Last week it was Pierre Dorion that sat down with the local media and provided some thoughts heading into the October 6th Entry Draft.
Today, Trent Mann had his turn.
Mann is the Chief Amateur Scout for the Ottawa Senators and while Pierre Dorion ultimately has the final say, Mann and his team of scouts will play a huge part in deciding who the Senators ultimately select.
Today, we got some sense of where Mann’s head is at with the Draft now just a week away.
You can listen to the full zoom interview here and his appearance on TSN 1200 here. He covered a lot of ground in the two availabilities but a few things that jumped out from today’s comments.
-First of all, Trent Mann and his team of scouts are prepared and probably have been since way back in June. The delay has given them some extra time to tinker with their lists and gather additional information on players but in his comments it is abundantly clear that he is ready to get to work. Mann has a great track record here in Ottawa and with this draft, he has the opportunity to define the next decade of Sens hockey. No pressure though, Trent.
-When you combine Dorion’s comments with what Trent Mann had to say today, you can confidently assume that the Senators have no intentions of going off the board at 3rd overall. When draft days rolls around next week, the Rangers (probably) will pick one of Lafreniere/Byfield/Stutzle, the Kings will pick one of Lafreniere/Byfield/Stutzle and then the Ottawa Senators will step up and take whichever guy is left. And they are more than happy to do so. That really was one of the unique things about landing that 3rd overall selection is it took some of the drama and stress out of their first selection. Because by the time their turns rolls around, the choice will already have been made for them.
-On the other hand, when it comes to 5th overall, there are tons of legitimate scenarios that could play out. Trading back, drafting a winger, drafting a centre, drafting a defenceman and even drafting a goalie. All options are on the table right now. If you comb through the various comments made by Mann today it does seem like it’s all going to hinge on what the Red Wings do at 4th overall. They’ve talked through the various scenarios and as a team, they’ll have a plan in place regardless of what Detroit decides to do. If you’re looking for clues on what Ottawa might be considering at 5th overall, well then good luck. Because between Dorion and Mann and the various leaks that have been circulating the past week or so, every possible scenario has been covered.
-Like everyone else, the Senators aren’t entirely sure what position Tim Stützle will play at the NHL level. Dating all the way back to comments Stützle himself made on TSN 1200 months ago and right up until Mann’s comments today, it’s clear that everyone is taking a wait and see approach on whether he’s a winger or a centre. As badly as Ottawa wants to fill that hole at the number one centre spot in this Draft, the reality is the player’s development and ability to adjust at the NHL level will ultimately determine where he plays down the line. Mann does seem to think that Stützle is more NHL ready than Byfield at this time though.
-There’s a lot of buzz around Jack Quinn lately and I think it’s justified. It does seem like the Senators have legitimate interest in the player and when you look at the number of goals he scored right in their backyard last year, it’s pretty easy to see why. What was interesting though is when asked specifically about Quinn and the right wing depth in this draft, Mann was pretty quick to mention two other right wingers by name- Lucas Raymond and Seth Jarvis. The inclusion of Jarvis is especially interesting as he’s one of those middle of the first round guys that seems to be getting a ton of attention lately. The Senators don’t have a pick in the Jarvis range right now but it’s possible that there are scenarios where they could move up with the Islanders pick if he were to fall.
Check out the interviews though. Definitely worth a listen. You can also find a comprehensive breakdown of the topics covered over on NHL.com.
ONE WEEK!
