When the Ottawa Senators called out Tyler Boucher’s name at 10th overall in the 2021 Entry Draft, they knew it was a roll of the dice.
All draft picks are to a certain degree but the organzation was keenly aware that they were straying away from the conventional rankings a little bit. Now that’s not to say they could have just traded down to get him either. Rumour has it there were multiple teams in line behind them ready to roll those same dice.
So when it came down to it, Trent Mann and Pierre Dorion stuck to their guns and made sure they left that draft with the player they had targeted. Now more than a year after he was picked, the team continues to preach patience when it comes to Boucher.
Watch him at any level and it’s pretty easy to see what the Senators liked. Regardless of the level of competition, Boucher has a way of standing out on the ice. When you’re that fast, that strong and that mean, it’s hard not to get noticed. The question mark remains his offensive potential. But with the tools he has at his disposal, he seems like a player that can impact a game even when he’s not chipping in offensively.
So while the Senators took some heat for the pick at the time and continue to even to this day, it was a calculated risk. On Draft Day, the default line is “best player available” but there are those rare times when an organization can roll the dice and target a certain type of player.
And looking at the current construction of the Ottawa lineup, it’s pretty easy to see where a player like Tyler Boucher could make a difference. The top six is loaded with skill but having a hard-nosed bottom six forward that can chip in offensively and put the fear of god into opposition defenders sounds pretty appealing. The Captain thinks so too.
And so we wait. Boucher struggled a bit last season, bouncing around between the NCAA and the OHL and dealing with injuries along the way. His offensive production in those 41 games certainly did little to ease the concerns about his potential in the attacking end of the rink. Wherever he ends up this season, it will be important that he gets those top six opportunities and a chance to develop his offensive skills.
Tyler Boucher made his debut at the Rookie Tournament yesterday and was certainly noticeable. Fast, physical and all around the net. A good first impression for a player eager to impress heading into the Main Camp next week.
Boucher and the rest of the Ottawa rookies are back at it tomorrow at 12 PM when they play the rookies from the Montreal Canadiens.
