To get our readers through August and ready for September’s training camp, we are excited to introduce the SenShot Rookie Showcase. Each post will showcase one Ottawa Senators prospect. First up is the recently drafted Finnish defenceman, Lassi Thomson.
Standing at 6’0″ and weighing in at 190 pounds, Ottawa Senators recent draft-pick Lassi Thomson has the ability to rush up the ice and make plays at a fast pace. Armed with a great shot and his fast skating ability, he can and has literally just skate right past defencemen as if they weren’t even there.
Born in Tampere, Finland Lassi Thomson played all of his junior years prior to last season in his home country, before leaving Finland to play in Canada.
The right-handed smooth-skating defenceman spent all of last season with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. Scoring 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points in 63 games. He was tied for 3rd in goals and 20th in points among all WHL defencemen. He was also the runner-up for the WHL’s rookie of the year.
Although Thomson signed an entry-level deal with the Senators on July 15th, 2019, he has already committed to returning to his home country for the 2019-20 season to play with Ilves.
Dorion confirms Lassi Thomson will play in Finland next year.
— Shawn Simpson (@TSNSimmer) July 30, 2019
As he continues to impress Ottawa Senators management with his puck-moving ability, he will need to improve his defensive game as well. The defensive aspect of his game was his main area of concern and was why most scouts had him being drafted in the 2nd or even the 3rd round.
Let’s not forget the reaction the Ottawa Senators received when they drafted Thomson at 19th overall this past June. Many, many fans and analysts saw it as a reach by the Senators. Pierre Dorion and his scouting staff have been solid in their defence of this pick, so fans will have to trust that the scouting staff knew what they were doing. If history is to be an indicator in this, the Thomson pick could be one that Ottawa Senators fans love in a few years.
Drafting Thomson gives the Senators much needed depth on right defence which was a major concern heading into this year’s draft. Now they have depth on the right side with Nikita Zaitsev, Ron Hainsey, Dylan Demelo and Christian Jaros. This also does not include the first-round pick from last season Jacob Bernard-Docker and the recently drafted Lassi Thomson. The Ottawa Senators appear to be set for right-handed defensemen for years to come.
Sens fans, let us know what you think of Lassi Thomson in the comment section below. Were you happy with the pick back in June? If not, has your opinion of the player changed?