Recapping the Ottawa Senators 2019 NHL Draft selections

Fifth Round

With their selection in the fifth round of the draft, the Ottawa Senators made a similar move by selecting overaged forward Mark Kastelic 125th overall.

The 20-year-old centre had been passed over in two previous drafts but saw his production jump in a significant way during his most reason season with the Calgary Hitmen.

Prior to the 2018/19 season, Kastelic had never reached a point-per-game pace but his fourth campaign saw him take on a leading role in the team’s offence.

Kastelic, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, was handed the coveted captain’s ‘C’ and led the team in both goals (47) and total points (77), adding a further nine points (six goals, three assists) in just nine playoff appearances.

Overage players often see their production increase, so seeing Kastelic lead the Hitmen is not too surprising – but the fact that he increased his single-season total by over 30 points has clearly impressed the Senators’ scouting team.

He may have an outside shot at seeing action in the NHL in the future, but he could certainly find himself being brought into the Belleville Senators to see if he can take the next steps in his development as early as this season.

With Kastelic being more of a goalscoring centre, it will be interesting to see how his development unfolds now that he has finally being drafted into the NHL.