In just a couple months, Pierre Dorion will walk up the microphone at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas and announce the name of a 17 or 18 year old hockey player that will have the potential to change the future of the franchise.
Exactly where the Ottawa Senators will pick will be determined this weekend but it will almost certainly be their highest selection in 17 years when they picked Jason Spezza with the second overall pick in the 2001 Entry Draft.
What we do know for sure, is the Senators will be picking in the Top 5. And we know that there are some high-end players available.
This season was long and painful but the possibility of adding an elite prospect to the organization this summer is the light at the end of the tunnel. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the options that might be available when the Senators make their selection.
Presenting, the top five prospects. Based entirely on the projections of others and EXTENSIVE YouTube scouting.
1. Rasmus Dahlin, Defenceman, Frolunda (SHL)
Rasmus Dahlin is the consensus number one on everybody’s list at this point. A slam dunk to go first overall. Of all the players available in this year’s draft, he’s the only one being referred to as a potential franchise player. A smooth-skating defenceman with a combination of size and elite hockey sense. By all accounts, he’s ready to step into an NHL line up right now too. In terms of similar players already playing at the NHL level, it sounds like he’s a hybrid of Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson. So basically uhh perfect in every way.
2. Andrei Svechnikov, Right Wing, Barrie Colts (OHL)
Things get a little bit unpredictable after the top spot but to this point, Andrei Svechnikov has done the most to separate himself from the other players available. At 18 years of age, Svechnikov has dominated at the OHL level. 40 goals in 44 games. 72 regular season points and then another 11 in the post-season. Speed, power, skill and strong offensive instincts. There’s a lot to like about this player. He didn’t have a great World Juniors which probably hurt him a little bit but he has done more than enough over the course of a full season to earn this ranking. The Evgeni Malkin comparisons are obvious but he has also been described as a Marian Hossa type. Not a bad consolation prize for whoever grabs the number two spot this weekend.
3. Filip Zadina, Forward, Halifax Moose Heads (QMJHL)
While Svechnikov struggled a little bit at the World Juniors, that’s where Filip Zadina put himself on the map. A high-end offensive talent with an elite shot, Zadina put up spectacular numbers in his first year with the Moose Heads. 44 goals and 82 points in just 57 games. Those numbers combined with a remarkable 7 goals in 7 games performance at the World Junior have many scouts talking about Zadina as one of the faster rising players in this year’s draft. He may actually be the player with the highest offensive ceiling. Sure it’s junior hockey but his ability to beat goalies clean with his shot is pretty remarkable. Like a Czech version of Vladamir Tarasenko.
4. Brady Tkachuk, Left Wing/Centre, Boston University (NCAA)
Probably the most contentious player in the top five. Some people see him as high as number two while others question if he even belongs in the top five. Brady Tkachuk has words like “grit” and “intangibles” attached to his scouting report but that certainly doesn’t mean he is without offensive abilities. Those skills were on display at the World Juniors where he put up 7 points in 7 games with Team USA. His numbers, and in particular his goal scoring numbers, at Boston University obviously don’t jump off the page but that’s not abnormal for a player his age playing against grown men. A little YouTube scouting shows that there is plenty of offence to his game. He’s been described as a a more talented and more obnoxious version of his brother Matthew, which is sort of hard to imagine.
5. Adam Boqvist, Defenceman, Brynas (SHL)
Just about everyone has those same four players in their top four. The order may differ a little bit but there seems to be a consensus that Dahlin, Svechnikov, Zadina and Tkachuk are the top four prospects on the board. It’s a bit of a crap-shoot after that with a whole bunch of sort of similar defenceman available. I’ve gone back and forth on this a little bit but as of this morning, would put Adam Boqvist in the number five spot. Primarily because he has looked fantastic for Team Sweden at the U18 tournament. Another smooth-skating Swedish defenceman that is drawing comparisons to Erik Karlsson, Boqvist is a little undersized but his offensive abilities are pretty intriguing.
