Silver Nuggets: Senators top prospects

As you might have been aware, earlier this week Hockey's Future released their rankings for the top Ottawa Senators prospects. Mika Zibanejad is ranked as Ottawa's top prospect with a grade of 8.0C, where an 8 is the player's best-case potential defined as:

First-Line Forward/ No. 2 Defenseman / No. 1 Goaltender - players with definite skill that might be just a cut below elite status, but still possessing All-Star potential.

The letter after the number determines how much a player can drop from that potential. In the case of a C, it means Zibanejad may reach his potential or may drop one or two spots to second or third line forward. Robin Lehner is Ottawa's second ranked prospect at 7.5C. Jakob Silfverberg and Stefan Noesen are tied for third at 7.0C (second-line potential). Mark Stone rounds out at the top five with a 6.5C rating.

They list Ottawa's prospect strengths to include forward depth, but note the lack of elite scoring forwards. I am not sure how puck moving defenceman are considered a strength. Perhaps they haven't updated the strengths since the David Rundblad trade.

More after the jump.

Here are today's links:

Tonight's game

• Everyone predicts a win. Our eternal leader picks 4-2 for Ottawa. (Senators Extra)
• Bobby Butler (remember him!?) returns to the lineup in the place of Kaspars Daugavins. (Ottawa Senators)
• Lines: 1) Greening-Spezza-Michalek, 2) Klinkhammer-Turris-Alfredsson, 3) Condra-Smith-Butler, 4) Foligno-O'Brien-Neil. (Nicolas St-Pierre)
• Ben Bishop will start for Ottawa. (Ottawa Senators)
• Paul MacLean talks about today's game. (Senators Extra)
• So does Daniel Alfredsson. (Senators Extra)