Ottawa Senators Prospect Update - November 8th

Forwards

Zack Ostapchuk

After a pretty slow week, the Vancouver Giants’ captain returned to the dominant center we saw in last year’s playoffwith a goal, 3 assists, and 11 shots on goal in 3 games. Look for him to continue to produce at an increased rate from the 13 in 11 he has now. Both he and Tyler Boucher, the latter of whom is currently serving a suspension, appear to have recovered from poor starts to their careers as part of the Senators’ organization. It’s probably a bit early to say the 2021 draft class is saved just yet, but these are positive steps to build on.

Carson Latimer

Another member of that 2021 class, Latimer is looking to secure an entry-level deal from the Senators with his rights set to expire this summer. His efforts to do so in the last few weeks have culminated in back-to-back appearances on the featured group. 4 assists in his last 3 games bring his total up to 12 points in 14 games. Considering he was at 5 points in 9 games a while back, he’ll need this kind of scoring pace throughout the season if he wants to at least become a decent AHLer.

Ridly Greig

Probably Ottawa’s most valuable player that isn’t currently on their NHL roster, Greig has initially struggled to find playing time through rehabbing a shoulder injury at the World Juniors in August. He’s starting to find a rhythm in Belleville now, with 2 assists in a 3-2 victory over Lehigh valley on Friday. With Josh Norris out long-term, Greig could see time in Ottawa’s top nine after more seasoning in the AHL.

Defencemen

Theo Wallberg

Making his debut in our weekly updates is 6’4 Theo Wallberg, the last of four left-shot defensemen selected by Ottawa this past June. He was one of several standout players during the Dubuque Fighting Saints’ 10-2 victory over Madison on Friday, netting his first and second goals on North American ice, along with an assist.

Maxence Guenette

With a goal in Belleville’s 3-2 victory over Lehigh Valley on Friday, the right-shot blue liner from the 2019 NHL Draft now has 2 points in 10 games this season. He’s not quite been as productive as he was last year, but he’s at least remaining engaged offensively with 22 shots on goal.

Goaltending

Kevin Reidler

I can’t believe it’s not Merilainen! Another late-round selection, currently playing for AIK’s U20 squad in Sweden, Reidler posted a strong .935 save percentage in three appearances this week. He currently boasts a 2-9 record and an .891 save percentage, so lets hope that his recent performance could kickstart a decent run for him.

Silver Linings

• We had to keep him out of the spotlight for a week lest he go blind, but Jake Sanderson has continued to be a force on Ottawa’s blueline. It’s not too surprising considering other Top 10 picks such as Quinn Hughes and Moritz Seider have done similar things in the past but that doesn’t make his accomplishments any less remarkable. Sanderson added an assist in 3 games this past week for a total of 5 points in 11 games.
• With a goal and an assist in two games, UMass’ Tyson Dyck is up to 5 points in 9 games, capping off a successful trio of 2022 draftees with Reidler and Wallberg.
• Guenette wasn’t the only Ottawa defence prospect to score his first goal of the season this week. 2020 2nd-rounder Tyler Kleven also got on the board with a rocket on the power-play for North Dakota.