Ranking the top 31 prospects in the 2020 NHL Draft: 2. Tim Stutzle
By Daniel Bruce
Where does Stützle fit in Ottawa?
Stützle would immediately step in as the Ottawa Senators’ undisputed top prospect and would help bolster an already loaded pool with the likes of Drake Batherson, Erik Brannstrom and Josh Norris.
The talented German forward will have every chance to make the opening day roster and has been training his body to get ready for NHL play.
TSN 1200 radio personality Shawn Simpson and John Rodenburg were a must listen (you can listen to it here), and Stützle said he is up to 88 kilograms converts to 194 pounds. If there were any concerns about his frame its safe to say they have been silenced as that is NHL ready size.
When the talented forward enters the league it will most likely be on the wing, but as he becomes more familiar with the North American game I can see him becoming a center. Stützle played center his whole career up until he joined the men in Mannheim.
If Stützle plays with the Ottawa Senators as early as next season he would most likely slide in on the second line, as Brady Tkachuk would be the top-line left-winger. Ottawa doesn’t have any defined centers in their top 6, but a mixture of Colin White, Chris Tierney or Logan Brown could be a good fit for Stützle. That leaves Josh Norris who is on the right track to becoming a full-time Senator and could actually be an exciting pairing with Stützle to start off both of their NHL careers. In the off chance, Ottawa’s fifth overall selection ends up being an NHL ready center such as Marco Rossi, that could be a great way for both players to break in the league.
On the right-wing side there is one player that all Senators fans should be excited about to build chemistry with the potential third overall pick, that would be Drake Batherson. One of the areas where Batherson could improve is his pace on the ice, and if he could get a winger like Stützle on his line that could open up so many opportunities for Batherson to be the offensive stud he was in the AHL.
Arguably the best area of Stützle’s game is how he drives the power play, his creative passing and speed he uses to create space is second to none. Ottawa was dead last in the league on the power play at 14.2%, adding a dynamic talent the mold of Stützle would help drive that number up. A potential power play consisting of Chabot, Duclair, Tkachuk, Batherson and Stützle should produce at a high pace with all the skill they have.
Whether if he’s ready this year or the year after, Stützle will bring a dynamic forward talent that the Senators have been missing for a while.