Ottawa Senators: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about
The Ottawa Senators have a very bright future.
Since making it to the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2016-17 season, it has been a rough go for the Ottawa Senators. The 2019-20 season was no exception, as they finished in 30th place with just 62 points in 71 games.
A big part of their decline is that they have traded much of their top-end talent over the past few years. Though that has caused them to struggle now, it has also resulted in them getting some terrific prospects.
One thing to note is that going forward with these lists I am not going to include players who spent more time in the NHL than any other league the previous season. For example, one big name many may think is missing from this list is stud defenceman Erik Brannstrom.
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Though the 20-year-old is arguably the team’s brightest up and coming star, he appeared in more NHL games (31) than AHL (27) this season, so he didn’t qualify for this list. With that being said, here are the top 8 prospects in the Ottawa Senators system.
8. Shane Pinto
Shane Pinto experienced his first season of college hockey in 2019-20, and it couldn’t have gone much better.
The freshman put up nearly a point per game pace, with 16 goals and 28 points in 33 games. The 19-year-old was taken by the Senators early in the second round (32 overall) at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Pinto is likely still a few seasons away from making noise at the NHL level, but he is an extremely exciting prospect. His skill was on display for Senators fans at the World Junior tournament earlier this year, where he scored four goals and added three helpers in just five games. Another big college season in 2020-21 could see him move further up this list.
7. Kevin Mandolese
The 2019-20 season was a massive one for Senators goaltending prospect Kevin Mandolese. The 19-year-old had by far and away the best season of his QMJHL career, posting a 2.33 goals against average and a .925 save percentage to go along with a jaw-dropping 26-8-1 record. As a result of those stellar numbers, he was named the leagues Goaltender of the Year.
Some may be surprised that Mandolese cracked this list over Mads Sogaard, who was taken 37th overall at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. However, the two are only months apart in age, and while Mandolese was drafted much lower at 157th a year prior, he had the much better statistical season, putting himself ahead on the depth chart for the time being.