May 2011, Gatineau, Quebec.
The Olympiques go on a long playoff run, upsetting the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Quebec Remparts, and get set to take on arguably the most stacked team in modern QMJHL history, the St. John Sea Dogs.
Tim Murray, representing the then-Daniel Alfredsson-captained Ottawa Senators halfheartedly claimed that he wants his team captain’s number-sake to live on, telling his brother Bryan he wanted “the two number 11’s” from the finals.
NHL Draft day a month later.
The first number 11, Jonathan Huburdeau from the Sea Dogs, is just out of reach for the Senators, taken third overall by Florida.
The local number 11, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, falls right into Ottawa’s hands. The rest is history.
A year later, with Ottawa 67’s products Shane Prince and Corey Cowick in their system, the Senators take homegrown Cody Ceci from the Barberpoles.
Is it possible that a pipeline is being built from Glebe and Hull out to Kanata? That major junior prospects playing in the National Capital Region are staying local?
Their improbable run to the playoffs didn’t do anything to drive them out of contention for any Ottawa-based eligible, and it’s very possible to continue the Ottawa connection.
Players playing in the National Capital Region
Travis Konecny (RW, Ottawa, ranked 14 – CSS)
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Konecny’s game is a high-paced one, he uses his quick stride and low center of gravity to go to the dirty areas and create scoring opportunities both off the cycle and through the middle of the ice.
That being said, a huge part of his game is based on being the first one in on pucks along the boards, heavily forechecking and taking abuse in the corners to force the puck to the front of the net; that sort of play is very difficult to duplicate for a player with a smaller frame in professional hockey.
He played outstanding for five games just weeks after a separated shoulder, taking more abuse than anybody in the first five games of Ottawa’s loss to Niagara. If anyone can overcome the lopsided size-to-amount of hits given and taken ratio, it’s Konecny.
Should he fall a few picks below his projected spot, the Senators would likely be more than happy to nab him and watch him develop close by.
More on Konecny here.
Yakov Trenin (C, Gatineau, ranked 48 – CSS)
As great as Trenin’s season was, it was obvious against a stacked Rimouski team in the playoffs how miscast he was as a top-line forward.
That may change when he’s a year older and more experienced in the North American game, and it doesn’t take away from how physically solid he is and what he can do with the puck.
It might not be the swing-for-the-fences type guy you go for early in the second round, he projects to play a Joe Colborne style. He doesn’t use his frame as much as he could, but he’s powerful with the puck in the middle of the ice.
Alexandre Carrier (D, Gatineau, ranked 89 – CSS)
At times this year, Carrier quarterbacked the Gatineau powerplay.
Setting up the powerplay is never an easy task, let alone under Benoit Groulx, whose powerplay setup for over a decade has been heavily predicated on quick decision-making and cross-seam passes.
Carrier looks like a young James Wisniewski, and runs the powerplay like an Andrei Markov-type.
Dante Salituro and Jeremiah Addison (C/RW and LW, Ottawa, ranked 109 & 129 respectively)
Just as Jamie McGinn and Logan Couture went from the 67’s top line into the San Jose Sharks system, it’d be all too fitting if a team could somehow pluck linemates Addison and Salituro.
The two forwards were so dominant together, yet so different when contrasting styles of play.
Addison is the rugged winger, with a lot of work to do on his skating and puck skills, but enough tools to have a chance at a pro career. He’s willing to do anything and everything to get to the front of the net.
Salituro, on the other hand, is all finesse. He exploded for 78 points and tied Addison for the team lead in playoff points.
While he played right wing with the Don Mills Flyers, the 67’s were hell-bent on using him as a center, which finally panned out this year as he had more explosive speed, splitting the defence on a constant basis
His comparable would be a Mike Hoffman type, the way he can pick corners from above the hashmarks, but also be enough of a speed threat to back up the defence.
Ottawa selects 18, 42, 48, 109, 139 and 199 on Friday.
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