Ottawa Senators: Colin White Is Ready For The NHL
The Ottawa Senators will turn to young talent in this upcoming season to help their scoring problems. Notably, Colin White will be needed to make his mark on the team.
Drafted 21st overall in 2015, White came to the Ottawa Senators as a fairly high draft pick. However, it wasn’t so high that he was to be a guaranteed player. Despite this, the Sens were optimistic for the American’s success and they drafted him. Coming out of the United States Development Team he had quite a few question marks. He wasn’t playing in any of the top junior leagues, nor was he putting up eye popping numbers. Decent numbers but nothing fantastic. Players coming out of a league that isn’t one of the major ones can be hard to gauge as numbers can often times be misleading. However, it was the next season that revealed that White had the potential to be a star.
Boston College
Realising that White would be a bit of a project the Sens allowed him to continue his development at Boston College. This is one of the best schools for hockey in North America and would be where the Sens would see White’s potential. Lucky for the Sens he flourished. He won the rookie of the year as he put up more than a point per game. The next year he would improve his defensive game without taking much of a hit offensively. Through his two years at Boston College he appears to be developing into a standout two-way forward.
The World Junior Championships
One of the most notable parts of his two years since being drafted was his performance at the World Juniors. Often time’s superstar players come to the WJC and are shut down. Playing against a higher level of competition than they are used to, they aren’t able to convert their skills. For White this wasn’t a problem. Averaging a point per game in both years he was one of the best players for the United States. He even won a gold medal in 2017. Proving yourself against international competition is one of the more important parts of any players development and White has done just that.
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Final Thoughts
Now White has proven everything he can in College and Junior. His sights must turn to the NHL as the Ottawa Senators need him. Defensively responsible he shouldn’t have a problem fitting in under Guy Boucher. Although it can be a difficult transition for any player to the NHL, White looks up to the task.