically he is a strong skater as well, making him a factor all over the ice. Offensively he has a powerful, although slightly underused shot, as he tends to prioritize his passing to create chances. The talent to be a dominant and big two-way top-four defenceman is there. The question is if he can continue to fine-tune his toolset to reach that potential.
3.) Jacob Bernard-Docker
One of the more well-known names in the Senators prospect pool is the 2018 26th overall pick, Jacob Bernard-Docker. Having been a highly regarded prospect for most of his career, it is disappointing that he is yet to fully crack into the NHL roster. However, for Bernard-Docker, this might be the year for the talented defender. In the past three seasons, he has managed more time in the NHL, with last year getting 19 games in total, and was rewarded with a two-year contract in the offseason. The contract isn’t glamorous or one that promises him a spot in the lineup, so he will have to earn it in pre-season.
The way for Bernard-Docker will be to find the form he had at the University of North Dakota, where his defensive responsible nature was combined with smart offensive passing. While he has been playing a fairly simple and sensible game in the NHL, the production has been non existent. Bernard-Docker does has a great hockey IQ, and is reliable defensively and on the penalty kill. He also moves the puck well and has fine skating, which he uses effectively with strong gap control. If Bernard-Docker can add some of the skating and puck movement to his offensive game in the NHL, he could be a player who finally breaks into the NHL after five long years.
4.) Zack Ostapchuk
Zack Ostapchuk is looking to make a strong impression this season as he enters the pro hockey scene. After another fine season in the WHL, where he even got traded midway through without a dip in production he is looking to show that he can translate his creative skillset to the next level. Ostapchuk has some of the best hands in the Senators prospect pools in terms of raw skill. They’re lightning-quick and create space for passing lanes or beat defenders cleanly on the rush.
Another strong asset to Ostapchuks development since the draft has been his maturing leadership. Being named captain of the Vancouver Giants seems to have made him a far better two-way player. He works well along the boards and with his great speed for his size, is a tough player to beat. The question will be if he can translate into the NHL to become more than a third-liner. If he can develop his shot and offensive awareness, so he doesn’t overly rely on his hands or speed like in the juniors, he could become a top-six player in the future.
5.) Roby Järventie
A player who has a lot of experience in pro hockey is the Finnish forward, Roby Järventie. Having played in the Finnish system, he was able to play against men before getting his chance with the Belleville Senators in the AHL. His development has steadily progressed in the right direction as he has improved year by year in the AHL. Last year he had 30 points in 40 games, with 16 of them being goals. He also had a wonderful World Juniors with Team Finland where he scored nine points in seven games.
It might sound a bit like a broken record, but Järventie is yet another Senators prospect with a great mix of size and speed. He is in many ways the prototype of what a modern-day power forward should be. Big, fearless, and with a brilliant shot and goalscoring ability. These are all tools that Järventie possesses. The main point of concern is his durability and the injuries he suffered so far. Last season he missed over 30 games in AHL and it will be interesting to see how he recovers. If he can continue his good development, he could be a player that gets a couple of NHL games throughout the season.
6.) Mads Søgaard
Mads Søgaard has put himself into a position where he currently is the front-runner as the future NHL starter of the Ottawa Senators. Despite the stats not being favourable towards the great Danes season, Søgaard did show signs of great development last season. During his NHL stint, his rebound control and calmness were far better than his first outing in the NHL. He also used his 6-foot-7 frame better but didn’t pull out a miracle run either.
It was a better showcase for the Danish netminder, but it wasn’t enough to help the Senators to a late playoff charge. In flashes he was great, and those flashes need to become a consistent showing for Søgaard. He is still a very young goalie and has years to fully grow his style and consistency. The upside is there and the development is trending in the right direction, but it might require a year or two before he is ready to take the step into the NHL permanently.
7.) Lassi Thomson
Lassi Thomson is one of the top prospects in the Ottawa Senators system. He is hoping to finally live up to his potential this upcoming season. Because there is no question there is a tonne of potential and talent in Thomson’s game. He is a puck moving and modern defender with brilliant skating and strong offensive playmaking and tools, which makes him an exciting player to watch. However, a mix of injuries and a lack of consistency has caused his stock to drop since his draft year.
When Thomson is on top of his game he is a fantastic player. He can dominate a game both offensively and defensively due to his great speed. Offensively he is confident and able to generate a large amount of chances due to his high offensive IQ. He sees the ice well and his playmaking is strong. Defensive improvements overall are needed, as he tends to rely on his speed to cover for his positional weakness. Thomson will need a stronger season to regain his standing in the Senators organization and to get another chance to break into the NHL.
8.) Leevi Meriläinen
The closest rival and newest challenger to Mads Søgaards spot as the future in the Senators net is Finnish netminder, Leevi Meriläinen. The 21-year-old had a phenomenal season, where he was nearly unbeatable in the Finnish top division, Liiga. He had a .918 save percentage with a 2.02 GGA over 42 games. This earned him a call-up to the AHL at the end of the season, where he replicated and even improved his performance, albeit only in four games. In addition, he appeared in two games for Ottawa.
What makes Meriläinen so successful is his athleticism. He moves around the net with great speed and has great awareness of where he needs to be to make a save. He tracks the puck well and his overall movement is NHL-ready. The area where Meriläinen needs to improve is in his coverage of the top of the net. He tends to drop down too early into his butterfly which leaves the top of the net open. He also needs to prove that this season wasn’t a flash in the pan and that he can continue his rise if he wants to remain the main challenger to Mads Søgaard.
9.) Stephen Halliday
Stephen Halliday had a wonderful season that saw his stock rise a lot. At the Ohio State University, he had 41 points in 40 games throughout the season. A great season that was nearly comparable with top prospects like Matthew Knies. While Halliday doesn’t have the same ceiling as Knies there is a lot to like about the Halliday game.
One of the positive takeaways from Halliday’s game is how he’s able to protect the puck well until an opening arrive. This allows him to extend the play to create a passing opportunity where his great vision and playmaking can be utilized. Also, he has a decent shot although Halliday usually prioritizes the pass. While he also has decent straight-line speed, his skating is an area that could use improvement. Mechanically it’s weak and it does hamper his effectiveness in his own zone. Especially since he doesn’t have the greatest awareness in terms of defensive positioning. It also limits his ability to become a top-six forward, as he simply lacks the skating to play top-line minutes in the NHL. However, less is perfectly fine and the Senators are hoping Halliday can turn into a bottom-six forward with physicality and a depth-scoring touch.
10.) Egor Sokolov
The last player to crack the top ten is the 61st overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft, Yegor Sokolov. The 23-year-old Russian had a strong last season, with 59 points in 70 AHL games. He was named the team’s MVP of the season and rightfully so. The question is if he finally is able to take the next step and become a permanent NHLer. What has made Sokolov a success in the AHL is especially his net drive and shot. He has a cannon of a shot, which is able to simply overpower goalies from anywhere on the ice. He also uses his size to his advantage as he creates a lot of offensive by driving the net hard. His passing has developed a lot since his draft year and he sees the offensive zone a lot better today than three seasons ago.
The weakness and concern about Sokolov’s ability to become a success in the NHL is his weak skating. His movement and mechanics often let him down and it can leave him to look lost away from the puck. This leads to some inconsistency in his shifts, and in order to fully become a success in the NHL he needs to improve on both. The upcoming pre-season is going to give a lot of answers surrounding Sokolov’s NHL readiness.
Senators Prospects Honourable Mention (4th Round or Later): Angus Crookshank
One of the most interesting players from the Senators prospect pool to watch over the next season will be former fifth-rounder, Angus Crookshank. While he will go under the radar for many, he has developed extremely well since getting drafted and last year posted an impressive season with 47 points in 71 games. A feat made even more impressive by the fact it was his bounce-back year after missing all of the 2021-2022 season.
Crookshank brings a tonne of speed and pace to his game. He is relentless when he is on the ice, always working hard and tenaciously to regain the puck. Despite being an undersized player, he makes up for it with pure energy and bravery as he doesn’t seem to let anything stop him from reaching his goals. He is a player that is hard not to root for as he plays the game with passion and pride. He will need to work on his overall game to truly succeed, especially defensively, but his speed and great attitude could see him crack the NHL roster at some point this season.
In the system:
Overall the Ottawa Senators have a deep and strong prospect pool and selecting the ten players was a difficult task. Players like Hoyt Stanley, Tyler Boucher, Theo Wallberg, and Kevin Mandolese were in contention to make the top ten and honourable mention slot but just didn’t make the cut. They all have their strengths and could become solid NHLers in the future. A future that overall looks extremely bright.
Main Photo: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
