Ottawa Senators: European Prospect Update

Catching up with Ottawa Senators prospects playing overseas

While many of the players who started the season in Europe due to the pandemic have returned to North America, some prospects are still playing overseas, and are thriving.

Eric Engstrand

Season Stats – Malmö (SHL): 34GP, 1G, 2A, 3P

The Senators 2020 5th-round pick hasn’t put up crazy numbers in the but his opportunities have been limited as he has been played primarily in a fourth-line role this season.

Engstrand has averaged only an average of 10:27 TOI/game he hasn’t been featured in an offensive role, he’s fallen victim to a league that relies heavily on veterans which makes it tough for young players to carve out substantial roles. Engstrand recently signed a one-year extension that will keep him in Sweden till at least the end of the 2022 season.

Roby Jarventie

Season Stats – Ilves (Liiga): 35GP, 10G, 11A, 21P

Jarventie had a dream start to the 2020 season, in his first 12 games of the season with Ilves, Jarventie had 11 points and earned himself a spot on the Finnish World Junior team. Then the Senators 2nd round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft hit a wall, first, reduced to a 13th forward role during the World Juniors where he went pointless in all 6 games.

However, Jarventie has recovered from his recent lull and is returning to his earlier form, he has 3 goals and 5 points in his past 6 games. The talented Fin scored did this against Jukurit in a two-goal performance on February 17th:

Jarventie took that end-to-end for the ridiculous goal that gives Senators fans a little glimpse of the talent the 33rd overall selection possesses.

Viktor Lodin

Season Stats – Timrå IK (HockeyAllsvenskan): 40GP, 10G, 21A, 31P

The biggest surprise so far this season has been Lodin – and this season it’s for all the right reasons. The Senators 4th round pick of the 2019 draft was disappointing last season where he had just 8 points in 18 games with HC Vita Hästen in HockeyAllsvenskan (2nd tier) and just 4 assists in 22 games in the SHL with Örebro. Lodin was a double-overager when he was drafted, so his mild production as a 20-year-old didn’t offer much hope for the Senators organization.

Lodin has 6 points in his last two games and his spectacular play is being noticed:

Lodin is 5th in points on one of the best teams in HockeyAllsvenskan and looks like he’s finally starting to come into his own.

Fun fact: Former Senator draft pick Jonathan Dahlen leads Timrå in points with 67 points in 40 games. Wow.

Leevi Merilainen

Season Stats – Kärpät U20 (U20 SM-sarja): 19GP, 0.928 SV%

Merilainen was a highly-ridiculed selection in the third round of last year’s draft but he has done his best to silence the critics as he’s been outstanding as the Kärpät U20’s primary starter.

Merilainen 18, was one of the youngest players in the NHL Draft and is a huge project at this point, but with his raw traits, he has the chance to turn into something for the Ottawa Senators.

Mads Sogaard

Season Stats – Esbjerg Energy (Denmark): 13GP, 0.934 SV%

Sogaard decided to stay in Denmark for the remainder of the season and it’s turning out to be a smart decision. The Senators 2019 2nd round draft pick has been far and away the best netminder in Denmark, his 0.934 save percentage leads all qualified goalies and no other goalie in the league has a mark over 0.913.

A raw goalie like Sogaard will only get better with reps and being the clear cut starter for Esbjerg will be great for his development.