Later this week, a collection of hockey players, wearing Ottawa Senators uniforms, will play a competitive game of ice hockey.
It’s happening folks. It’s really happening!
In the grueling countdown to the start of the NHL season, the Annual Rookie Tournament is always a sight for sore eyes. While the games are sometimes tough to find on TV or online, and it’s nowhere near as good as the real thing, it’s a sign that we’ve almost made it through the long off-season.
It’s also a great opportunity to see some of the team’s top prospects in action. A total of 23 players have been invited to this year’s tournament and each of them will be looking to make a good first impression when the tourney gets started in London, Ontario this weekend.
Joining the Senators will be prospects from the Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Here are five players to keep an eye on in this year’s tournament.
Francis Perron
Perron is coming off a remarkable final season in the QMJHL and will be making the jump to pro hockey this year. That can be a pretty tough transition for a young player and especially for a guy that’s a little undersized. The team has asked him to bulk up a little bit this off-season and the Rookie Tournament will be our first chance to see what kind of shape he’s in heading into the main camp. Perron certainly has the hockey sense and the skill to play in the American Hockey League and he should dominate in a tournament like this.
Matt O’Connor
Safe to say Matt O’Connor’s first year in the AHL did not go as planned. He got off to a dreadful start in Binghamton and while he improved a little bit as the year went along, he’ll be looking for a much better performance in his second year with the BSens. The team down there is sort of counting on either O’Connor or Chris Driedger to establish themselves as a legitimate starting goalie. Ottawa’s only bringing two goalies to this year’s rookie tournament so it’s safe to say the battle between O’Connor and Driedger starts this weekend.
Logan Brown
Ottawa’s first round pick in the 2016 Entry Draft has signed his entry level contract and is keen to show the organization that he’s not far off from making the jump to the National Hockey League. Brown is expected to return to Windsor of the OHL but not before participating in the main camp, and possible suiting up for a couple of the team’s preseason games. For some fans, this rookie tournament will be the first chance to see the 6’6 centre in action.
Nick Paul
There’s going to be plenty of competition for the last couple forward spots with the big team and of the group pushing for the final spot, Nick Paul is the only one suiting up in the tournament. Paul was one of the most impressive forwards at the summer development camp and took home the title of Hardest Worker. Nick Paul senses there may be an opportunity for him on the NHL roster as early as this season and he’ll want to make a strong impression in London.
Thomas Chabot
The Senators still haven’t made a decision on a veteran PTO. The closer we get to training camp without that happening, the better the opportunity for Thomas Chabot. While it’s a longshot Chabot sticks with the team beyond the 9 game mark, the organization certainly hasn’t ruled it out. Chabot’s play was criticized a bit during the summer Development Camp so you know he’ll be eager to make a better impression this time around. If Chabot is going to push for a spot on that last pairing, he has to have a strong showing in the month of September. He’ll be expected to dominate in this Tournament.
In addition to some of the better known prospects, there are also a handful of undrafted players that have been invited to participate. Included in that group is Anthony DiFruscia, a Captain and 26 goal scorer with the Niagara IceDogs last season.
The Senators team will be coached by Kurt Kleinendorst. The Ottawa Senators coaching staff is also expected to be in attendance.
The Senators play their first game on Friday night against the rookies from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
