Biggest draft steal from each decade in Senators history
Whenever an NHL Draft arrives, teams need to make their selections worthy. For the Ottawa Senators, they've had their share of outstanding top draft picks.
From Alexei Yashin, to Jason Spezza, to Brady Tkachuk, to Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson in the same draft, the Senators have had success finding franchise players with their top picks. However, finding a steal later on in the draft can be tricky.
Draft steals can make-or-break a franchise. From a player falling in the first round or a player that is doubted and taken with a late round draft pick, the Senators have had success with having a successful draft steal in each decade.
Biggest draft steal from each decade in Senators history
In each decade, the Senators were able to luck out with finding a draft steal and then having that player impact the franchise in a positive way.
2020s- Ridly Greig
The 2020 NHL Draft saw the Senators hit the jackpot twice in the same draft with drafting Stutzle with the third overall pick and Sanderson with the fifth overall pick. However, the Senators had one more first-round draft pick in 2020.
While late first-rounder draft picks can be tricky, the Senators selected Ridly Greig with the 28th overall pick. In the 2023-24 season, Greig recroded 26 points in his true rookie season. Moving forward in the future, the Senators look at Greig as an important piece of their core.
While Tyler Kleven was taken by the Senators with the 44th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and is also looked at as an important core piece, Greig has played more games than Kleven and has made more of an impact as of now.
Zack Ostapchuk, Egor Sokolov, Leevi Merilainen and Cole Reinhardt were other draft picks in the 2020s decade who have had NHL experience, but the four of them combined have played 38 games in the NHL.
2010s- Drake Batherson
In the 2010s, the Senators saw success with making the playoffs five times in the decade. Over the course of the decade, the Senators were able to hit on key draft picks.
From Thomas Chabot, to Jean-Gabriel Pageau, to Mark Stone and to Shane Pinto, the Senators have made good selections. However, one draft steal is making a huge impact on the Senators today.
That would be Drake Batherson. In the 2017 NHL Draft, Batherson was taken with the 121st overall pick. Batherson recorded 29 points 43 games from 2018-2020, but his 2020-21 season was when he first got noticed.
In the 2020-21 56-game shortneed season, Batherson recorded 34 points and kept getting better by making the 2022 NHL All-Star Game. Over the past two seasons, Batherson recorded a 60-point season and has turned into one of the most underrated players in the NHL at making under $5 million for his production.
At 26 years old, Batherson will be relied on big as an important piece of the Senators' future. Batherson has already gotten off to a strong start this season and will be continued to be relied on.
2000s- Erik Karlsson
At the 2008 NHL Draft, the Senators made a trade with the Nashville Predators to move up to the 15th overall pick. When trading up in a draft, it's important to draft a player that's worth trading up for.
The 2008 NHL Draft was filled with talent. From Steven Stamkos, to Drew Doughty, to Alex Pietrangelo and to Josh Bailey. The selection the Senators made with the 15th pick would turn out to not only be one of the biggest first-round draft steals in NHL history, but one of the best players in Senators history. That would be Erik Karlsson.
Although Karlsson is no longer on the Senators, his impact with the Senators goes down in Senators history. Karlsson recorded 518 points in 617 games as a defenseman. Karlsson would win the Norris Trophy twice as a Senator, and he won his first one in 2012 at 21 years old. In the 2015-16 season, Karlsson led the NHL in assists with 66, which as a defenseman, is an impressive feat.
Karlsson would turn into one of the best players in the NHL in the 2010s decade. Only Jordan Eberle and John Carlson were the only two other first-round draft picks after Karlsson that made one NHL All-Star Game, but Karlsson turned into the better selection for the Senators.
1. Daniel Alfredsson
In the 1994 NHL Draft, the Senators held the third overall pick and selected Radek Bonk. While Bonk turned into a solid player for the Senators, it was the draft pick the Senators made 130 selections later that would turn into one of the biggest draft steals in NHL History.
That would be Daniel Alfredsson, who was taken 133rd overall. When people think of the Senators, one of the first players that comes to mind is Alfredsson.
Alfredsson would spend 17 seasons with the Senators and is the Senators all-time leader in goals with 426, assists with 682, and points with 1,108. Alfredsson won the 1996 Calder Trophy and made six All-Star Games appearances as a Senator.
Alfredsson served as Senators captain from 1999-2013. In 2007, Alfredsson led the Senators to the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals. In the 2005-06 season, Alfredsson recorded a career-high 103 points in a single season.
The Hockey Hall of Famer had his number 11 retired by the Senators in December 2016. Not many would've expected the Senators to select an all-time player with the 133rd overall pick in 1994, but the Senators did with Alfredsson.
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