Prospects Tier
Filip Chlapik, Logan Brown, Rudolfs Balcers, Christian Jaros
While Batherson and Brannstrom are nearly untouchable, and the trio in the last tier are a little on the older side, these four are firmly in prospect territory. The one possible exception is Christian Jaros, who is already 24-years old, but having played 61 games in 2018-19, I felt he deserved a little more distinction than the likes of Andreas Englund.
None of these players likely project to be game-breakers, with Chlapik and Balcers looking like they’ll provide some skill down the lineup, with Jaros possibly becoming a reliable top-six defender. The wild card here is Logan Brown, who despite putting up big numbers in the AHL, has yet to establish himself in the NHL. Brown is already 22, so the clock is definitely ticking, but as a big physical player, his prime may start and end later than a speed and skill type. In the AHL, Brown has proven that he can play at the pro level, but the NHL has seemed half a step too quick for him for the most part. If he’s able to take a small step forward though, Brown has the potential to be a special player for Ottawa, meaning that, despite the temptation, the team would be wise to hold on to him as any potential return wouldn’t even come close to what Brown could become.