Ottawa Senators Prospect Update - March 29th

It was a fairly quiet week for the Ottawa Senators prospect pool this week, especially with Belleville scoring just four goals across three games. Nevertheless, they won two of those games, which at least means the goaltending was fantastic.

Forwards

Tyler Boucher

The controversial 10th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft had the best game of his OHL career on Friday — two goals and an assist in a 9-4 win over the Peterborough Petes. Despite having just 10 points in 17 games with the Ottawa 67s, Boucher has been able to generate over three shots per game while delivering the occasional crushing body check. With the season he’s had, it’s vital that he uses all of these small positives to keep moving forward, as he’s probably not a player who’s going to live up to a 10th-overall selection, though he can still become a useful NHL player if things go well.

#BoucherCam: Great second effort by #Sens prospect Tyler Boucher here. The kid has been really turning it on as of late. pic.twitter.com/kuMwTN3Hcn

— SENS TALK (@senstalk_) March 26, 2022

Philippe Daoust

After scoring 6 goals in 21 games with the Moncton Wildcats last season, Daoust has more-than-doubled that pace with 17 in 23 with the Saint John’s Sea Dogs, including three in his last four games. One of two sixth-round picks from Ottawa’s 2020 draft class, he’ll be taking part in this year’s Memorial Cup tournament playing for the host team, but they’re nonetheless a major threat to dominate the QMJHL playoffs, with a 17-6 record since Daoust joined the team. Expect him to return to Belleville next season, on which he’ll hopefully be able to contribute in a top-six role.

Daoust gets in alone and makes it 5-0! 🚨#CityofChampions pic.twitter.com/9DFW3UDT8L

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) March 25, 2022

Parker Kelly

Hopefully a future staple on Ottawa’s fourth line for years to come, Kelly was one of the more productive forwards down in Belleville, with a goal and an assist this week, bringing his total up to 13 points in 30 games. Interestingly enough, he has the same number of goals (five) in the AHL as he does in four fewer games in the NHL this season. I’d expect him to be back up with the big club next season, as he’ll need to clear waivers to be assigned to the AHL at that point.

Defensemen

Chandler Romeo

Of the two defensemen taken by the Sens in the 2021 draft, the 6’5 LHD has been the better of the two, despite being selected five rounds later. A goal and assist in three games this week brings Romeo up to 18 points in 57 games, with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Sarnia Sting.

Ben Roger

A right-shot defenseman taken in the second round this past year, Roger’s a lot like Tyler Kleven, except with fewer highlights. Even for a more defensive-minded player, he’s playing for a really talented Kingston Frontenacs squad, and his 7 points in 28 games indicate he’s not playing very high up the lineup. Perhaps next season will give him an opportunity on the team’s top defense pair, and allow him to earn an entry-level deal from the Senators.

Goaltending

Mads Søgaard

In what was a low-scoring week for Belleville, you just know Søgaard had to have stood tall to win two of three, and help his squad keep pace in the AHL playoff race. Allowing just 5 goals on 92 shots has improved his save percentage to .906 — which may not seem too impressive, but keep in mind, this is a 21-year-old goalie playing in his first professional season in North America. The Senators clearly saw him as a legitimate goalie prospect when they selected him in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft, and they’ve given him another vote of confidence by calling him up to Ottawa for the first time. Head coach D.J. Smith has indicated that he’ll get at least one start, presumably before returning to Belleville.

Silver Linings

• In the one game he played with Kingston this week, Leevi Meriläinen stopped 32 of 33 in an 8-1 win over Peterborough Petes (damn, those guys are down bad) on Sunday, bringing his save percentage up to .891. It’s been an up-and-down year, to say the least, but he’s thankfully had a lot of support from his team throughout, helping him to a 28-15-3 record.
• Lastly, the most exciting prospect in the Sens system has signed his entry-level deal with the Senators. Defensemen Jake Sanderson, the fifth-overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, has been biding his time in the NCAA for two years, which is a relatively high amount of seasoning for a player drafted so high. His sophomore season was cut short by injury, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to play a game this season, but it’s still incredibly exciting to know he’ll be a massive addition to the blueline next season./

Stats

Pro (NHL, AHL)

NCAA

CHL

Europe

Goalies