At this summer’s entry draft in Buffalo, Pierre Dorion and his team of scouts were ready for just about any scenario.
While there was consensus at the top end of the Draft, nobody really knew how that opening round was going to play out. All teams seemed to agree that there was a ton of talent available in the first 10-15 selections but every team had them in a different order.
And that’s why the 11th pick rolled around, Dorion decided it was time to make a move. There was a name left on the board that they didn’t expect to still be there at that point and when he was still available, the Senators moved up one spot and made sure they got their guy.
Their guy was Logan Brown.
It’s pretty easy to see what the Sens liked. Standing at 6’6 and weighing in at 210 lbs, Brown is already an imposing figure on the ice and according to most accounts, still isn’t finished growing.
He moves well for a big guy and has tremendous hands and offensive instincts. When he uses that unique combination of size, reach and skill, he can be pretty much impossible to stop.
He finished second in team scoring in Windsor last season with 21 goals and 74 points. According to people that watched Brown closely last year, he took his game to another level in the second half.
It was that late season surge that had the Senators and their scouts so excited.
It’s always difficult to project exactly how a player will develop and what their game will look like when they hit the NHL level but Brown is expected to be a point-producing centre. A player that can play on one of your top two lines and take a regular shift on the power play.
His father, Jeff Brown, played 747 games in the National Hockey League and is the current General Manager and Head Coach of the Ottawa 67’s.
On Friday, the Senators signed Logan Brown to his first pro contract, a three year entry-level deal. Brown obviously isn’t going to make the team this year but fans will get a good look at him in the next month or so.
He’ll take part in the team’s Annual Rookie Tournament which kicks off next month and he’s also expected to be in attendance when the Senators start training camp. Dorion mentioned that they are also hoping to see Brown get into some exhibition games this fall.
Brown is heading back to the Windsor Spitfires for a third season and will be expected to dominate at that level. There’s also a good chance he’ll be a part of Team USA at the World Juniors in December and January.
While Brown is still going to need a couple more years of seasoning, he has all the tools to be key piece of the future of the Ottawa Senators.
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