Ottawa Senators: Way Too Early Two-Round Mock Draft
By Daniel Bruce
34th Overall: Corson Ceulemans (RD), Brooks (AJHL)
H: 6’2″ W: 196 lbs
2020-21 Stats: 2GP, 2G, 3A, 5P
Ceulemans likely wouldn’t have been available at this position had it not been for Covid-19, he would have had a better chance to increase his draft ranking. His 5 points in just 2 games are quite impressive but with that small of a sample size, NHL GM’s may be hesitant to take Ceulemans inside the first round.
Corey Pronman of the Athletic had this to say about Ceulemans:
"“He’s a 6-foot-2, right-shot defenseman with good mobility. He closes on checks well due to his great physical play and feet. He escapes pressures effectively and can skate pucks out of trouble”"
A big, skilled defenceman who doesn’t shy away from contact is a premium at the NHL level, especially with Ceulemans being a right shot. This quick highlight pack shows a glimpse into the talented defenceman’s great mobility and offensive instincts:
Corson Ceulemans is the lone current CJHL player to earn an "A" rating from the NHL's Central Scouting Service this week.
— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) October 29, 2020
The Brooks Bandits have developed some fantastic defenders (Cale Makar says hello) and Ceulemans is another example. Here's a four-point effort on Oct. 16. pic.twitter.com/r9eW4jNsOs
While the Senators do have right-shot prospects Jacob Bernard-Docker and Lassi Thomson coming up the ranks, adding another capable prospect to the right-side isn’t a bad idea. On the left-side Pierre Dorion has it basically all figured out with Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Erik Brannstrom, so if they were to add a defenceman, a left-shot makes the most sense.
41st Overall: Oliver Kapanen (RW), KalPa U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
H: 6’0″ W: 161 lbs
2020-21 Season Stats: 37GP, 25G, 16A, 41P
One thing that I know the Senators staff will like is Kapanen’s work ethic, he never gives up on plays and is always tracking back into the defensive zone, rarely cheating his positioning.
If there’s any position where the Senators need to add more talent would be on right wing, they have a rising star in Drake Batherson and a solid middle-six contributor in Connor Brown but after those two, things get bleak. Kapanen would join Egor Sokolov as the likely heir apparent to Evgenii Dadonov once the veteran winger finishes his three-year contract.
Adding a talent like Kapanen in the middle of the second-round would be a steal for the Senators and one that would make this draft that much more of a success. Kapanen was just recently loaned to JoKP of the Mestis (2nd-tier Finnish league) and will look to continue his strong play versus men after his promotion.