Drake Batherson deserves shot with the Ottawa Senators
With the Ottawa Senators beginning a rebuild, it’s expected that a number of young players will have an opportunity to impress the NHL club.
One such player in the Ottawa Senators system is Drake Batherson, who managed to make 20 appearances in the NHL this past season.
Batherson, who was originally selected in the fourth round (121st overall) of the 2017 draft, looks to be developing into a hidden gem for the Senators.
In his rookie season with the Belleville Senators of the AHL, Batherson averaged over a point-per-game, with 22 goals and 62 total points in 59 regular season appearances.
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Batherson’s strong showing in the minors came off the back of a stellar playoff campaign with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL, where the Fort Wayne native registered a team-leading 33 points (13G-20A) in 22 post-season games.
The 21-year-old’s brief stint in the NHL last season was very positive, with the versatile forward having almost a point every other game, with three goals and nine total points in 20 games.
What should also be noted is that two of his three goals were game-winners for the Ottawa club.
The 6-foot-1, 187lbs forward, who also scored seven goals in seven games on route to a World Junior Championship gold medal the previous season, has shown enough at the professional level to warrant giving him an extended look in the NHL in 2019/20.
A number of guys that played this past season in Belleville could find themselves given an opportunity to impress in the NHL, with Logan Brown, Nick Paul, Rudolfs Balcers and Christian Wolanin all expected to be given shots.
Batherson finished this past season as the B-Sens’ top points producer, earning 15 more than Jack Rodewald in second place.
With the Ottawa Senators beginning to trend towards youth, Batherson should be one of the first names mentioned when discussing prospects having an opportunity in the NHL.
His goalscoring ability will be coveted if he is able to continue to produce at the NHL level and his versatility, being able to play as either a centre or on the right wing, is something that new head coach D.J. Smith could value as he works to build a competitive line-up for the future.
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What do you think Sens fans? Should Batherson be brought up into the NHL team next season? Which other prospects do you expect to make the leap next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!