Welcome to the latest edition of the ‘Get to know your Ottawa Senators prospects’ series, this time the focus is on Drake Batherson.
After finishing the 2016-17 season just under a point per game for the then-named Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the QMJHL, the Ottawa Senators selected Drake Batherson in the 4th round (121st overall) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing the next season in junior for the same team he had a very respectable 1.51 points per game while keeping up the same pace in 22 playoff games.
Already deemed as a steal to be drafted in the 4th round, Batherson started the 2018/19 campaign in Belleville – home of the Ottawa Senators AHL affiliates.
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When he came to play for the B-Sens there weren’t too many expectations for the 19-year old junior goal scorer, but he quickly proved doubters wrong – scoring nine points in only his first five games in the AHL.
He received a callup to the NHL Senators in the middle of the season, playing in 20 games and earning nine points (three goals, six assists) while mostly playing on a line with Matt Duchene.
Except for a further three games later in the year, Batherson played the rest of the 2018/19 season in the AHL.
Batherson finished the season with 22 goals and 40 assists for 62 points in only 59 regular-season games for Belleville – the highest of any player on the team.
He was a finalist for the AHL rookie of the year honours, but ultimately it went to Syracuse Crunch forward Alex Barre-Boulet.
Batherson, being a right-winger, will have an easier chance at making the Senators line-up than some other players in the system.
This is simply because the Sens don’t have as much depth on the right side as opposed to the centre and left-wing positions.
The 21-year-old could very well end up playing in Ottawa’s top six this year and will be a strong candidate for the Calder Memorial Trophy – awarded to the best rookie in the NHL each season.
Along with defenceman Erik Brannstrom and centre Logan Brown, the Senators have one of the most impressive prospect pools in the league – with a breakdown of this quality of depth outlined in SenShot’s 2019/20 Prospect Pyramid.
This coming year will be a learning experience for the young players of the Ottawa Senators and their new head coach D.J. Smith.
Hopefully, the team will grow together and we will be seeing meaningful hockey being played in Ottawa in the next season or two.
What do you think Sens fans? Will Batherson make the jump up to the NHL roster this season? Where will he be in the next two to three years? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!