The Ottawa Senators have a less than stellar record with some of their first round picks over the last twelve years.
Brian Lee in 2005. Jim O’Brien in 2007. Jared Cowen in 2009. Stefan Noesen and Matt Puempel in 2011. Curtis Lazar in 2013. Okay, okay. I’ll stop.
While the Entry Draft is known as a bit of a crap-shoot, it seems like the Senators have had more than their fair share of swings and misses over the years.
And maybe that’s why fans seem somewhat reluctant to pencil in two of the team’s top prospects from the 2015 Draft into next year’s line up. But everything we know about Thomas Chabot and Colin White suggests they are ready to push for regular spots in the line up next season.
Colin White has seen his stock rise steadily since 2015. He was considered one of the top players in the NCAA during his two years at Boston College and consecutive dominant performances at the World Junior tournament solidified his standing as one of the top prospects in the game. Scouts that watched him on a regular basis last year insisted he was ready to play in the NHL and based on the small amount we’ve seen of him, it’s easy to see why.
White may not have the flash of some of the more highly-touted prospects but it’s his high hockey IQ and all-around game that has seen him compared to players like Patrice Bergeron in Boston.
While the sample size was small, his brief three game audition in Binghamton last year showed that he’s a player that’s pretty much NHL ready. His skating was as good or better than any player in those AHL games and confidence with the puck down was immediately noticeable. He really didn’t look overmatched in those NHL games either.
Colin White scored his first pro goal in a 4-2 #BSens win 🚨
1G, 1A, 2 PIM and 3 shots in his first 2GP. pic.twitter.com/nlHgQq2PHu
— Sens Prospects (@SensProspects) April 1, 2017
Dorion has suggested recently that they see White as a centre more than a winger. The Senators have plenty of those on the roster right now but with Brassard’s injury possibly carrying over to the start of the regular season, there could be an opening there for White to play some significant minutes right off the bat.
Meanwhile in Thomas Chabot, the Senators have a player that has completely dominated Junior hockey over the last two seasons. In the 78 games Chabot has played since the Senators selected him in 2015, has has an incredible 90 points (21 goals and 69 assists).
He racked up another 44 points in 35 playoff games with Saint John. He was one of the top players in the QMJHL last year, earning the award for top defenceman, personality of the year and QMJHL playoff MVP honours.
And yet for all the recognition he received during his dominance in the Q, it was his performance at the World Juniors that really turned heads. Ten points in seven games and runaway winner of top defenceman honours. And if that’s not enough, he became the first defenceman in the history of the World Juniors to win Tournament MVP.
He was that good.
And with Marc Methot’s departure, there is a pretty glaring hole on the left side. Freddy Claesson and Ben Harpur will both push for that spot but you can guarantee that Chabot will also get some consideration. And unlike those other two, Chabot brings a skill-set that could help what was a dreadful power play last season.
Based on what we’ve seem from these two over the last 12 months, there’s no doubt they are ready to make the jump.
The question- is Guy Boucher ready for them? In his first year on the job, Boucher showed a strong preference for veteran players and a reluctance to throw a young guy into the line up. “The NHL is not a development league”, he reminded us. Having Chabot playing 8-10 minutes a night on a third defence pairing and Colin White as the 13th forward certainly isn’t ideal for their development.
Boucher spoke highly of Colin White during his time with the team down the stretch and based on what he saw from Chabot at Development Camp, the Coach was pretty impressed.
Sure sounds like Dorion and Boucher expect Thomas Chabot to be in the line up next year. #Sens https://t.co/z3wJCBME89 pic.twitter.com/qBZmaTtYzA
— SensChirp (@SensChirp) July 2, 2017
The common concern from fans seems to related to the idea of “rushing” another prospect. But really, if these two guys have the skills to play in the NHL right now, that’s where they should be. 20 years old isn’t that young in today’s game. In fact, 14 players from the 2015 draft already have more than 50 games of NHL experience under their belt.
The good news is both White and Chabot got a taste of what it takes to be an NHLer last year. Chabot spent the first two months of the season in Ottawa and while he only appeared in one game, he raved about the experience and said it really helped him understand what it takes. Meanwhile Colin White played two regular season games and even found his way into Ottawa’s playoff line up during the Eastern Conference Finals.
For both players, it should be valuable experience heading into training camp in September.
After watching a handful of first round picks fail to meet expectations over the last few years, the fan base clearly doesn’t want to get too far ahead of itself. If a little time in Belleville is necessary, fans are more than willing to be patient with the organization’s top prospects. And that makes sense. Nothing should be handed to either one of these players.
But make no mistake- Colin White and Thomas Chabot are going to be important players for the Ottawa Senators. And it could start as early as the 2017/2018 season.
