Like Sands Through the Hour-Glass

Ottawa Senators top 25 under 25.

Like Sands Through the Hour-glass

When you hear the names Cole, Dawson, Fabian, Garrett, Gabriel, J.J., and Simon you might be inclined to think of a Daytime Soap Opera.  Although you may have too much time on your hands, you would not be wrong. These names also have another thing in common. They are all top prospects for the DCHL Ottawa Senators. Just a few years ago the franchise was struggling to have 25 players under the age of 25 but after three solid drafts in a row the team now boasts one of the stronger groups in the league. Here we will attempt to rank the top 25 skaters under the age of 25 in the organization. Goalies have been omitted simply because they are far less predictable and they tend to reach their peak well after the age of 25.

25. Anton Johannesson D age:19 21/22 team: HV71 U20 Swe acquired: drafted 2020 151^st overall.  Anton is finally back playing this season after being injured last year. He is an undersized D with unbelievable skill. This was totally a homerun swing for the franchise. If he can overcome his 5’9” size he could be a dynamic player in the NHL. His injury last year did not help with that but he has been solid this year but we will have to wait and see how he improves over the next few years.

24. Dmitri Zlodeyev C age:19 21/22 team: Spartak KHL acquired: drafted 2020 215^th overall. Zlodeyev has shown great progression this past year and will quite possibly move up this list over the next few seasons. Surprisingly he made the Russian World Junior team and scored a beauty of a goal (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqLr5ZcB5jU ).

23.Michael Vukojevic D age:20 21/22 team: Utica AHL acquired: trade 2020.  Vukojevic had a great 2020 season in the AHL but has taken a step back this year. He is a solid stay at home defenceman who can be a physical force. He projects to be a third pairing guy.

22. Ben Jones C age:22 21/22 team: Henderson AHL acquired: drafted 2019 209^th overall.  Jones has progressed every year since being drafted. He is a two-way centre with a scoring touch. He has 13 goals in the AHL so far, this year. Vegas rewarded him this season by promoting him to the big club for 2 games. He projects to be a fourth line C.

21. Ben McCartney LW age:20 21/22 team: Tuscon AHL acquired: drafted 2021 177^th overall. McCartney is a guy who just seems to gets it done. He scores goals in the dirty areas, plays hard and makes opponents miserable. He is a typical NHL fourth liner. He almost seems like a lock to reach that level. He is another Sens prospect who got his first NHL experience this season.

20. Vladislav Firstov LW age:20 21/22 team: U Conn H-East acquired: drafted 2019 46^th overall. This player has dropped on this list over the past few seasons mostly because of lack of play. With only 32 games played and 8 goals it is difficult to accurately assess his progression. He was drafted early because of his powerful shot and his physical play. The Sens will be watching Firstov over the next 12 months to see if he is a going to be a future member of the organization.

19. Sean Day D age:24 21/22 team: Syracuse AHL acquired: UFA signing 2019. Sean Day was originally drafted in the NHL by the Rangers in 2016. After two fruitless seasons in Hartford with the Rangers AHL affiliate Day left as a free agent and signed with Syracuse. This turned out to be a great move for both the player and the team. Day has shown great improvement on both ends of the ice and has been trusted more in crucial moments of the game.  Tampa Bay rewarded him with a brief stint in the NHL while the Lightning were dealing with players out with Covid. At this point he projects to be 6^th or 7^th D-man but he could easily rise if his improvement continues.

18. Gabriel Fortier LW age: 21 21/22 team: Syracuse AHL acquired: drafted 2018 60^th overall. Fortier is a two-way forward who can play on either special team’s unit. He will be looking to make the NHL Lightning next year on a full-time basis. This year he has 10 games in the NHL this season already as well as his first NHL goal.

17.Arttu Ruotsalainen C age: 24 21/22 team: Buffalo NHL acquired: drafted 2019 189^th overall. Ruotsalainen has been very impressive over the past year and a half for a guy that has been given little opportunity. The NHL Sabres just seem to have no idea how to find a spot for him in their regular lineup. We genuinely hope that he either gets traded or claimed on waivers so that he can go to an organization that will give him playing time. He is a legitimate NHL level third- or fourth-line guy with a very good touch for scoring which he has demonstrated at every level he has played at.

16. Garrett Pilon C age 23 21/22 team: Washington NHL acquired: drafted 2017 141^st overall. Pilon in only his second game scored his first NHL goal on a nifty deflection. Over the past few years, he has outplayed several highly touted prospects in the Capitals organization. He looks ready for full time action in the NHL and he has a one-way contract for next season. We are looking forward to seeing him play a regular role at the highest level. He is projected as a bottom six forward.

15. Kasper Puutio D age: 19 21/22 team: KalPa SM Liiga acquired: drafted 2020 193^rd overall. Puutio is the second player the DCHL Sens drafted in the 7^th round of the 2020 draft that played in this past season’s shortened World Junior Championships. Puutio is a solid puck moving defenseman with a tremendous upside. Some may feel that placing the Finnish blueliner ahead of several players with NHL experience might be wrong but that is how high the team is on his potential. He is projected to be a second or third pairing player that will help on both special teams.

14. Valtteri Puustinen RW age: 22 21/22 team: Wilkes Barrie AHL acquired: drafted 2021 116^th overall. After several successful years in the Liiga, Puustinen finally crossed the ocean to join the Penguins AHL affiliate. In his first he has been their best player. It shouldn’t be too long before he gets a call join the NHL Pens. His offensive skills seem to be a perfect fit to play with the high-flying Pens. We see the flashy Finn as a third line player.

13. Nathan Legare RW age:21 21/22 team: Wilkes Barrie AHL acquired: drafted 2019 62^nd overall.  The Sen drafted Legare because of his massive scoring potential and have been paying Dawn Braid to coach him on the one flaw to his game, skating. In his rookie season as a pro he has struggled to elevate his game. The hope in the organization is that he will be able to put it all together over the next few seasons and potentially be a 30-goal scorer in the DCHL.

12. Artemi Kniazev D age:21 21/22 team: San Jose AHL acquired: drafted 2019 74^th overall. Kniazev is an exciting player to watch. He takes chances in the offensive zone that many others wouldn’t dare. It is clear this season that Kniazev is struggling to learn to be more responsible and less aggressive. His numbers so far in the AHL (and NHL) clearly demonstrate there is much progress that needs to be made. If he can learn when to be aggressive in the offensive zone there is no doubt that Kniazev can be a dominant defender in the DCHL. The next two seasons are pivotal to his development.

11. Simon Robertsson RW age: 18 21/22 team: Skelleftea AIK Swe acquired: drafted 2021 65^th overall. When Robertsson was still undrafted going into the third round and Florida was looking to trade the pick for DCHL cash the Sens jumped at the chance to acquire a player they had at 30^th overall on their draft board. $5,000,000 was a hefty price but the skill of this player made it worth the risk. It is somewhat concerning that he was left of the Team Sweden roster at the World Junior Championships for no apparent reason. It is for that reason we cannot put him into the top 10. He is still projected to be a top 6 forward.

10. Samuel Knazko D age: 19 21/22 team: Seattle WHL acquired: drafted 2020 65^th overall. A strong Team Slovakia named Knazko to be their captain at the most recent World Juniors and his play through the first two games did not disappoint. Although he is a steady defender, he is more renowned for his offensive game. He projects to be a top 4 defender who can quarterback a powerplay.

9. Roni Hirvonen C age: 20 21/22 team: HIFK Helsinki Liiga acquired: drafted 2020 82^nd overall. Hirvonen is the second Sens prospect to be chosen captain of their team at the World Juniors. The Finnish two-way centre has had a strong season in the Liiga but will look to bring his game to North America in the year or two. He projects to be the Sens third line Centre in the coming years.

8. Stanislav Svozil D age: 19 21/22 team: Regina WHL acquired: drafted 2021 56^th overall. Svozil had one of the prettiest goals at this years World Juniors (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxiUelypBNQ )against Canada no less. He is an above average offensive blue liner whose high hockey IQ help him as a defender in his own zone. The Sens project him to be a top 4 defenceman.

7. Fabian Lysell RW age: 19 21/22 team: Vancouver WHL acquired: drafted 2021 17^th overall. Lysell’s talent and skill are elite. The only questions about him were of character. If he can mature and accept his role in the organization, we believe that he can be a dominant top line player. So far this season in the WHL, Lysell has been very good on a not so good team.

6. J.J. Peterka RW age:20 21/22 team: Rochester AHL acquired: drafted 2020 38^th overall. Except for bout of Covid, Peterka would likely be playing in the NHL right now. He has been a point per game player so far in his rookie season in the AHL. He is a solid goal scoring threat with a knack for making plays. He is projected to be a 60-point guy in the DCHL.

5. Jakob Pelletier LW age: 20 21/22 team: Stockton AHL acquired: drafted 2019 26^th overall. Pelletier has been absolutely dominant this past year in the AHL. He is scoring at better than a point per game and has clearly shown he is ready for the next step. He plays much bigger than his 5’10” stature and has at times taken over games. He looks like a lock to be a top 6 player in our line-up with top line potential.

4. Carson Lambos D age: 19 21/22 team: Winnipeg WHL acquired: drafted 2021 16^th overall.  Simply put the Senators believe that Lambos is going to be a top tier defenceman. His skill at both ends of the ice are high end. Combined with Jakob Chychrun, the Sens look to have a one of the best defensive pairings in the league for years to come. That might be overstating things but that is how highly the team regards both players.

3. Dawson Mercer C age: 20 21/22 team: New Jersey NHL acquired: drafted 2020 13^th overall. It is hard not to move him up higher on this list given how successful his rookie season in the NHL has been. He is a highly skilled forward with a scoring touch and an ability to thread passes into high danger areas with clinical accuracy. Perhaps the biggest surprise was his play in his own end that has forced the Devils to play Mercer more minutes. It seems at this point that Mercer is a second line centre with potential to be more over the coming years.

2. Cole Perfetti C age: 20 21/22 team: Winnipeg NHL acquired: drafted 2020 7^th overall. We were a little concerned when Cole was sent down to the minors after only 2 games this season. Even in his first few games back in the AHL were below the standard he had set last year as one of the top rookies in the league. After a few weeks he was able to put his game back together. The last month has seen Perfetti being named an alternate captain to Canada’s World Junior team, and then being recalled to the NHL where he scored his first NHL goal. The Sens project him as their number one centre with star potential.

1. Jakob Chychrun D age:  23 21/22 team: Arizona NHL acquired: drafted 2016 14^th overall. If it seems like Chychrun has been at the top of this list for years, it’s because he has. He was the first ever draft choice made by the GM and has never disappointed. Although this past season playing in the NHL for a dreadful team has made things concerning, it is hopeful that he will be traded to a better franchise where he will continue to be one of the top 10 blue liners in the league.