With the Ottawa Senators currently holding onto two draft picks in the presumptive top five of the 2020 NHL Draft, a lot of speculation has been made about those two picks.
It’s easy to assume the Senators will select players with the 2nd and 3rd picks in the draft, but that is not the most likely scenario. The most likely outcome of the draft lottery for the Ottawa Senators is they end up with the 5th and 6th picks overall.
So with that in mind, I’ve come up with a few prospects that Ottawa could select if the lottery balls don’t land their way:
Marco Rossi:
Playing for the Ottawa 67’s, and leading the Ontario Hockey League in points, Rossi jumped from a late first-rounder to 6th overall in most draft rankings. The Austrian native nearly doubled his point production from last year with 120 on the year, including 39 goals in only 56 games.
Some doubt his production will carry into the NHL smoothly, as OHL statistics aren’t very telling when it comes to NHL seasons. His major minus is his size, he stands at only 5-foot-9 and 187 lbs.
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If the Senators end up with the 5th and 6th picks he would definitely garner a long look from Pierre Dorion as a player who could be one of those picks. Plus he’s a hometown kid, playing in Ottawa.
Cole Perfetti:
A player with a similar playing style to Rossi, he will likely just be one pick away from the aforementioned player. Projected to go 5th in the draft, Perfetti had an electrifying performance in the OHL this year playing for the Saginaw Spirit, one of only three teams in the United States.
He put up 111 points and similarly to Rossi had the majority of his points come from assists. Standing at 5-foot-11 and 177 lbs, he still has time to fill out his frame before an NHL team will come calling.
This would be a great pick for the Ottawa Senators to improvise with if the lottery doesn’t go their way.
Alexander Holtz:
An extremely gifted shooter currently playing for Djurgardens in the SHL, he was in the top three on draft rankings up to a few months ago. He has since dropped because other players have had absolutely sensational campaigns, he is still the top-ranked European prospect in the 2020 draft.
I think he could be an absolute steal and has the potential to be the NHL’s next great goal scorer. Of course, he will have to fix parts of his game to make it in the NHL. His acceleration is an issue and his playmaking abilities are in question, another year or two of development and he’ll be a fantastic player.
Definitely someone Dorion and co. should be keeping close tabs on.
Yaroslav Askarov:
No question he’s the top goalie in the draft, but since his lackluster performance at the World Juniors, his stock has dropped considerably. The Russian goaltender had a successful season in the KHL’s development league and has starter potential.
Most rankings but him in the 12th to 20th range, but I could see the Ottawa Senators nab him at 6th overall. Its a long shot but Pierre Dorion is known for going off the board on draft day.
The Senators have questions in net going forward, and another top goalie prospects can’t hurt.