This was not an inspiring draft for Ottawa, as Trent Mann’s first time running the board seemed timid and uninspired (reminding me most of 2014, but even that draft class had more skill). As for the Sens usual trends, we saw both the CHL and US systems involved as per usual, a continued commitment to avoiding smaller players, along with using later rounds for goalies. Variations included not drafting out of Sweden for the first time since 2007, as well as taking a USHL player in the first round. In terms of my mock draft the org had different ideas in the first round and all my first-selections after that were gone long before Ottawa made their pick (two of my options, however, were selected). Pierre Dorion was looking for credit for trying (and failing) to make a trade (!), which is more than a little embarrassing. Let’s dig into the players added to the system.
1-28/17 Shane Bowers C-L USHL (Waterloo) 60-22-29-51 t-1st pts (4th points-per-game)
A late first to second round round pick (26-41) with red flags attached. Nichols quotes his Lord and Saviour Corey Pronman:
[He] play[s] on both sides of the ice. The ultimate question with Bowers is his offensive ceiling. Some scouts I talk to swear by him as a potential frontline NHL player; other scouts, including myself, question whether he’ll be able to score much as an NHLer.
Grant McCagg (also via Nichols):
not a high-end talent but he’s a hard working, smart two-way guy
Red Line Report (RLR; also via Nichols):
Has the look of a solid third line, two-way NHL center one day, but we just don’t see any one exceptional carrying tool that leads us to believe he’ll be a difference-maker
International Scouting Report (ISS):
He competes hard. He skates through checks, goes to the net and not afraid to go into traffic. He is aware of his defensive responsibilities. He can play all forward positions and excels on the powerplay and penalty killing effectively. … mid-range NHL player with an upside.
Future Considerations (FC):
Bowers is a bit vanilla when it comes to his offensive game as he lacks flash or creativity and takes only what is available in front of him
Hockey Prospect (HP):
Shane plays a very detail oriented game in all three zones; rarely will he miss an assignment defensively or try to cheat up ice. Bowers isn’t going to make a lot of plays that jump out at you but he uses his elite skating and hockey sense to be in the right places at the right times and will take advantage of the chances he gets.
The commonalities are that Bowers is responsible defensively; most agree he has a limited offensive upside and that he’s very fast. One salient comment I read from an NHL scout was “high floor, low ceiling,” which sounds the Curtis Lazar alarm bells. For an organisation short on skill, using a pick on someone projected as a third-liner checker is a little depressing, although clearly the Sens believe his ceiling is higher than that. He’s slated to attend Boston University in the upcoming season.
2-47 Alex Formenton LW OHL (London) 65-16-18-34 11th pts (13th ppg)
Slotted evenly between the second and third round (32-66), he’s similar to Bowers above (as you’ll see below). Nichols quotes Pronman:
He has average creativity though, I wouldn’t expect him to become a big assists guy. … upon repeated viewings it became apparent that he had trouble finishing plays or paying the ultimate price to get to the scoring areas, perhaps because of his youth.
Red Line Report (via Nichols):
If he’s ever able to get his hands and brain to catch up with his feet, has the tools to be a fine two-way winger.
Hockey Prospect:
Offensively he has good tools. He gets his shot off quickly, and he has fairly good passing ability. His play below the hashmarks in the offensive zone improved as the season progressed.
Future Considerations:
he didn’t show much creativity with the puck when set up in the offensive zone and stuck to more of a cycle game. He’s very engaged defensively, hustling to cover the trailing player on the backcheck and was often the first forward back in his own end in tonight’s game.
ISS:
Plays a 200-foot game. Strong backcheck and back pressure. Plays with a bit of an edge. Project as possible 3rd line forward in NHL with possible upside.
All agree he’s fast (although there’s disagreement on his lateral movement and overall agility); most see limited creativity at this stage, with some seeing hope for more in the future. Just like Bowers though, his ceiling is not high and he projects as a responsible energy player at best. If any pick this year demonstrates organisational fear of failure this is the one.
4-121 Drake Batherson C-R QMJHL (Cape Breton) 61-22-36-58 3rd pts (3rd ppg)
Overage center was only listed by half the draft guides (122/213) and as such there’s very little scouting material on him. Only HP has a report in what I have on hand:
[H]as the ability to change speeds, which makes him tough to handle for opposing defensemen. He has great hockey IQ and puck skills. He has the ability to make defenders miss him one-on-one with his slick hands. … He sees the ice really well, and he’s as good a scorer as he is a playmaker. He has really good patience with the puck…. … he’s way more effective in one-on-one battles along the boards and in front of the net [than in the past].
This all sounds good in the skill department, but it’s worth noting prospects who put up big numbers only as overagers are less likely to replicate those as pros–you also have to ask the question: how much of that production is due to his teammates who lead the team in scoring (Giovanni Fiore, who was signed as an FA by Anaheim, and Massimo Carozza)? On the plus side, at least the Sens picked a player whose principal element is skill (as they generally do out of the Q).
6-183 Jordan Hollett G-L WHL (Regina) 2.83 .901
Serving as the backup goaltender on the high flying Pats (behind the undrafted Tyler Brown), the 6’5/6’4 prospect improved slightly on his numbers in the last season (.887). Only slotted in the draft by half the guides, there are two scouting profiles to look at.
Future Considerations:
[S]ize and athleticism immediately jump out at you. … Hollett’s natural gifts make him an intriguing option but one who will need some time.
RLR:
Huge upside long-term project or bust.
Both agree he has the raw tools, but it’ll either come together or not and the sample size isn’t large enough for a firm indication either way. It’s clear the Sens are impressed by his girth–that raw physicality–because this version of the org has never drafted a back-up goaltender before (the fact he was playing on prospect Filip Ahl‘s team likely gave him more exposure to the org). He, along with Batherson above, is a shot in the dark, but of all the players here he has the most potential upside (with the flipside of busting equally present). He’ll play for Medicine Hat this upcoming season.
Other than Batherson none of these players is coming to a pro arena any time soon. Goaltenders need more development time anyway, but both Bowers and Formenton can be expected to spend a couple of years developing before going anywhere. Batherson, as an overage player, should be in Belleville sooner than later.
This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)
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eyeonthesens 
Batherson is NOT an overage player.he is aonce passed over player who still has jr.eligibility.bowers and formenton are amongst the youngest draftees,but your negativism is always refreshing.
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[…] 2017 (2-2-0)1-28 Shane Bowers (USHL; NHL 1-0-0-0; AHL 174-31-35-66) – hard worker, but scouts saw all sorts of red flags and they were right; dumped as part of the Duchene trade; Colorado then dumped him on Boston who in turn sent him to New Jersey2-47 Alex Formenton (OHL; NHL 109-23-16-39; AHL 76-31-26-57) – outside his (still unresolved) personal issues, he’s an excellent pick (via the link you can see Pronman faceplant in his analysis, but people like Hockey Prospect were on the money), although he remains a dead asset until the aforementioned are decided (the NHL has taken its time for fear of being sued is my guess–his Wiki is completely scrubbed which is interesting)4-121 Drake Batherson (QMJHL; NHL 227-62-97-159; AHL 103-38-78-116) – a fantastic pick based on skill (I was very happy with it at the time); he was also under the Formenton cloud, but that seems to have been baseless6-183 Jordan Hollett (WHL; retired) – he’s big, which has been the guiding factor in Ottawa’s goaltending selections, but there was no development curve2018 (1-5-2)1-4 Brady Tkachuk (NCAA; NHL 359-125-150-275) – there were a few concerns at the time about his ability to produce in the NHL, but he’s blown those away1-26 Jacob Bernard-Docker (AJHL; NHL 32-0-2-2; AHL 99-4-11-15) – you can read scouts badly whiffing on his offensive abilities, and my concerns were not elevated enough as in my opinion he’s not an NHL player (his AHL numbers are horrendous)–it’s not clear JBD knows what the puck is for2-48 Jonny Tychonick (BCHL; AHL-contract) – while I was enthused for the team to take a chance on skill, it never quite translated in the NCAA; Toronto signed him to a two-year AHL-deal when he completed his college career4-95 Johnny Gruden (USHL; NHL 3-0-0-0; AHL 161-32-40-72) – I thought it was a terrible pick at the time, as nothing about his game stood out; the Sens dumped him as part of the Matt Murray trade and he remains in Pittsburgh’s org4-126 Angus Crookshank (BCHL; AHL 90-31-32-63) – loved the pick when it was made and while his career trajectory remains uncertain, he’s got NHL depth potential I like (which is to say, he can score and grind)6-157 Kevin Mandolese (QMJHL; NHL 3GP .916; AHL 43GP .893) – see below, but another big ‘tender whose career has been very erratic7-188 Jakov Novak (NAHL; AHL-contract) – a gamble on skill that did not pay off; the NCAA grad has signed a one-year AHL deal with Laval (Montreal)7-194 Luke Loheit (USHS; unsigned) – a pick I hated at the time and he’s yet to land even an AHL-deal2019 (1-1-4)1-19 Lassi Thomson (WHL; NHL 18-0-5-5; AHL 135-18-54-72) – I liked the pick and I continue to like the player (he’s much more talented than JBD above), although his ceiling remains uncertain2-32 Shane Pinto (USHL; NHL 99-21-22-43) – scouts were spot on and he’s been a fantastic pick thus far2-37 Mads Sogaard (WHL; NHL 21GP .889; AHL 64GP .904) – have I mentioned big? Mads is huge. Like Mandolese above, he’s been very erratic in his career thus far, but that’s not unusual with goaltenders4-94 Viktor Lodin (SHL; NHL 1-0-0-0; AHL 38-11-12-23) – I mistakenly thought he was a grinder when picked due to a lack of info, but he earned an ELC which was ruined by injury and it seems likely he’ll return to Sweden5-125 Mark Kastelic (WHL; NHL 81-9-6-15; AHL 102-19-24-43) – has banged and crashed around as expected, but as a marginal player he could disappear very quickly (I wasn’t a fan of the pick and really, why keep him when you signed MacEwen?)7-187 Maxence Guenette (QMJHL; NHL 1-0-0-0; AHL 120-11-48-59) – reminded me of Max Lajoie (who signed a two-way deal with Toronto for next season); I like the player, although it’s unlikely he’ll be a regular NHLer2020 (2-1-7)1-3 Tim Stuetzle (DEL; NHL 210-73-104-177) – no complaints here1-5 Jake Sanderson (USHL; NHL 77-4-28-32) – I had some concerns offensively, but those were unfounded1-28 Ridly Greig (WHL; NHL 20-2-7-9; AHL 46-16-16-32) – his style of play combined with his size cause concerns about durability; I’m not quite sure where is he is offensively (we don’t yet see the dominant AHL numbers of a Batherson)–top-nine?2-33 Roby Jarventie (Mestis; AHL 114-29-37-66) – the Sens have had limited luck from Finland, but I liked the pick (skill) and his trajectory has been good thus far (his totals don’t look remarkable, but if you go year-by-year you see the jumps in performance (0.47->0.75) and keep in mind he’s been the youngest player for the BSens every season)2-44 Tyler Kleven (USHL; NHL 8-0-2-2) – the collective komming in the fanbase over him is hilarious (Yorkie has to change his shorts just talking about him), but it’s not at all clear how he projects (can he distribute the puck, or is he a limited, physical 5-6 guy?)2-61 Egor Sokolov (QMJHL; NHL 13-1-1-2; AHL 169-55-79-134) – everyone likes the good natured Russian, with concerns largely being about his skating (which has gone from glacial to slow) and how well his skills translate (none of that is resolved); the perfect scenario for him is as a top-nine player (his AHL numbers suggest he can’t be top-six), but it’s unclear if he can do that3-71 Leevi Merilainen (Jr SM-Liiga; NHL 2GP .878; AHL 4GP .933) – short by Sens standards; he underwhelmed in the OHL, but returned to form in Finland and had an excellent start in Belleville (barring roster changes I expect him to backup Sogaard)5-155 Eric Engstrand (SHL; unsigned) – the Sens have a hard-on for big, lumbering European players who don’t pan out (Filip Ahl/Markus Nurmi), an observation I made when he was picked6-158 Philippe Daoust (QMJHL; AHL 24-2-10-12) – due to injury we still have no idea what the Sens have in him, but he was drafted for skill, so I approve6-181 Cole Reinhardt (WHL; NHL 1-0-0-0; AHL 169-32-44-76) – I wasn’t sure what the org was aiming at with him and I’m still not sure, although we have at least seen improvement (0.36->0.43->0.51)2021 (link above; 0-3-3)1-10 Tyler Boucher (USHL; signed) – the train wreck that is this pick continues with most questioning it at the time; I fully expect him to be packaged in a trade (sooner or later)2-39 Zack Ostapchuk (WHL; signed) – a big project player that I liked at the time because he had some skill; what he is and how that will translate is unclear (he was a good but not great WHL player), but top-nine is what it feels like if he pans out2-49 Ben Roger (OHL) – big and very fit, which doesn’t mean anything and he’s a wasted 2nd-round pick3-74 Oliver Johansson (Allsvenskan) – a excellent skater with some skill; the Sens have plenty of time to make up their minds about him4-123 Carson Latimer (WHL) – great skater, but nothing else making it a wasted pick7-202 Chandler Romeo (GOJHL) – have I mentioned big? He was big, but not much of a hockey player2022 (cf) (0-0-9)2-64 Filip Nordberg (Allsvenskan) – reminds me a lot of Andreas Englund, which is not a great template to follow3-72 Oskar Pettersson (J20; signed) – showed improvement after he was drafted and there could be potential in him (SHL numbers don’t blow you away, but at his age he isn’t playing much)3-87 Tomas Hamara (U20; signed) – scouts didn’t think he excelled in any particular area, but the Sens rushed to sign him for some reason; he had a disappointing OHL-season and I’m not sure what exactly he’s supposed to do for you as a pro (I’m guessing he’s loaned back to Europe for the upcoming season)4-104 Stephen Halliday (USHL) – I liked this pick and he had a good year in the NCAA (skilled player)5-136 Jorian Donovan (OHL; signed) – had an excellent post-draft season so signing him made a lot of sense5-143 Cameron ONeill (NEPACK 18U) – no idea what the org was smoking with this pick (another crasher and banger, but no signs of puck skill and the Sens have an awful track record drafting from tier-2 junior leagues in the US)5-151 Kevin Reidler (J20) – another big goaltender who had a solid season in Sweden6-168 Theo Wallberg (J20) – like Hamara he bombed out after his draft (in the USHL), so is going to have to show a lot this upcoming season (feels like another Englund-clone)7-206 Tyson Dyck (BCHL) – a gamble on offense, so I like it2023 (0-0-5)4-108 Hoyt Stanley (BCHL) – drafted as a skilled defenseman, so on principal I like it, although the Sens have not done well with players out of the BCHL5-140 Matthew Andonovski (OHL) – looks like a train wreck (same MO as Roger above)–no idea what the org was thinking7-204 Owen Beckner (BCHL) – another skilled player, so on principal I like it7-207 Vladimir Nikitin (Kazakhstan) – big goalie picked off his performance in one tournament–dicey decision, but it is the seventh round so the opportunity cost is small7-215 Nicholas VanTassell (USHL) – another big blueliner with unimpressive numbers–I wouldn’t expect much […]