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The Ottawa Senators Great Success With Late-Bloomers

By Daniel Bruce

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 17: Drake Batherson #19 of the Ottawa Senators waits for play to resume against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 17, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Senators 2-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 17: Drake Batherson #19 of the Ottawa Senators waits for play to resume against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 17, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Senators 2-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Trent Mann of the Ottawa Senators  (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Trent Mann of the Ottawa Senators  (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

The Senators haven’t turned away from their draft philosophy either as they selected a player in last year’s draft that has a similar development curve to that of Batherson and Formenton.

This player being Philippe Daoust who was a 6th-round pick (158th Overall) in the 2021 draft and has already started to show tremendous improvement. Daoust, a native of Barrie, Ontario was never drafted into the OHL and spent the 2018-19 season with the French River Rapids of the NOJHL (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League), one of the smaller junior “A” leagues in Canada. Following the season Daoust opted to try his luck with the QMJHL where he walked on with the Moncton Wildcats and ended up making the roster. Following a full season in the league where the talented forward scored  29 points in 58 games and as an older player (November birthday) the Senators still took a swing at Daoust.

Now look at the growth so far this season for Daoust:

On the season Daoust has 28 points in 21 games, which’s 1 point less than he had the season prior in 38 fewer games, truly exceptional year-to-year progression and something this Senators staff has become elite at facilitating.

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