1. Colin White
Forward – USNTDP — 2015 1st round pick (Ottawa Senators)
USNTDP 6foot0 183lbs
Colin White just completed a season where he fought mono. His stats and production took a hit, as his weight would have fluxed all year long.
But if you take a look at his performance before that, it’s clear that the Senators may have taken a risk, but one that could reap very high rewards. If you have doubts, reading a few scouting reports on the player should put those to rest. How about this one from Elite Prospects:
"A prolific scoring threat, Colin White is a strong 3-zone player with an eye for scoring chances – Curtis Joe"
Sounds like Colin White could be quite the player, the type of player that teams look to have when competing for a Stanley cup. He’s intelligent and holds what could be the makings of an elite level defensive forward. Perhaps this was best imagined by Sens scout Bob Lowes who asked “can you spell S-E-L-K-E??” when talking about White.
With Curtis Lazar being held in such high regard by the franchise and fans, the team may have a second coming of Lazar in White. Lazar, as a 19-year-old still needs to develop his offensive game at the NHL level but has shown how he can be an impact piece in the future.
With Lazar graduated, White is the Senators’ best prospect. He’ll play in the NCAA next year and has the potential to dominate the league with another healthy season.
Wrap-Up:
The Senators have managed to re-stock their prospect cupboard with 8 additions in the 2015 NHL draft. You’ll notice that the top two prospects are 2015 1st round picks, and while “shiny, new toy syndrome” may be the reason to blame, I truly believe it’s something else.
Chabot and White just seem like sure bets. White certainly, and if there’s any doubt, it’s in Chabot’s defensive ability. The reason for ranking them ahead of 2011 picks Prince and Pumpel are simply due to time. Prince and Puempel are now 22/23-year-olds and not the youngest of prospects. Time is close to running out.
Puempel just had a set back year and Prince has always had doubts. That said, Prince just had an all-star caliber year in Binghamton and Puempel played 15 NHL games. Both are still solid prospects.
Moving down the list and there are players that really help the depth in Ottawa’s system. Nick Paul, Filip Chlapik and Andreas Englund all have what it takes to play in the NHL and Matt O’Connor completes a well-rounded system in terms of depth in different positions.
The Sens don’t have one of the best prospect pools in the league, in fact, it’s probably somewhere around the average or better. However, if the Senators continue the intelligent drafting systems they’ve displayed, this is a team, that although won’t be able to spend on flashy free agents or trades, could develop a contender through the draft.
Next: A Big Season Is In The Cards For Clarke MacArthur