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Ottawa Senators Prospect Update - March 2nd

All offense, no defense, and a touch of goaltending in this weekly update.

Forwards

Tyler Boucher

After a freshman experience at Boston University in which approximately nothing went right, Ottawa’s 10th overall pick from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft is finding his way with the OHL’s Ottawa 67s. Boucher had a goal and an assist yesterday in a 5-3 win over Oshawa, and currently has 5 points in 8 games. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s still underperforming compared to his draft slot, but I’m still happy to see him find some success after a brutal start to the season.

Philippe Daoust

Being one of the older players in the 2020 class, Daoust was eligible to begin the year in Belleville, contributing 5 assists in 15 games. Eventually, the decision was made to return him to the QMJHL, and now as a member of the Saint John Sea Dogs, has 14 points in 11 games, including a 3-assist game on Sunday.

A sixth-round pick, Daoust wasn’t playing in the CHL as early as many of his peers — he spent the 2019 season in the NOJHL, and was passed on by 20 OHL teams before finding a role with the Moncton Wildcats, which only increased with time. He’ll look to have a strong season with the Memorial Cup-hosting Sea Dogs, before returning to Belleville next season and making an impact in their top-six.

Ridly Greig

It’s really a shame that Greig wasn’t eligible for the AHL this season, it would’ve been the ideal place for his development since, even though he’s dominating in the WHL, his production is still similar to that of last season. With 3 assists in 2 games, the 28th pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft has put together another fantastic campaign with 53 points in 34 games, while averaging 4.5 shots per game.

The decision next season will be to either let him thrive in the AHL the same way that players like Alex Formenton and Drake Batherson have done in the past, or have him play in Ottawa’s bottom-six. While it’s likely that he can do the latter, the big club has quite a few players who are ready to take full-time spots, such as Shane Pinto, Mark Kastelic, and Parker Kelly, so I don’t see a need to take a potential risk and rush Greig to the NHL.

Cole Reinhardt

We’ve seen Kelly and Kastelic spend time on Ottawa’s fourth line this season, and they both are developing into exactly what the organization needs in a bottom-six forward. Another player who deserves a shot this season is Cole Reinhardt. Another 2020 sixth-rounder, he plays a similar physical, agitating game, and brings a similar amount of offense as well. 2 goals in 3 games bring him up to 18 points in 43 games. I’d love to see at least one game this season featuring a fourth line of Kastelic, Kelly, and Reinhardt.

Zack Ostapchuk

Ostapchuk had a goal-a-game week, scoring twice against Victoria on Friday. The 2021 second-rounder had 28 points in 42 games in his third WHL season, and will look to increase that pace significantly next year, should an NHL career exist in his future.

Goaltending

Leevi Meriläinen

Through 39 games with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs this season, Meriläinen has a 24-12-3 record, which is really good, but his .889 save percentage, is not so much. However, with two wins this past week in which he made a combined 47 stops on 50 shots, things are moving in the right direction.

And even disregarding those games, it appears that his coaches are very happy with how he’s progressed this season as a whole. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic recently wrote a wonderful piece which featured Meriläinen’s reaction to being drafted, his coaches being impressed with his work ethic and ability to make key saves, as well as how the Senators have taken an active role in his development, taking advantage of the close proximity between Ottawa, Kingston, and Belleville.

Stats:

Pro (NHL, AHL)

----Sincethelastprospectupdate-|-TOTAL-
PLAYERPOSAGELEAGUEGPGAPPIMSOGSH%|GPGAPPIMSOGSH%
Jacob Bernard-DockerRD21AHL3011030%|3022414248%
Jacob Bernard-DockerRD21NHL0000000%|8011460%
Erik BrännströmLD22AHL0000000%|912310215%
Erik BrännströmLD22NHL2011060%|2205516330%
Philippe DaoustC20AHL0000000%|150554130%
Maxence GuénetteRD20AHL2000040%|32310134417%
Parker KellyC22NHL2000030%|1821361712%
Parker KellyC22AHL0000000%|24371026486%
Shane PintoC21NHL0000000%|5011250%
Jonathan AspirotLD22AHL3011650%|231101124373%
Angus CrookshankLW/C22AHL0000000%|0000000%
Roby JärventieC/LW19AHL32024922%|428162422978%
Mark KastelicC/RW22NHL0000000%|8011210%
Mark KastelicC/RW22AHL2000230%|398715557611%
Cole ReinhardtLW22AHL32022540%|437111844789%
Egor SokolovRW/LW21AHL1000010%|37141731149914%
Egor SokolovRW/LW21NHL0000000%|8000480%
Lassi ThomsonRD21AHL3000440%|2461016385012%
Lassi ThomsonRD21NHL0000000%|160552180%

NCAA

-----Sincethelastprospectupdate-|-TOTAL-
PLAYERPOSAGETEAMGPGAPPIMSOGSH%|GPGAPPIMSOGSH%
Tyler BoucherRW19Boston University0000000%|17213342110%
Tyler KlevenLD20Univ. of North Dakota2000430%|3353872687%
Luke LoheitRW21Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth3000040%|2624622405%
Jakov NovakLW/C23Northeastern Univ.3000030%|348715245714%
Jake SandersonLD19Univ. of North Dakota0000000%|217172466111%
Jonny TychonickLD21Univ. of Omaha1000000%|2013415284%

CHL

------Sincethelastprospectupdate-|-TOTAL-
PLAYERPOSAGETEAMLEAGUEGPGAPPIMSOGSH%|GPGAPPIMSOGSH%
Tyler BoucherRW19OttawaOHL422401217%|832561817%
Ridly GreigC/LW19BrandonWHL20330130%|342330538015215%
Carson LatimerRW19Edmonton/Prince AlbertWHL31124911%|441219311810012%
Zach OstapchukC18VancouverWHL22022633%|421414284512411%
Ben RogerRD19London/KingstonOHL1000220%|4318935552%
Chandler RomeoLD18Hamilton/SarniaOHL3011880%|421121378612%
Philippe DaoustC20Saint JohnQMJHL31340520%|11771422232%

Europe

------Sincethelastprospectupdate-|-TOTAL-
PLAYERPOSAGETEAMLEAGUEGPGAPPIMSOGSH%|GPGAPPIMSOGSH%
Vitaly AbramovLW/RW23Chelyabinsk/MoscowKHL0000000%|458917286612%
Olle AlsingLD25Nur-SultanKHL0000000%|43281014693%
Eric EngstrandLW21MalmöSHL4011010%|3253822322%
Eric EngstrandLW21Troja/Ljungby IFAllsvenskan0000000%|1413427264%
Oliver JohanssonC/LW18Timrå IKJ20 Nationell21012633%|2511193086218%
Oliver JohanssonC/LW18Timrå IKSHL0000000%|140000160%
Viktor LodinC/LW22Timrå IKSHL42022729%|3581220417511%

Goalies

-----Sincethelastprospectupdate--|-TOTAL--
PLAYERAGETEAMLEAGUEGPWLOTLSOLSAGASV%|GPWLOTLSOLSAGASV%
Filip Gustavsson23BellevilleAHL1010029389.7%|833101911890.6%
Filip Gustavsson23OttawaNHL1010033293.9%|1339104324589.6%
Kevin Mandolese21BellevilleAHL2200069494.2%|1585004154090.4%
Kevin Mandolese21AtlantaECHL00000000.0%|614101911691.7%
Leevi Meriläinen19KingstonOHL2200050394.0%|39231220118513188.9%
Mads Søgaard21BellevilleAHL00000000.0%|231111006246290.1%

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