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The 2019/20 Ottawa Senators Prospect Pyramid

By James Reeve

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Lassi Thomson reacts after being selected nineteenth overall by the Ottawa Senators during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Lassi Thomson reacts after being selected nineteenth overall by the Ottawa Senators during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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KANATA, ON – JULY 02: Ottawa Senators Prospect Defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker (48) skates during the Ottawa Senators Development Camp on July 2, 2018, at Bell Sensplex in Kanata, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Tier 2: The Very Good

Tier 2 prospects are the players that are not expected to be top-tier players in the NHL but are expected to be solid NHL players that will have an important role on the team.

The Ottawa Senators are fortunate to have an abundance of players sitting in this tier, with two goaltenders that are expected to be the team’s tandem of the future in another year or two.

Filip Gustavsson, despite facing a challenging season with the Belleville Senators, is still the team’s top prospect between the pipes.

At 21-years-old, Gustavsson is expected to compete for more minutes in the AHL and continue to grow into the future starter the Senators organisation is hoping he can be, having acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Marcus Hogberg, the B-Sens starter last season, also looks to have a very promising future ahead of him and could be a solid NHL backup goaltender as early as next season.

The two goalie prospects are part of a very strong group of prospects that also includes former first-round picks Josh Norris, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Lassi Thomson.

Thomson is expected to return to Finland to gain experience playing against adults before moving over to the Canadian capital.

After a successful season with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, where the right-handed blueliner registered 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists), Thomson projects to be a solid Top-Four defenceman for the Senators.

Bernard-Docker has impressed since going to the University of North Dakota, a program that the Senators have grown a particular affiliation for in recent seasons.

Playing alongside Jonny Tychonick and Shane Pinto this upcoming season will give the Senators an opportunity to closely watch three of their promising prospects in one location, with Bernard-Docker still viewed as the best of the bunch.

If he continues to perform well in college, having registered 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 36 regular-season games, then the right-handed defenceman has a legitimate shot at making the Ottawa Senators roster as early as next season.

The Full List

  • Filip Gustavsson
  • Marcus Hogberg
  • Josh Norris
  • Lassi Thomson
  • Jacob Bernard-Docker
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