This weekend, the four remaining teams will begin their final push for the Stanley Cup
While I openly complained about the quality of the hockey in the second round, I’m expecting the entertainment value to be much higher in the Conference Finals. In both the East and West, it really does seem like the best teams have survived which should make for some terrific hockey over the next couple weeks. Ducks in 7 and Rangers in 7, by the way.
And while those four teams battle it out, the other 26 teams have already begun to shift their attention to next season. The NHL Draft, which will be held in Florida this year, is just 41 days away.
The Ottawa Senators hold the 18th selection in the first round and also head to the draft table armed with two second round picks which will be 42nd and 48th overall. They also have picks in the 4th, 5th and 7th round. Their third round pick went to Edmonton in the Ales Hemsky deal and the 6th round pick was sent to Winnipeg in a draft day deal last season.
Predicting Draft Day is always difficult.
While Bryan Murray, Pierre Dorion and the rest of the Senators Brass will head to the table with a pretty good idea of the players that might be available at 18, deals can and often do come up once the teams hit the floor. And with those two second round picks as ammo, there’s always a chance the Senators could move up if a particular player they like remained on the board longer than expected.
Like every year, it’s safe to assume the Senators go in with a “best player available” mentality. With the exception of goaltending, the Senators have a need for skill at all positions. Whether it ends up being a forward or a defenceman, the Senators will certainly get a talented player at 18. While there’s consensus at the top of the draft, things get pretty interesting in the middle part of the first round with a number of players there that have the potential to rise or fall.
Local talent Travis Konecny is a guy to keep an eye on. The Senators have shown in the past that if there’s an opportunity to take a local guy with ties to the community, they often jump at it. Konecny was ranked 14th by Central Scouting but has been listed as low as 24th on some lists. If he’s there at 18, the Senators would have a tough time passing.
On defence, Oliver Kylington looks like an intriguing option. Central scouting has the Swedish defender as the 6th ranked European skater. Mock drafts have him all over the place, as low as 23rd and as high as 15th. He’s one of those guys that seems to have fallen a bit leading up to draft day but the scouting report on him shows a guy with a ton of upside.
And those are just two of the possible options.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll have a better sense of exactly might be available at 18 and find out a little bit more about who the Senators have targeted in that range. And as we all know, Draft Day is always a fun time for trade rumours to and with a goalie expected to move, the Senators figure to be at the centre of trade talks.
Until then, who do you like at 18th overall?
