Ottawa Senators: Ranking their top prospects after trade deadline

The future is surprisingly bright for the Ottawa Senators thanks to an impressive group of prospects.

Things are not looking great for the Ottawa Senators. They lost Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, and Mark Stone and look to finish at the bottom of the standings this year. Usually, teams near the bottom of the standings can at least hang their hat on having a high first-round pick. However, this year the Senators do not own their initial draft selection. Their 2019 first round draft pick was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in the Duchene trade.

Although they had the option to give up last years first round selection instead they opted to select Brady Tkachuk instead. Even though it looks like they will miss out on selecting one of Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko things are not all that bad for the Senators prospect pool.

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With the Columbus Blue Jackets on the brink of missing the playoffs, the Senators may find themselves an additional lottery pick this draft (though it won’t be a top three pick). Armed with an abundance of picks in the next two drafts, their prospect pool can only get better.

The Senators already have a strong prospect pool. Many of their top prospects have even seen NHL time this season, especially with all of the roster spots being available following the trade deadline. It’s now time to look at some of the top players in Ottawa prospect pool and who fans can expect to see in Senators jerseys in the near future.

Josh Norris

Josh Norris was the main part of the return in the Erik Karlsson trade and the piece Senators fans all around should be excited about. Norris is a skilled center who plays a very well rounded game. He is a pass-first centre but has no trouble finding the back of the net. Norris is a good friend of current Senators rookie Brady Tkachuk and the two may be able to form the dynamic duo for the Senators in the near future.

Erik Brannstrom

Vegas fans obviously loved getting Mark Stone at the trade deadline but losing Erik Brannstrom was a tough pill to swallow. He is one of the top defensive prospects in the entire NHL and becomes one of the top prospects in the Senators organization right away.

Brannstrom is a highly skilled two-way defenceman that has experience playing at the professional level. He has spent two seasons playing hockey in Sweden’s top league the SHL and has spent the 2018-2019 season in North America playing in the AHL.

He has been great in his rookie season in North America. For the Chicago Wolves this season, Brannstrom has recorded 28 points in 41 games, which is especially impressive for a 19-year-old defenseman.

In 5 games for the Bellville Senators Brannstrom has recorded 1 assist but Ottawa fans should not be worried as it tends to take time for some to adjust after being traded. He could find himself in the NHL as early as next season. With the talents of Thomas Chabot and the emergence of Maxime Lajoie, Erik Brannstrom could help form a dynamic blue-line in Ottawa for the foreseeable future.

Alex Formenton

Alex Formenton is expected to have a big role in Ottawa’s rebuild. Formenton is one of the Senators top prospects and looks ready to be a full-time NHL player next season. He got his chance in the NHL earlier this season during a 9-game stint for the Senators in which he recorded his first NHL goal.

Formenton has spent the majority of the season playing for the London Knights of the OHL and has been a key asset for the team which has been one of the best teams in the OHL this season. He is relied upon in all types of situations and does not disappoint. Formenton possesses a great shot that will serve him well in the NHL. Gifted with his hockey smarts and playmaking abilities, he has the talents to be a top-6 forward at the NHL level.

Drake Batherson

Drake Batherson has taken a big jump this season as he transitioned from junior hockey professional hockey. In his rookie season in the AHL, Batherson has been one of the best players in the AHL. He currently ranked 10th in points in the entire AHL with 55 points in 46 games.

Batherson is the favorite to be named as the AHL’s rookie of the year and is a big reason why his team looks to make the playoffs this season. He will likely make the jump to the NHL full time next season and has had his taste of it this season.

Batherson spent 20 games with the Senators this year and recorded nine points with them. He made a big impact for the Senators. In his short time with the team, Batherson has earned the trust of his coaches and was even given time on the power play.

He will be given a bigger role with the team next season considering the losses of Duchene, Dzingel, and Stone, and will get his chance to make his mark in the NHL and become a key player for the Senators as they embark on their rebuild.

Filip Gustavsson

An aging Craig Andersson means that the Senators need to start looking at who their next starting goaltender will be. It appears that the answer to that is Filip Gustavsson. Gustavsson has started 30 games for the Bellville Senators of the AHL this season, splitting the starting job with Marcus Högberg.

He has not had a great season from a statistics point of view, but that should not discourage fans about his skill and potential. Gustavsson is only 20 years old and has proven in the past in Sweden and in a brief AHL stint last season that he is a top goaltender prospect that can become a starting goalie for the Senators.

Many young goaltenders struggle in the AHL, but wind up having strong transitions to the NHL early on. Just look at Carter Hart and Alexandar Georgiev. Both of these goaltenders are just a couple of examples of goaltenders who struggles in the AHL but have been strong in the NHL and Gustavsson should be no different.

Logan Brown

Selected 11th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Logan Brown is arguably the best center in Ottawa’s prospect pool. He stands at a towering 6’6″ and uses his size to his advantage. Brown uses his large frame to help him shield the puck from the opposition and to get the puck from his opponents.

His size is a big attribute of his game but he is not a very aggressive player. Brown is a creative player who makes skilled passes. He also possesses a great shot with impressive accuracy and an NHL ready release.

He can finish plays and can score goals from different distances and angles. Brown needs to work on shooting the puck more as he has the skill to score more goals but does not shoot the puck as much as he could.

Although he could benefit from shooting the puck more he has proven to be a highly skilled playmaker. Brown creates space to pass the puck and can find his teammates from tight angles to create dangerous scoring chances for his teammates.

Brown has had a smooth transition from the OHL to the AHL and he may be on the move to the NHL as early as next season. He looks ready to take his game to new levels and a player of his skill set is just what the Senators need to help them escape from the league’s basement.

Vitali Abramov

Vitali Abramov was one of the key pieces in the most recent Duchene trade. Abramov plays the game fast which is a highly coveted skill-set that is looked for around the NHL. He can make plays and score goals at a fast pace which has led him to be featured in highlight reels throughout his career.

His skating may be his best attribute. Abramov can accelerate with ease and slow down fast to throw off opposing defenders. His edges and his control over his speed and movements allow him to create chances and guide play. Abramov reads the game well and knows what the best play is for each scenario.

His speed helps him get past the opposing defenders and helps him create prime scoring chances for himself and his teammates. He plays with patience and confidence and although he is undersized his confidence on the ice and puck handling skills result in one being unable to notice his size. Abramov’s stick-handling abilities combined with his skating abilities will get him far in the NHL as they have so far. He may need some more conditioning in the AHL to better improve his all-around game but he has all of the skills necessary to become a skilled NHL player.

The Senators organization has some high-end talent in their organization with plenty more talented players in their system. The list of players discussed above are some of the Senators best and the ones that could have the biggest impact on the Senators as they rebuild.

Although things may not look great for Ottawa right now, the future is not as bleak as it may seem. With talented prospects in their organization and talented young players already on the team such as Tkachuk and Chabot, the Senators have a future to look forward too and with the talent already in the system, they could be in store for a fun rebuild.