Ottawa Senators Prospects: Olle Alsing Proves Smart Investment for Ottawa

Signed as a free agent last offseason, Olle Alsing is showing signs of an NHL defenceman

Being an undrafted free agent is never easy and is the main reason Alsing didn’t sign an NHL contract until he turned 23, now he’s one of the better defencemen in Sweden. Now with three years under his belt in the SHL, has proven to be one of the better players at his position.

First coming onto NHL radars last season after coming into his own during his first season with Djurgardens IF, where he compiled 15 points in 49 games, plus 8 points in 18 playoff games. While he was very solid in the regular season, his performance in the playoffs was what caught most team’s eyes.

At 5’11” and just 170 pounds, Alsing would be smart to put on some weight to protect himself from the rigours of the North American game. While his frame hasn’t stopped him from being elite defensively in Sweden, with tight quarters in the AHL/NHL a larger build would do himself some favours.

2019-2020 Recap

Starting off his season full of momentum from the contract he signed with the Senators, Alsing came out of the gates hot. Enough so to warrant an article written by Uffe Bodin of EP Rinkside highlighting Alsing’s quick rise to becoming a legitimate NHL prospect. The beginning of the season rampage that the Senators prospect went on was special:

"After being loaned to Djurgården by the Senators, Alsing has put up nine points in his first eight SHL games of the season and another nine points in five Champions Hockey League games."

A total of 18 points in just 13 games, Ottawa’s leap of faith they took on the promising defenceman was looking like a well-calculated decision. Alsing attests that his start to the season had some to do with confidence, finally feeling as if he belongs in Sweden’s top league and was very happy Ottawa offered him the opportunity to come back to Djurgardens for another season.

"Going into this season, there were a lot of question marks surrounding where he was going to play. Despite signing a two-year pact with the Senators as an undrafted free agent, Alsing pushed hard to play another season in Stockholm. The NHL club was happy to oblige.”Some teams aren’t willing to offer that solution. They want you to come and play in the AHL”, Alsing said. ”But Ottawa was a team that actually thought this was a good idea. We came to this solution and it feels really good. Had they not agreed to this, I would probably not have signed with them.”"

If Alsing had come over and played in the AHL, the season probably wouldn’t have played out as successful as it did with Djurgardens where the Senators prospect was more comfortable.

One of the star players in Djurgardens, Alsing was even promoted with this sweet highlight pack:

While he couldn’t keep up the pace in the SHL as he finished the season with 20 points in 36 games, he was still a beast in Champions Hockey League play with 15 points in 12 games. Unfortunately, Alsing missed the end of the season with a knee injury and unfortunately due to the worldwide pandemic we didn’t get to see the Senators prospect make a playoff push.

Alsing Making the Move to North America Next Season

As recently updated on his personal Instagram, Alsing is leaving the SHL next season and as many expect, heading over to Canada to join the Senators organization.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9zhOI0HAQS/

The text translates to “Thank you everyone involved🖤 Always regardless, forever Djurgården”.

Expected to start in the AHL next season as the NHL seems unlikely at this point, Alsing will have to prove that he can be solid in the minors before making the jump.

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• What To Expect From Ottawa Senators’ Pending UFA’s

Alsing plays on the left-side, he will start the season behind Thomas Chabot, Erik Brannstrom, Christian Wolanin and Mike Reilly but with Ottawa in the midst of a rebuild, the path to the roster is much easier than other teams. In Belleville, Alsing should start on good footing, likely competing against players like Andreas Englund, Max Lajoie and Jonathan Aspirot on the left-side, there’s no reason why Alsing can’t be better than all three.

If the Senators prospect can make his way up the depth chart in the AHL there should be NHL minutes available during the season, as Ottawa will likely shuffle the back end giving players crucial opportunity.

While next season will most likely be spent in the AHL with Belleville, if Alsing can show improvement throughout the season he will give himself a good chance at a potential spot on the Senators roster the following season.