When the Ottawa Senators drafted Mads Sogaard with the 37th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the Senators had faith in Sogaard to be the goalie of the future. However, it hasn't gone as the Senators would have liked.
Prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, Sogaard had played in 27 career NHL games. Sogaard's goaltending performance hadn't gone as planned with poor play, especially last season. In six games played last season with five of them starting, Sogaard went 1-3-0 with a 4.05 goals against average and .859 save percentage.
This season at 24 years old, Sogaard is at it again with struggling with only playing in two NHL games and playing the rest in the AHL with the Belleville Senators. In his last start in Belleville, Sogaard played very poor that the Senators must start to heavily consider moving on from Sogaard.
Sogaard allows in four goals in just over 22 minutes to have stats go worse in AHL
Yesterday against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Sogaard started in net for Belleville and it went ugly. Sogaard allowed in four goals on 12 shots on goal in just 22:03. Sogaard would be pulled from the game for Michael Simpson.
Yesterday was Sogaard's highest goals against average allowed in a game all AHL season. Sogaard would go on to have a 10.88 goals against average against the Penguins.
With earning the loss, Sogaard's AHL record dropped this season to an awful 0-5-1 with a 3.69 goals against average and .858 save percentage. Signs that Sogaard is turning into a bust of a second-round NHL draft pick are on the rise more than ever.
Sogaard has only played in two NHL games this season. While Sogaard is 1-1-0 in Ottawa this season, he earned a win after Anton Forsberg was pulled on Oct. 14, but still allowed in four goals in the game. The Senators earned the win that game due to the offense scoring eight goals in that game. When Sogaard started on Dec. 28 against the Winnipeg Jets, he earned the loss after the Senators were up 2-0 in the game.
With poor play this season, Sogaard might not have a chance to be on the Senators roster for much longer. According to PuckPedia, Sogaard has one year left on his contract and will become a restricted free agent with a salary of $775,000.
With a cheap contract and poor play this season, the Senators could seek to trade Sogaard. Leevi Merilainen has been better in 2024, and with Forsberg struggling this season, Merilainen has a chance to be Linus Ullmark's backup in the future if the Senators.
This season puts Senators in a tough position of what to do with Sogaard. While Sogaard is still young, he hasn't been improving and it's causing major concern moving forward with the Senators.