The Ottawa Senators did not obtain the luck of the draw in the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery. Nevertheless, there are several possibilities and directions the franchise can go with pick No. 7, including seeking a trade. However, longtime draft analyst Peter Harling believes Ottawa will stick with their pick and select a blue-chip defenseman.
"7. Ottawa Senators – Zeev Buium, D – University of Denver (NCAA)Peter Harling, dobberprospects.com
The Sens prospect pool is pretty shallow at all positions, so they look for the BPA and that is Buium. He had a terrific draft season, played a key role with Denver to win a NCAA championship as a freshman. When we look back on this draft class, Buium may be the best defenseman from 2024."
Suppose Harling’s crystal ball is on point. In that case, Zeev Buium is the third defenseman off the board following Michigan’s Artyom Levshunov (pick No. 3) and the KHL’s Anton Silayev (pick No. 6). It’s tough to argue with the Senators taking a change on Buium, a 6-2, 180-pound blue-liner from San Diego, California.
I think that most Ottawa fans will agree that the club needs more playmakers on the backend. The Senators finished the 2023-24 season near the bottom of the league in goals allowed per game (3.43) and power-play goals allowed (61). Even the most casual viewers saw Ottawa’s defense resemble an uncoordinated and often unmotivated sieve against the most average NHL offense.
Buium has the potential to alter the Sens’ defensive woes eventually. The 18-year-old is a two-way player who one scouting profile lauds for his smooth-skating and ability to create opportunities for himself and his teammates. Moreover, there’s much to like about a prospect who was developed in the USA Junior Hockey program and played for the University of Denver fresh off an NCAA Ice Hockey National Championship.
One can argue that the Senators need a big-bodied defenseman to lock down the area around the net. I don’t disagree, but Buium’s talent is too good for Ottawa to pass up at the 7th overall pick.
The 2024 NHL Draft will commence Saturday, June 28th at 7 PM ET inside The Sphere in Las Vegas. Stay tuned to SenShot as we bring you more daily mock drafts from NHL insiders.