Ottawa Senators: Early 2020 Entry Draft Predictions

The Ottawa Senators will enter the 2020 NHL Entry Draft with at least five picks across the first two rounds, making it a truly impactful weekend for the club’s rebuild.

It is imperative that the Ottawa Senators add high-end prospects to their already impressive pool of players, helping to progress the organisation’s rebuild at a steady pace.

In the 2020/21 season, a number of the organisation’s current crop of prospects will be expecting to make the jump to the NHL full-time, with the likes of Drake Batherson and Erik Brannstrom already having had a taste of life in the big league.

More from Editorials

• Ottawa Senators: Something’s Got to Give
• Hot Pierre Summer 2.0? Let’s Talk About The Ottawa Senators Offseason So Far!
• EXCLUSIVE: Making Moments With Senators Forward Egor Sokolov
• Joonas Korpisalo: The Solution To The Senators’ Goaltending Problem
• Ottawa Senators: To Build Or Demolish? New Arena Discussion

But in order for the Senators to return to the upper echelons of the league, a place they sat comfortably in the early-to-mid 2000s, a consistent stream of talent needs to be acquired and developed.

The 2020 draft presents the organisation with the perfect opportunity to do just that, with this year’s prospects class considered one of the strongest and deepest in recent memory.

The Ottawa Senators currently hold five picks across the first two rounds and will be in a strong position with which to add genuinely impressive talent to their ranks, with both of the team’s first-round picks currently expected to enter the coveted draft lottery.

With the potential to land a top-three pick, or two, and at the very least holding on to two top-ten picks, the Senators will be able to add some serious talent.

With that in mind, I take a look at some of the players the team could land in the 2020 NHL Draft. The current league standings have been used to determine which picks the Senators could have in the draft, assuming the draft lottery awards the bottom three ranked teams, currently Detroit, LA and New Jersey, with the top three picks.

First Round, Pick One

Balance is the key to any rebuild, with the Ottawa Senators needing to ensure that both offence and defence are addressed in this deep draft class.

With the second pick of the first round, a pick acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the trade that sent star defenceman Erik Karlsson the other way, the Senators should choose arguably the most impressive defensive prospect in the draft, Jamie Drysdale.

Drysdale is ranked by many as the top defenceman in the 2020 Draft, largely due to his strong two-way game that has seen him rack up an impressive seven goals and 38 total points in just 34 regular-season appearances for the Otters in the Ontario Hockey League.

The Otters’ alternate captain helped guide Team Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Championships, with Drysdale scoring a goal and having a further two assists in the seven games played at the coveted tournament.

His slight 5-foot-11, 170lbs frame conjures up images of a young Karlsson and he is likely to need to work on putting on the pounds once he is drafted into the NHL.

Defencemen also typically require further seasoning before being ready to step up into the NHL, with Drysdale likely needing to return to juniors due to him being ineligible to play in the AHL.

This does not mean the Sens should pass on him, or any defenceman, in the early stage of the first round as his ceiling could see him become a top-pairing blueliner in the future.

Second Round, Pick One

The Ottawa Senators should look to truly bolster their offensive prospect depth in the second round of the 2020 draft, with their first selection being Sarnia Sting centre Jacob Perreault.

Perreault is an intriguing prospect, with a number of outlets ranking him as a late first-round pick while others have him falling into the early stage of the second round.

This mock assumes that Perreault is overlooked, in a similar way to Arthur Kaliyev in the 2019 Draft, with the Senators being the fortunate team to select him four picks into the second round.

Perreault has an impressive stat line so far for the Sting, with 28 goals and 55 total points in just 41 regular-season games so far.

A goal-scoring centreman is always an appealing asset to have in the NHL, with the Senators needing to add more depth at the position moving forwards.

Second Round, Pick One

Antonio Stranges is another intriguing prospect, with many seeing him as a second-round prospect that, while not putting up big numbers, certainly has some versatility.

Capable of playing as a centre or out on the left wing, Stranges could prove to be a valuable development project for the Ottawa Senators, who could look to find which position he excels at and can fit into their system in a couple of seasons.

16 goals and 32 total points in 41 total games for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League may not sound too impressive, but the fact that a couple of outlets see him having late first-round potential should be a decent indicator that he is worth taking a gamble on in the middle of the second round.

With the long-term, development mentality the Senators have taken on over the past year, Stranges could fit perfectly into the team’s rebuilding plans and could become a player that adds value to the line-up later down the line.

Second Round, Pick, One

The final selection in the third round could prove to be one that many will scratch their heads at, but could end up being a truly intriguing development project as a result.

Roby Järventie, son of one-time NHL player (literally just one time) Martti, is developing his game in a unique way, playing the majority of his time with KOOVEE in the Finnish Mestis, the second tier of the country’s professional league system.

Many Finnish prospects will typically be drafted out of the country’s junior ranks, unless they are a truly special talent and play in the SM-Liiga, so for Järventie to be playing in the Mestis puts him somewhere between those two.

In 26 regular-season games, the August-born 17-year-old has 15 goals and 26 total points already and has even made four appearances for Ilves in the SM-Liiga, with one goal in four appearances.

Järventie’s development is intriguing to watch and his rankings range anywhere from early second round to late third round, making him a real high-risk, high-reward gamble that the Senators could benefit from if they manage his development appropriately.

Shane Pinto is a similar player, being selected far higher than many expected but is already showing early promise. If the Ottawa Senators want to make a splash and get fans talking, picking Järventie with their third second-round pick could certainly do that.

What do you think Sens fans? Would you be pleased with these draft picks? Who do you think the team should take with their first five picks? How about the later rounds? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!