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Ottawa Senators: Mock Draft Based on Pierre Dorion’s Draft Trends

By Daniel Bruce

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 4: Pierre Dorion, General Manager of the Ottawa Senators, walks the red carpet prior to the start of their home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks at Canadian Tire Centre on October 4, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 4: Pierre Dorion, General Manager of the Ottawa Senators, walks the red carpet prior to the start of their home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks at Canadian Tire Centre on October 4, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) /
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PLYMOUTH, MI – DECEMBER 11: Jake Sanderson #48 of the U.S. Nationals follows the play against the Slovakia Nationals during game two of day one of the 2018 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament game at USA Hockey Arena on December 11, 2018 in Plymouth, Michigan. USA defeated Slovakia 7-2. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
PLYMOUTH, MI – DECEMBER 11: Jake Sanderson #48 of the U.S. Nationals follows the play against the Slovakia Nationals during game two of day one of the 2018 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament game at USA Hockey Arena on December 11, 2018 in Plymouth, Michigan. USA defeated Slovakia 7-2. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /

3rd Overall: Tim Stützle (C/LW), Mannheim (DEL)

With Byfield going 2nd to the Los Angeles Kings, Dorion will go with the German centerman who has inserted himself firmly into the second-tier with Byfield. It’s tough to depict where Dorion would lean here as he has had just one top-5 pick during his time with Ottawa and that was Brady Tkachuk.

“Having spent quite a bit of time in Germany this year, that league is a very good league” -Pierre Dorion

Nobody inside the top-10 particularly projects to Tkachuk’s game style, so I think Dorion goes with the best player available at this point. Dorion has tipped his hand in the media about seeing Stützle and subliminally hinting that he is an option at 3.

After the draft lottery, Elliotte Friedman asked Dorion to break down the tiers of players in the upcoming draft:

"Friedman: “I’m sure a lot of people would assume Lafreniere goes first, without giving us names, can you give us an idea Pierre of the next tier? How many players (you don’t have to name them) but how many players do you think are in that next tier after Lafreniere?”"

"Dorion: “I would probably have to tell you there’s two in the next tier”"

Assuming Dorion is being transparent in his analysis, Stützle would be in the next tier, meaning he would be the pick at third overall.

5th Overall: Jake Sanderson (LD), USNTDP

Now, this won’t be a popular pick for most Senators fans, I included, I vividly remember Sens fans being outraged at the Brady Tkachuk pick in the 2018 draft and selecting Jake Sanderson here could reap in ways similar to that of Tkachuk.

While Sanderson isn’t known for his offensive game, he wasn’t a slouch with the USNTDP (United States Nation Team Development Program) Juniors producing 14 points in just 19 USHL games, the production isn’t something to worry about. Off the rush he uses his smooth skating to join the play and can use his heavy shot to find the back of the net from time to time:

He also captained the U18 team, so Ottawa will love his character and leadership. Ottawa isn’t desperate for left-handed defenceman but they’re not lacking on the right-side as people would leave you to believe. With Erik Brannstrom preferring to play on his off-side, Ottawa now holds Brannstrom, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Lassi Thomson as players who could hold down the right-side in the future.

Aside from handedness, Dorion will prioritize getting a physical defenceman to intimidate and be a physical presence. They can learn from their rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs similar mistake by being too soft in their own end, they can take a defensive stalwart in Sanderson to ideally lock down opposing teams top lines when the Senators become competitive.

To add flame to the fire, Sanderson is headed to North Dakota next season, alongside Jacob Bernard-Docker and Shane Pinto, this feels all too real.

21st Overall: Thomas Bordeleau (C), USNTDP

Never shy about taking players from the USNTDP with recent picks of Brady Tkachuk, Jonathan Gruden and Colin White, Dorion has relied on the national team route for many draft picks.

The University of Michigan commit was the leading scorer for the U.S. National U18 Team, where he scored 16 goals and 46 points in 47 games. A little on the smaller side at 5’9″, Bordeleau is feisty and never afraid to get dirty in the corners. Dorion has shown a tendency in the past to air on the side of caution with players and take the safest bet, Bordeleau possesses that archetype too. He does a lot of things at a high level, but doesn’t excel in any one area and possesses limited weaknesses.

Bordeleau also comes from a hockey family, his father Sebastien Bordeleau played 251 games in the NHL, Pierre Dorion has taken a liking to players with deep family roots in the game.

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