It’s August 9th.
After tackling American politics, gun control and religion, the SensChirp comment section is officially out of things to talk about. So to shake things up a bit, I was thinking maybe we could talk about hockey today.
And nothing gets this place riled up quite like a good ol’ fashion list.
As the voice of SensChirp for the last 11 years, an avid hockey-watcher and as someone who has attempted to play hockey many times in my life, I am more than qualified to create a completely arbitrary list, ranking the current batch of young players in the organization.
In general, the team’s prospect pool has never been in better shape.
Long gone are the days of hoping Josh Hennessey and Michal Barinka pan out. The Ottawa Senators have depth at all positions and while they still lack that can’t-miss elite offensive forward, there is every reason to believe that changes next summer.
While there are legitimate concerns about the ability of Ownership ability to execute (focus, SensChirp, FOCUS) and the willingness of a fickle fan base to buy in (eeeeeeasy does it, SensChirp), this rebuild has so many good pieces already in place.
As demonstrated by this list (which only includes players aged 22 and under) there is a ton of talent in the system right now. It’s a mix of soon-to-be NHL players and guys just scratching the surface of their potential. It includes some riskier but higher ceiling guys and some sure bets to be useful pro players.
Puck moving defenceman, top six forwards, middle of the line up guys and goalies. There is a little bit of everything here.
Before we get into the list, it’s worth noting that there are plenty of good players in the 23-25 years old range. Guys like Christian Jaros, Christin Wolanin, Anthony Duclair and Max Veronneau are all quality players but miss out because of my completely random cut off point. I’ve also left Thomas Chabot, Brady Tkachuk and Colin White off the list because they’re all three guys are established NHLers and on a path to be traded away as soon as their Entry Level Contracts expire (Damn it, SensChirp!).
So without further ado, I present to you my highly scientific, entirely accurate ranking of the Top 20 players age 22 and under. Presented in reverse order for dramatic effect…
20. Angus Crookshank- If this was a ranking of prospect names, our friend Angus would be a runaway leader. Crookshank is heading into his second season at the University of New Hampshire.
19. Jonny Tychonick- Maybe the only guy who can challenge Crookshank in the name category, Tychonick is clearly on the radar of Team Canada this year as he was included as part of the World Junior Summer Showcase. Tychonick is expected to take on a bigger role at North Dakota this year.
18. Parker Kelly- Kelly was a point a game player with Prince Albert last year in the WHL. He’s a two-time winner of the Hardest Worker at the team’s summer rookie camp and is the type of player that is just going to force his way onto the roster at some point.
17. Jonathan Gruden- A bit of an unknown when he was drafted in the 4th round in 2018, Gruden’s stock has been rising steadily since then. He has a good showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase and he’s poised for a breakout in London this year.
16. Mads Sogaard- You can’t teach big but if you could, this Mads Sogaard character would be the guy you want giving the lesson. At 6’7, Sogaard was viewed as one of the top goalie prospects in the 2019 Draft after a strong rookie campaign in Medicine Hat. Seriously, this guy is really, really tall.
15. Joey Daccord- Selected in the 7th round (199th overall), Daccord looks like another one of those late-round gems for the Senators. He was one of the top goalies in the NCAA last year and he has a good shot at landing a regular job in Belleville.
14. Vitaly Abramov- Abramov is going to be an interesting player to watch. At 21 years of age, he’ll be expected to make significant strides in his game during his second full season as a pro. Small sample size but there were flashes in his game that suggested he has a good shot at being an NHL regular in the not too distant future. Tough to see a spot for him right away but he’ll be on the list of guys that could earn a call up at some point.
13. Shane Pinto- Pinto might be a little low on this list but that’s primarily because we just don’t know a lot about his ceiling at this point. He was considered to be a bit of a reach at 32nd overall but the Senators are counting on him taking a big step forward this year with the Sens’ NCAA affiliate in North Dakota. If he progresses the way the organization hopes, he could be much higher on this list next summer.
12. Jonathan Davidsson- Davidsson almost cracked the Columbus line up out of Camp last year and if he’s healthy, will have a good chance at making an impression this year too. Some time in the AHL, adjusting to the North American game would be good for him.
11. Rudolfs Balcers- And suddenly, a new contender for best name has emerged. Balcers got a taste of NHL action last year and looked pretty comfortable when given an opportunity. He’ll be in a battle to make the big team in Camp.
10. Max Lajoie- It’s amazing how quick Lajoie seemed to go from a forgotten prospect, to a sure-shot NHLer and then forgotten again. Lajoie showed flashes in his rookie season but looked overwhelmed as the year rolled along. Still has a good shot at playing NHL games this year.
9. Filip Gustavsson- Stop me if you’ve heard this before- goalie prospects require a little bit of patience. The Senators still think they have a potential NHL starter in Gustavsson but his transition to the North American game has been a little bumpy so far. With Hogberg and Daccord in the picture now, Gustavsson is going to have to battle for his AHL starts. The competition should be good for him.
8. Filip Chlapik- With so many middle of the lineup forward prospects in the system, Chlapik runs the risk of getting lost in the shuffle a little bit. Which is weird because he’s one of the few guys on this list that has already shown he can take a regular shift at the NHL level. He should be able to dominate in Belleville this year and will likely be one of the first guys called up.
7. Jacob Bernard-Docker- Selected 26th overall in in 2018, Bernard-Docker looks like the total package. He looks like a lock to represent Team Canada at the World Juniors this year and he’ll likely play a top four role on that team. He put up 17 points in his first season at North Dakota.
6. Alex Formenton- It’s amazing how often Alex Formenton seems to get lost in the shuffle in a discussion on Sens prospects. Still just 19 years old, Formenton has already shown that he has the tools to take a regular shift at the NHL level. There are still legitimate questions about his offensive ceiling but he will push for a spot on the roster again this Fall. Some time in Belleville wouldn’t be the worst thing for him either.
5. Lassi Thomson- It didn’t take long for Sens fans to warm up to Lassi Thomson. In fact, it took about one shift at the summer rookie camp. Thomson has that rare combination of offensive flash and defensive awareness that is so hard to find in a defenceman these days. And at just 18, there is still lots of room for growth in his game. He’ll be playing against men in Finland this year which should be great for his development.
4. Josh Norris- This may seem a little bit high for Norris but when Training Camp starts next month, I suspect it won’t take long for fans to realize just how good Norris can be. Acquired in the Erik Karlsson trade, Norris has a chance to be a high-end second line centre if he can hit his ceiling as a player. A good friend of Brady Tkachuk, Norris was on-track for a breakout season at Michigan before a shoulder injury prematurely ended his year. He’s healthy now though and ready to push for a spot with the Senators this fall.
3. Logan Brown- Until the Senators add a can’t-miss guy in the 2020 Entry Draft, Logan Brown continues to be the most important prospect in the organization. If he can put it all together, Brown has the size and skill to be a first line centre in the National Hockey League. And if he can’t, well then there is still a huge hole to fill in the organizational depth chart. Brown took huge strides in his game towards in the back half and when healthy, showed the ability to dominate at the AHL level. There will be an opportunity for him to win an NHL job next month.
2. Drake Batherson- While Brown gets the title of most important prospect, Drake Batherson has quickly become the most exciting. Drafted in the fourth round back in 2017, Batherson has turned heads since his Draft Day. All this kid does is put up points. 62 of ‘em in 59 games as an AHL rookie, in fact. And now he’s spent the summer training with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. And uhh…he doesn’t look out of place.
1.Erik Brannstrom-There’s a new Erik in town. And this one is signed to an affordable entry level contract! Maybe not as a high a ceiling as Drake Batherson and maybe not as important as Logan Brown but Erik Brannstrom is the best prospect in this organization right now. Not by a lot but he deserves to be number one on this list. An elite skater, high-end offensive awareness and an ability to break the game open from the back end. He is everything you’re looking for in a defenceman in today’s game and those talents will likely be on display in Ottawa as early as this season.
After the time and effort that went into this post, I am quite certain that Colin White will sign a new contract later today.
