Ottawa Senators Prospect Roundup: October 2012

In years past, a mid-level prospect could have a middling or poor season statistically, and it would only appear as the slightest blip on an NHL fan's radar. For the time being, with no NHL on the immediate horizon, attention has turned to the system. Logically, a lack of hockey should redirect our evenings into other pursuits. Instead of listening to two hours of Denis Potvin's commentary three-to-four times a week, we would turn our attention elsewhere. We might read more or start watching those shows that everyone says we absolutely must see, "I can't believe you haven't watched [critically acclaimed television series]. Oh my, you just have to. Do yourself a favour and watch it. Start now. Do you want to watch it? I actually have it here. I almost think less of you knowing you haven't." We might redirect our focus to other sports teams we like- as a New York Jets fan, that can be very, very trying. Maybe there is a hobby, or 'family' and 'friends'. Yet, even after dabbling in all the alternatives, dedicated hockey fans are yearning to know about the goings-on with their team. And yes, there is still much going on. There is the AHL, ECHL, college and junior. Whether you actively think about it while watching some TV show about a drug dealer in the desert or not, players in the system are playing, developing and offering insight into how they might project at a higher level and whether that's in keeping with, exceeding or falling short of fans' expectations.

So, if a prospect is having a tough season and looking to get by without much criticism, this isn't the year to do it.

Let's take a look at how the Sens' long list of prospects are faring:

Forwards:

• That list may seem a little short. It is. Left off of it are the bulk of guys currently playing in the AHL and ECHL for the B-Sens or Jackals. This year was witness to a pretty impressive graduation of players from the Junior/College level to the professionals. Read our Binghamton recaps to find out more about how specific guys are faring on the farm and the farm's farm.
• Also missing from the crowd are Jakub Culek and Jarrod Maidens. I wrote about Culek's odd stand-still yesterday. Maidens was the Senators' third round selection in this year's draft, and he hasn't played a game at any level of hockey since then. It's not his fault, of course- Maidens is still suffering the effects of a concussion that caused him to miss the last 39 games of last year's regular season. He has also missed eleven this year, bringing the total to fifty games and one offseason spent off his skates. I was unable to track down any information on how he is currently, including whether or not he has begun light conditioning or anything of the sort. That's scary. Hopefully he makes a full recovery.
• Max McCormick fought his way out of the USHL and into a starting job at college. Last year, he tied for the second most points among rookies in the CCHA, making his way onto the All-Rookie team. His fists didn't need to be as much a part of his game last year- he had 31 penalty minutes through 27 regular season games. This year, with a minor through four, he looks to be on pace for a college-level Lady Byng. The 6th-round pick put up good offensive numbers last year and seems to be on track for the same, though it is very early in the year.
  
• Marcus Sorensen still counts as being in the system.
• Stefan Noesen quietly had a very productive year last year. He is critically important to any success Plymouth has. Though playing on a very talented team, the same can be said of Matt Puempel. The two draft round buddies are off to fine starts.

Defence:

• This list is also short a few candidates. Michael Sdao is excluded because his Princeton Tigers don't start their season until this weekend. Tim Boyle, on the other hand, is a mystery to me. The Union College commit has yet to play in a game for the team. There could be an injury here.
• I wrote about Wikstrand's fantastic start earlier on in the week.
• Many of you have watched Ceci live and will know that he has been strong for the 67's so far. Though the team has faltered slightly, Ceci has put up terrific offensive numbers and is has an entertaining blend of size and skating ability.

Goalies:

• Same number of goals against. Eerily similar stats in some places. Francois has had an excellent start to his campaign. Nothing to read much into with these numbers, they're mostly to offer comfort in the notion of having goaltending depth. Experiencing a curious feeling reading this? Goaltending depth.

It's early to make much of any of the numbers listed on this page, but rest assured this is going to be a very important year for some of these prospects. Moreover, there is going to be more speculation and assumptions made about our prospects than in normal seasons-- and that's really saying something. I hope you're ready for it.