Ottawa has made an effort in drafting “late-bloomers” and they are already reaping the rewards
During a rebuild, high picks and surefire prospects are a given and the Senators have had the luxury of drafting a few blue-chip prospects in Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle and Jake Sanderson but it’s usually the value drafted after the first-round is essential in creating a foundation. Pierre Dorion and his amateur scouting staff has done an exceptional job evaluating talent in the mid-rounds of the draft and has found the most success drafting the “late-bloomer”
Every player has a different development curve and not all of them align perfectly with the date of the NHL draft and the Senators have been able to find players who’ve shown extreme growth during their draft year. They’ve been able to target players (especially in the 2nd round) who have great athletic traits, translatable NHL size and skill, in favour of players who may be more of a finished product but don’t have the upside of the players the Senators selected.
Here are the players the Senators have drafted since 2017 who fit the definition of a “late-bloomer”.