Ottawa Senators Prospect Update - October 16th

So, uh did anyone catch that hockey game on Monday, pretty gnarly, huh? After exactly three games of Ottawa Senators hockey, I don't really know what to make of this team (although nkb might just have the answers) and likewise it seems way too early to rush to judgement on any of Ottawa's prospects so we'll just sift through the information we have so far.

Now, to review some of our conversations from the pre-season, we have tinkered a bit with our coverage formula for prospects so today I'll talk about the Prospects with a capital 'P' and we'll stagger our Belleville coverage for a separate post to keep things a little less jumbled and a little more pleasant for the reader. For today I have a little blurb for each of Ottawa's prospects’ seasons to date, and if you absolutely hate what I've done with the place then please let me know in the comments!

Matthew Andonovski (LD 140th overall 2023)

The stalwart defender who will serve as captain of the Kitchener Rangers this season (and with a shiny entry-level contract in hand) impressed with 32 points in 65 games last year while also earning praise for his sound, all-around defence, and his physical play. So far this season Andonovski has yet to register a point through eight games but has gotten some looks (18 shots on goal). For what it's worth, the Rangers currently sit atop their division despite a dearth of offence so I would hold my stock for now.

Owen Beckner (C/LW 204th overall 2023)

Beckner frequently turned up in our weekly coverage last season as he accumulated 45 points in his rookie USHL season with Tri-City. As a freshman with Colorado College, Beckner scored in his first NCAA contest late in the third period of a game that the Tigers went on to win in overtime. As we've seen before, minutes don't come easy for freshman so keep an eye on Beckner to see if he can force his way into the top-six with a reputable Colorado program.

Tyson Dyck (C/LW 206th overall 2022)

Dyck struggled to the tune of five goals in his freshman season with UMass and regressed to zero goals last year in Wisconsin so I don't have a lot to say here. Unless Dyck has some sort of monster season with the Badgers, I don't see an NHL contract in his future. So far he has one assist through two games.

Gabriel Eliasson (LD 39th overall 2024)

We have spilled a lot of ink since the Sens drafted Eliasson in the second round—mostly because he does murders on the ice and may or may not actually end up playing hockey very well. So far for the Barrie Colts, Eliasson has 20 penalty minutes and one goal through seven games so everything seems to have gone according to plan. Will he learn to leverage his reckless physical game into good hockey? I'll go ahead and give it my Tyler Kleven Guarantee, folks.

Lucas Ellinas (LW 104th overall 2024)

Ah yes, the player I always confuse with Eliasson (please tell me that other people do this too). After a decent rookie season in the OHL and a really strong playoff performance for Kitchener in the spring, the Sens have decent expectations of Andonovski's teammate. So far Ellinas has made good on that promise with four goals through eight games on 24 shots. Ellinas, along with Ottawa's two other fourth-rounders from 2024, has sneaky-good upside if he can put all the pieces together.

Oliver Johansson (LW 74th overall 2021)

It feels like a lifetime since Johansson tore up the junior circuit in Sweden. Like a lot of prospects, Johansson just never made that jump to professional hockey that we had expected. So far Johansson has one goal on 11 shots through nine games this season. Sometimes they just don't pan out, folks.

Blake Montgomery (LW 117th overall 2024)

The second of Ottawa's high-upside fourth-rounders from this past summer, Montgomery had a breakout rookie season in the USHL after slipping through his first year of draft eligibility. Scouts love Montgomery's skillset and if he can put the pieces together then he could turn into a sound long-term investment a la Stephen Halliday (Montgomery will play his freshman season next year in Wisconsin). So far through six games in the USHL this season, Montgomery has two goals and five assists to go with 13 shots. I expect we'll see his name a lot around here this season and next.

Javon Moore (LW 112th overall 2024)

Our third left-winger from said group of three, Moore also has all the qualities that scouts love, and with plenty of time to figure out how he can best leverage his physical attributes to make a difference on the ice. So far Moore has a decent two goals and two assists through the six games and with 15 shots so far we can also hope for an uptick in shooting percentage. The Sens have drafted heavily towards defence in recent years so if any number of Ellinas, Montgomery, or Moore can make it past the AHL then that would reassure me somewhat.

Vladimir Nikitin (G 207th overall 2023)

As a seventh-rounder I probably shouldn't get too invested in Nikitin because he may amount to just some cool trivia in Sens lore one day but tell that to my brain. Nikitin had mixed results in his first season in the organization, putting up okay numbers in the BCHL and standing on his head for Kazakhstan's national team in tournament play. So far in this young season Nikitin has served as a backup in the MHL (one of Russia's developmental tiers). Nikitin has a 1-3 record and save percentage of .914 through four games. I would love to see the guy steal the starting gig at some point this season but I guarantee nothing.

Filip Nordberg (LD 64th overall 2022)

Sandwiched somewhere between Kleven and Eliasson in the history of Ottawa Senators draftees, Nordberg has hopped around between god knows how many leagues and teams since the Sens drafted him and the results have always amounted to about the same pedestrian numbers. Playing alongside Moore in the USHL, Nordberg has zero points through four games this season. Whiffing on a second-rounder always stings--big Andreas Englund vibes.

Cam O'Neill (RW 143rd overall 2022)

A cautionary tale in me getting excited about USHL players because I really want a forward to pan out (and a natural right-hander at that), O'Neill struggled with seven points in his freshman season at UMass and so far hasn't registered a point through three games. File him beside Dyck and Johansson.

Kevin Reidler (G 151st overall 2022)

Well this sucks. Reidler ranked easily in my top-three most anticipated prospects for the season after a breakout campaign with USHL Dubuque and so far the Riddler has yet to start a game. Reidler has backed up for both of Omaha's contests so far this season--life of a freshman goaltender, I suppose.

Hoyt Stanley (RD 108th overall 2023)

Stanley had some injury setbacks last year before eventually settling into a groove in his freshman season at Cornell. Again, as one of Ottawa's few natural righties, I have extra high hopes for the defender, whether merited or not. Stanley's season starts November first with a two-game weekend series against North Dakota. I miss the NoDak Sens.

Nicholas Van Tassell (RW 215th overall 2023)

Kind of like Dyck and O'Neill, some late round picks end up exactly the way you think they will. Van Tassell to his credit has already matched his goal total from his freshman year (one) through three games but like his UMass teammate, it will take some kind of performance this season to get Van Tassell back on our collective radar as a fanbase.

Theo Wallberg (LD 168th overall 2022)

Probably my favourite non-goalie diamond-in-the-rough in Ottawa's system, Wallberg had a great freshman campaign playing alongside Halliday with the Buckeyes last season and should set new totals as a sophomore with more responsibility and bigger minutes. Unlike some other prospects who have stalled, Wallberg seems to trend up every season that we follow him. So far he has an assist and three shots through his first two games with Ohio State this year.

Eerik Wallenius (LD 136th overall 2024)

The last of the very tall boys from Ottawa's comically lanky 2024 draft, Wallenius seems like even more of a raw, unpolished prospect than Eliasson but with more offensive upside and less of a reputation for decapitation. So far Wallenius has three goals, six assists, and 22 shots through ten games in Finland's junior circuit this season.

Carter Yakemchuk (RD 7th overall 2024)

Talk about saving the best for last, Yakemchuk nearly made the NHL roster out of his first training camp and a lot of us found it surprising that the newest Chuk didn't at least get one regular season NHL game under his belt. Considering the Sens haven't had a prospect like Yakemchuk since the 2020 draft (RIP the 2021 entry class--yikes) we can all expect the organization to exercise every conceivable precaution with the defender's development. So far he has one goal on the season back in the WHL.