The underdog story of Angus Crookshank
The Ottawa Senators should absolutely be taking a good long look at Crookshank as we enter the 2023-24 season!
Born on October 2, 1999, to George and Sandy Crookshank, Angus Crookshank is a 24-year-old, 5’11”, 181lbs forward who has the ability to play all forward positions, which makes his versatility one of his many calling cards!
When you look at who might be banging on the door going into next season, Crookshank’s name continues to come up in many circles as an intriguing option on the third line, especially when you consider the Senators’ current salary cap situation!
Things haven’t been easy in the past few seasons for Crookshank! Oh, not even a little bit! Not only is he a smaller forward, but he lost the 2020-21 season due to Covid and the entire 2021-22 season due to injury. Apparently, Crookshank drew the short straw, no pun intended!
Ottawa Senators fans should keep an eye on Angus Crookshank
Since he lost so much essential development time, some have suggested that another season of development with the Belleville Senators may be exactly what the doctor ordered! It’s wild to think though that he managed to bounce back last season and finish with 47 points in 71 games, which included 26 goals to lead the team in that category!
As a result, the Senators’ brass should be hard-pressed not to seriously consider at least some games to start the season or throughout the year to evaluate how he can transition his game to the NHL!
Crookshank is also a player who really does his best work when he’s surrounded by strong teammates. When you take a look at the Ottawa Senators’ current lineup, you have Stützle, Norris, Pinto, and Kastelic as your centres 1 through 4.
Putting Crookshank on a third line alongside say, Shane Pinto, who has a strong stick and good playmaking ability, you would be providing him with the ability to get into the right spot at the right time and be a real threat offensively! The idea of having such a scenario, whether next season or maybe two seasons from now, has to be an intriguing one to think about as management considers their long-term plans for the lineup.
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Many project Crookshank to be a very effective middle six winger, though he’ll likely be a mainstay on the third line as a result of the current roster construction and other contractual commitments. Angus Crookshank is such an intriguing prospect and one to which everyone should be paying really close attention as we go into this upcoming season or two. He’s right on the cusp and considering his tenacity, he’s someone with whom I can’t see taking “No!” for an answer!