Every Ottawa Senators fan remembers watching the 2020 NHL Draft, or at least following along closely, especially with the third- and fifth-overall picks. Would the hulking centre Quinton Byfield fall to third so the Senators could build down the middle, or would they land the German superstar in the making, Tim Stützle? At fifth overall, could they see Lucas Raymond slide to them, select one of the highly coveted defencemen in Jamie Drysdale or Jake Sanderson, or go after the highest-rated goalie prospect since Carey Price in Yaroslav Askarov?
Looking back at Scott Wheeler's final 2020 draft rankings for The Athletic, Tim Stützle was ranked as the seventh-best prospect and Jake Sanderson 17th. Six years later, the Senators arguably ended up with the two best players from the draft in Stützle and Sanderson. However, they weren't the only players selected that year.
As mentioned above, the Senators selected Stützle third overall after a blazing season from the German forward, highlighted by five points for Germany at the World Juniors and 27 points for Adler Mannheim in the DEL as a teenager. There had been buzz surrounding Stützle for years because of his performances on the international stage. A creative player with explosive skating, the only questions were whether he would remain a centre or move to the wing and whether he could adequately handle the defensive responsibilities of the NHL game. Now, 447 games and 409 points later, Stützle has established himself as the best offensive player from that draft class. More than that, he has become a physical, two-way, number-one centre in the NHL. But is he the best player?
Jake Sanderson was selected fifth overall in 2020, much to the chagrin of many online pundits who believed the Senators had left too much talent on the board in Alexander Holtz, Marco Rossi, Yaroslav Askarov, and Jamie Drysdale, who was widely regarded as the best defenceman in the draft.
Sanderson rose rapidly up draft boards throughout the season, and the one constant in every scouting report was his elite skating ability. By season's end, he was considered the best defensive defenceman in the draft, surpassing even Drysdale, who had an excellent World Juniors tournament as a draft-eligible player, something that rarely happens for Team Canada. Sanderson stepped into Ottawa's blue line and immediately became the organization's best defenceman since Erik Karlsson. He recently finished in the top 10 of Norris Trophy voting. The debate over who the best player from the 2020 draft is isn't particularly difficult when the Senators may very well have both of them.
Not to be forgotten, the Senators held a third first-round pick and had several intriguing options available. There were fellow Germans Lukas Reichel and J.J. Peterka; high-octane forward Mavrik Bourque; and defencemen Helge Grans and William Wallinder. Instead, Ottawa selected WHL standout Ridly Greig, a Swiss Army knife-type player who can contribute in any situation and irritate opponents along the way. Since joining the team full-time, Greig has endeared himself to fans, especially after his infamous empty-net slapshot goal against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs. He has developed into a consistent top-nine forward, posting back-to-back seasons with nearly identical offensive production.
In the second round, the Senators made three selections and had the opportunity to capitalize on players who had fallen out of the first round. Ottawa went off the board with its first pick, selecting Roby Järventie, who was billed as a strong-skating power forward. Järventie never found his stride in the NHL with the Senators and was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2024 in exchange for Xavier Bourgault.
With their second selection of the round, the Senators chose defenceman Tyler Kleven, who was set to join Sanderson at the University of North Dakota the following season. Kleven has since established himself as a regular on Ottawa's blue line, earning the nickname "K-Train" because of the punishing hits he delivers.
Rounding out the second round was Egor Sokolov. The hulking Russian winger scored 46 goals during his overage season and became both a strong AHL player and a fan favourite. However, he was never able to establish himself in the NHL beyond a handful of games.
The fact that the Senators found another full-time NHL player within their first five selections is remarkable. As they say, hindsight is 20/20, and Ottawa could have potentially left the draft with top-line winger J.J. Peterka and top-pairing defenceman Brock Faber. However, landing four NHL players from their first six selections is an excellent outcome for any organization.
In the third round, the Senators selected relatively unknown goaltender Leevi Meriläinen, who was not ranked particularly highly during his draft season. However, Meriläinen has carved out a legitimate path toward becoming a full-time NHL goaltender despite some struggles this season. Meriläinen has found success at every level he has played. Prior to this season, the only time he posted a save percentage below .900 was during his lone season in the OHL. He possesses all the tools required of an NHL netminder, and this year's struggles can likely be attributed to the mental side of the game. After being sent down to the AHL, he reset and finished the season strongly on a mediocre Belleville Senators team.
The final three selections of Ottawa's 2020 draft class came in the fifth and sixth rounds. Forward Eric Engstrand projected as a scoring power forward, but that potential never fully translated into long-term success, and he ultimately never signed with the Senators. In the sixth round, Philippe Daoust was selected out of the QMJHL. The forward endured multiple injury setbacks before finally breaking through this season with 50 points in 63 games for the Belleville Senators. The final pick of the draft for Ottawa was overager Cole Reinhardt, who posted multiple 30-point seasons in the AHL before earning a call-up to the Senators. However, Reinhardt was not qualified by the organization and has since spent time with both the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers.
Of the 10 players selected by Ottawa in the 2020 NHL Draft, five appeared on the Senators' roster this season, with a sixth currently playing for another NHL club. Pierre Dorion may not have had the strongest overall track record as Ottawa's general manager, but his drafting has significantly shaped the current roster and the direction of the franchise. With five roster spots occupied by players from this draft class alone, the impact is undeniable. If all five current Senators go on to enjoy long NHL careers, the 2020 draft could very well go down as the greatest draft class in franchise history.
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