It may be a Monday morning in June but hockey remains a priority as draft week officially gets under way.
There are still a ton of unanswered questions when it comes to this year’s draft and there seems to be little consensus surrounding the order at the top. With plenty of trades expected and so many different scenarios that could play out in the Top 10 picks, this figures to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable Entry Drafts in a long time.
The Ottawa Senators currently hold the 6th selection in the first round but are actively trying to move up. Sens GM Bryan Murray has already had a few conversations with the teams ahead of Ottawa in the draft order but as of now, has found the asking price to be too high. Right now it looks like the teams in the Top 5 picks are all setting the bar pretty high but that asking price could come down as we get closer to Friday.
Because the top picks in this draft are so unpredictable, it’s difficult to know exactly how things are going to shake out from the Sens perspective. If they can move up, it will be to grab Gabriel Landeskog. The Sens scouts love him and so does Bryan Murray. If Ottawa stays at the 6th position my guess is they take Ryan Strome but I have found that there’s is a lot more buzz around Mika Zibanejad the last couple weeks.
For the Senators, the real mystery is around the 21st selection. This could definitely be an asset they try to move either for some Top 6 help or as part of a package to move up the 6th pick. If they do end up using that pick, a player like Rocco Grimaldi could be someone they have an interest in although he could be grabbed before they step up to the microphone. Mark McNeil, a player who was featured in the last Senate Reform episode, is also believed to be on the team’s radar.
- A little more on the impending hiring of Dave Cameron. Some have indicated that this may not be a certainty but sources tell me otherwise. Cameron will be joining the Sens coaching staff in the very near future.
- The next episode in the Senate Reform series is now available and can be found under the highlights tab on the home page of this site.
- The NHL Salary Cap is expected to go up to $64 million next season.
- SensChirp and the RSU are teaming up again and have organized the Unofficial Ottawa Senators Draft Party at St. Louis Bar and Grill on Elgin. Call 613-231-1116 to reserve your table today. Any questions feel free to contact me using the form under the Contact tab at the top of the page.
