Ottawa Senators Prospect Update - March 7th

So it seems the Chicago Blackhawks become the protagonist in any hockey game against the Ottawa Senators. If anything, I’m grateful we only play them twice a year. Let’s see what the prospects have been up to recently.

Forwards:

Stephen Halliday

The 2022 fourth-round selection saw his first taste of NCAA playoff action, helping Ohio State top Michigan State in a three-game series, with 1 goal and 4 assists. Halliday leads his team with 39 points in 37 games as a freshman, and it’s still an impressive total for being around the age of a third-year college player. Ohio State will take on Michigan in a single-game semifinal in the Big Ten conference on March 11th.

Angus Crookshank

Belleville’s top goalscorer and volume shooter continued to add to his body of work with 16 shots on goal in the 3 games he played. Crookshank added two goals and an assist to his 35 points in 55 games this season, and his 21 goals rank first on the club. He certainly has a good chance of making Ottawa in a depth role next season, especially with the team expected to spend close to the salary cap.

Oskar Pettersson

Pettersson returned to Rogle BK’s U20 team, on which he had a two-goal game — the third-rounder from 2022 has 18 goals in 21 games. Like fellow third-rounder Oliver Johansson last season, he’s been dominant on the junior team, but Pettersson has also spent significant time on the SHL roster as well, despite only managing 2 points in 29 games. The fact that he’s at least played a role on the men’s team is a good sign for his development.

Defensemen:

Chandler Romeo

A seventh-round selection from 2021, Romeo had one of his more productive weeks in the OHL — with a goal and two assists in three games, he’s proving to be a decent depth addition for the Guelph Storm. The Storm currently sit fifth in the OHL’s Western Conference, in which they’ll have more of a fighting chance as opposed to if they played in the East. Romeo has 14 points in 46 games with Guelph and Sarnia this year, and will need to make a massive push if he wants an entry-level deal with the Senators.

Jorian Donovan

Ottawa’s most consistent defense prospect this season had a modest two games, netting a goal and assist to bring his total to 45 points in 55 OHL games. The Hamilton Bulldogs rank fifth in the Eastern Conference, and while not in any danger of missing the playoffs, are under pressure to avoid a top team in the first round, such as Ottawa, North Bay, and Barrie.

Goaltending:

Leevi Merilainen

Despite losing two of the three games he played, it wasn’t really Merilainen’s fault. He further improved his already fantastic save percentage by stopping 74 of 80 shots for Karpat. Merilainen is only further cementing himself as a top goaltending prospect in the Senators’ organization, with a .921 save percentage and an 18-12-6 record. Expect him to split time with Kevin Mandolese in Belleville next season, as Ottawa may look to Mads Søgaard to be the backup full-time.

Silver Linings:

• A few other notes regarding NCAA playoff action. Tyler Kleven and North Dakota will face Jonny Tychonick and Omaha, while Luke Loheit and Minnesota-Duluth take on St. Cloud State in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff tournament. The best-of-three quarterfinal round will take place from March 10th - March 12th.
• Over in the Hockey-East conference, Jakov Novak and Northeastern have qualified for the quarterfinal while Tyson Dyck and Massachusetts face Boston College in a play-in series on March 8th.

Stats: