The last couple weeks have been full of ups and downs for the Ottawa Senators.
And while they remain in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the teams behind them have been closing in quickly. Three points back of first place in the division but the same number of points out of sixth. The Atlantic Division is ridiculously tight right now and it’s going to make for some exciting hockey after the four day break.
But with the Senators off until a practice scheduled for the evening of the 26th, this seems like a good time to turn out attention towards the handful of prospects that will participate in the World Junior Tournament in Finland which runs from December 26th till January 5th.
Here’s a look at the five Ottawa Senators’ prospects taking part in this year’s tournament and a little bit about what to expect from each of them.
#26- Christian Jaros– Slovakia
Selected in the 5th round (139th) of the 2015 Entry Draft, Christian Jaros is your prototypical stay at home defenceman. He attended rookie camp this past summer and made a great impression on Sens Management with an incredible work ethic and strong physical play. Jaros will wear the C for Slovakia in this year’s tournament and is expected to be a key player on their blueline. His offensive upside is pretty limited but in a tournament like this, Jaros is going to be expected to contribute at both ends of the ice, playing big minutes and in all situations. Slovakia is a long shot for a medal but if they do sneak into contention, it will be because Jaros is having a significant impact defensively.
#14- Filip Chlapik– Czech Republic
A second round pick (48th overall) in the 2015 Entry Draft, Filip Chlapik was considered a lock for this year’s Czech team. He’s looked good in the pre-tournament games and seems poised to contribute offensively on a team that is long shot to finish in the medals. Chlapik was billed as a smart two-way forward when the Sens selected him this past summer but there is definitely some offensive upside to his game. He was playing centre on the second line during one of the pre-tournament games against Canada so it seems like he’s going to have plenty of opportunity to show what he can do on the big stage.
#6- Andreas Englund– Sweden
The only Sens pick from the 2014 Entry Draft (2nd round, 40th overall) participating in this year’s tournament, Andreas Englund will be a key piece on a Swedish team expecting to challenge for a medal. Standing at 6’3 and close to 200 lbs, Englund is strong defensively and skates pretty well for his size. Based on some of the pre-tournament talk, it sounds like Englund could actually get a chance on the top pairing for the Swedes. It’s going to be really interesting to see how Englund looks at this stage of his development. The Senators prospect pool is pretty desperate for more legitimate defensive prospects and Englund seems like he could be that prospect.
#18- Colin White– United States
With all due respect to the first three names mentioned above, it’s the next two guys that Sens fans are really excited about. Colin White was selected in the first round (21st overall) in this past year’s entry draft and looks like an absolute steal at this point. He’s been lighting it up at Boston College (23 points in 16 games) and is expected to play a huge role for the Americans. Much of his pre-tournament time has been spent playing right wing on a line with Christian Dvorak and Sonny Milano and that trio have been pretty lethal for the USA in the early going. There has been talk that Colin White could be ready to challenge for a spot on the NHL roster as early as next season so he should be able to dominate in a tournament like this.
#5- Thomas Chabot– Canada
Sens fans got a glimpse of Thomas Chabot during the preseason games back in September and it’s safe to say it was love at first sight. A smooth-skating, left shot defenceman that moves the puck with the confidence of a ten year veteran, Chabot has been turning heads in the QMJHL this season. Chabot was selected at 18th overall in the 2015 Draft and at the start of the year was probably considered a bit of a long shot to make Team Canada. A lot has changed in a couple months. His stock has risen so quickly that he’s gone from bubble player to starting this tournament on the top defensive pairing. It’s a ton of pressure for an 18 year old kid but based on everything we have seen from him so far, he looks up to the challenge.
