Rookie Watch: Ottawa Senators

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Each day until September 15th TPS will take a look at one team from the Eastern conference and one club from the West, spotlighting a rookie or two to watch for this season. This afternoon we explore the freshmen candidates of the Ottawa Senators.

Sweden Got Screwed

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I'm as proud to be Canadian as anyone else in this country but you have to put national pride aside in order to fairly judge what happened yesterday in Buffalo. I wasn't cheering for either team (although the Canada/Sweden final interests me a bit more) so when I say that the Swedes were screwed, I do so without any bias whatsoever.

And make no mistake, they did get hosed on the non-icing call that led directly to Russia's second goal.

Massive Recap of Signings

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With all the excitement of the playoff stretch drive in the NHL, the CHL playoffs and the Frozen Four the news of all the free agent and entry level signings during the last month or so. If you're wondering who recently picked up NCAA free agents or signed their drafted CHL prospects I've tried to piece together a team-by-team list.

There are way too many players to go into depth on each guy but I'll give you a bit of info along the way.

Senators Prospect Snap Shot

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The Ottawa Senators joined the NHL in 1992, and the expansion team watched the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first four years of their existence. The club then went on an 11 year run of making the post season, losing in the cup finals to Anaheim in 2007. They missed the post season last year, but as I write this, the Sens have won 11 straight games and look fairly secure in returning to the post season tournament. The Sens farm team resides in Binghamton.

Here now is a snap shot of the Senators top prospects.

Meet Team OHL-International

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As the Subway Super Series moves from the QMJHL in OHL territory, the touring Russians carry a 0-2 record and have been out shot 99-48 and outscored 12-4. Game 3 of the Series goes tonight in Barrie, Ontario with the Russians having traveled from Shawinigan after their game against the QMJHL last night.

Last week I made the argument that the event should feature the Canadian CHLers playing against their European and American counterparts from the same league. You can find my reasons for feeling that way by clicking HERE. Prior to the two games against the QMJHL I released the roster of the team I would have preferred to see play. You can see the make up of Team Q-International HERE.

Following suit, here is the roster for Team OHL-International that I wish we were seeing play tonight and Monday instead of the extremely disadvantaged Russians...

Goalies

WHile it was slim pickings in the QMJHL for American or Euro goalies, that's not the case with the OHL. By my count there are 9 goalies with the required passport to play for my team and I finally narrowed it down to a quartet, they can all play a period and a half.

Brandon Maxwell of the Kitchener Rangers was a 6th round pick of the Colorado Avalanche last June. In 13 games with the Rangers this year he has a .916 save percentage and a 3.04 GAA. I'd have him sharing the Barrie game (tonight) with German Philipp Grubauer who plays for the Belleville Bulls. Grubauer was recently recognized as one of the top goalies available in 2010. Thus far he's played in 21 games for the Bulls and boasts a .912 save percentage and .327 GAA.

In the other game I would send out London Knights goalie Michael Houser, eligible for the 2010 draft by a mere two days. Houser has the third best GAA in the OHL at 2.48 but he's only appeared in 8 games. Still, his .917 save percentage suggests he's on the same pace as most of the top starters in the league. His partner on Monday night would be Robin Lehner (pictured), the Swede was taken in the 2nd by the Ottawa Senators last June. Lehner plays for the Soo Greyhounds and is in the OHL top 10 for both save percentage and GAA.

Defence

There are a few obvious choices for the blueline starting with 2010 marquee prospect Cam Fowler. The American plays for the powerful Windsor Spitfires and leads the OHL in scoring by defencemen with 29 points in 25 games. Fowler (pictured below) is listed a 6'2 and 190 lbs and is a surefire top 5 pick this June.

2009 guest blogger John Moore made the move from the USHL to the OHL this summer and now plays for the Kitchener Rangers. After arriving late from Columbus Blue Jackets camp (1st round pick, 2009) Moore finally got into action and has collected 12 points in 19 games.

Adam Comrie was a 2008 selection of the Florida Panthers. The Virginia born blueliners is now a member of the Guelph Storm after two seasons in Saginaw. HIs 17 points in 22 games with the Storm have Comrie ranked 10th in D-men scoring in the league this year. At 6'4 and 213 lbs, Comrie is definitely an interesting player to watch for in the future.

Another 2008 draftee is Michal Jordan of the Plymouth Whalers. Carolina chose the Czech native in the 4th round that year and he responded by nearly doubling his statistical output to a total of 42 points last season. Jordan has international experience with his country's junior team and even made my proposed team last year in this same exercise.

Undrafted Brian Lashoff gets a nod here as a 6'3, 204 lb two-way defender. Lashoff plays for the Kingston Frontenacs but also appeared in 6 AHL games last year with the Grand Rapids Griffins (DET) where he managed to pick up 5 points. Lashoff has 10 points so far this year with the Frontenacs.

Another undrafted player that caught my eye is Tony DeHart of the Oshawa Generals. With 21 points in 22 games, DeHart has already almost equaled his output from all 67 games last season. He is in his fourth OHL campaign but his first two years in London saw him play sparingly and contribute just 9 points over 72 games. The Missouri product easily eclipse that mark last year playing with the Generals and is well on his way to having a banner season.

The first of my two spares on my team are going to be Sarnia Sting defender Joe Rogalski, a late '91 born player from Lancaster, New York who has 14 points in 23 games this year. The second is native Pennsylvanian Tyler Hostetter who plays in his home State for the Erie Otters. Hostetter has is a bit undersized, went undrafted last year but has 14 points in 20 games this season for the Otters.

Left Wing

As we often see with "All-Star" teams, I'm going to have excess centers where one or two will have to move to the wing. For that reason, I only have 3 natural left wingers on my list. The first is Mississauga's Swedish import William Wallen. The tiny forward has 20 points, just two back of his total from last year when he was a rookie with the Majors. He's 5'8 and 170 lbs so I don't know how much of a pro future he has... just another reason why an event like I'm proposing is an interesting one for these types of players.

Rookie Jeremy Morin of the Kitchener Rangers is someone most people will recognize as a 2nd round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers at last June's NHL draft. Morin has an impressive 27 points in 21 games, third best on the strong Kitchener team. The New York product was a standout on the US-NTDP for the past two years.

A.J. Jenks was a 2008 draft pick of the Florida Panthers. The forward is now playing in his fourth season as a member of the Plymouth Whalers in his home State of Michigan. Jenks has had back-to-back 20 goals campaigns and is on pace to make it a third. The 6'2, 200 lb power forward is projected to be a solid checker at the pro level.

Right Wing

A recent guest on The Pipeline Show, Austin Watson is definitely a player of interest of for the 2010 NHL draft. He's only 9th in scoring on his own team but when that club is the Windsor Spitfires... you have to realize that 17 points is still pretty darn good.

NCAA deserter Kenny Ryan found his way North to the Spitfires after leaving Boston College on the eve of their regular season. The Toronto Maple Leafs chose Ryan in the 2nd round in the 2009 draft and so far this year he has compiled 11 points in 12 contests.

Brampton forward Philip Lane is a 2010 eligible rookie who makes my proposed roster. The Rochester, NY native has 11 points for the Battalion so far this year after 23 games played.

rounding out the right side is another Kitchener player in Gabriel Landeskog. The Swede comes recommended by OHL Prospects writer Brock Otten who suggests the 6'1, 200lb forward was overlooked by me on my initial roster I sent his way. Landeskog has 12 points in 22 games for the Rangers. As a late '92, Landeskog isn't NHL draft eligible until 2011.

Center

So with only 7 wingers on my roster, I'll add five centers and a couple of spares who also happen to be middlemen on their OHL club team. First off are two players who will actually be taking part in the real life Subway Super Series - Russians Alex Burmistrov and Ivan Telegin.


Burmistrov (pictured) is third in scoring for the Barrie Colts with 27 points but has quickly made a name for himself with scouts for the 2010 NHL draft. The dynamic pivot has a team high 18 assists to go with his 9 goals. Telegin plays for the Saginaw Spirit and has 29 points this year including 17 goals. The Saginaw forward stands 6'3 and is listed at 185 lbs.

Richard Panik is another European that was drafted last June. A product of Slovakia, the skilled center currently plays for the Windsor Spitfires and has contributed 12 points in 23 games, arguably a little disappointing considering a certain amount of hype leading into the season. The Tampa Bay Lighting took Panik in the 2nd round in 2009.

London Knights forwards Phil McRae and Jared Knight make the squad although I think the latter will have to be one of the spares considering his sluggish start to the season. McRae, a St. Louis Blues prospect, is just off a point-per-game pace with the Knights whereas his Michigan born teammate has just 15 points in 22 outings.

Erie forward Andrew Yogan has bounced back from serious injury late last season to have 24 points in 22 games so far in 2009-10. He's a late '91 so eligible this June and at 6'3 and 202 lbs you know he'll have plenty of eyes on him.

Finally, I've decided to include 2011 eligible Vincent Trochek of the Saginaw Sprit simply because I think he's earned it. The Pittsburgh native has 15 points as a 16-year-old rookie. Perhaps it's just a gesture for the youngster but he's the last player on my team.

Breakdown

Nationality: USA (18), Sweden (3), Russia (2), Czech (1), Slovakia (1), Germany (1).
NHL Drafted: 10
2010 Eligible: 9

Thanks to Brock Otten from OHL Prospects for his input.

U18 Check Up

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A couple of Tuesdays ago I listed 5 players that I thought could really up their stock with a strong U18 performance. I just wanted to take a brief look to see if any of them did in fact raise their ranking now that ISS and Central Scouting have released another update.

Toni Rajala went into the tournament ranked 39th overall by ISS and thanks to a tournament high 19 points in 6 games, is now slotted as a first rounder - 30th overall.

"The player who perhaps had the most eyes looking his way didn’t shy away but rather further pushed the spot light his way. Rajala needed to have a big tournament to cement his top round NHL draft pick potential. And do that he did, Rajala finished the tournament with 19 pts in 6 games, eclipsing the previous U18 scoring record set by some kid named Ovechkin, and he did it in one less game."

Edmonton Oil King import Robin Soudek is still unranked by ISS and NHL Central Scouting. He had just a pair of assists for the Czech Republic. I'm wondering if the winger's spot with the Oil Kings is secure for next season ir if the team has their eyes on a different player in the Import Draft to split the duties with Tomas Vincour in 2009-10.

I was being cheeky when I listed "Sweden" as a candidate and really, after their 5th place finish, I don't know that anyone on the club saw their stock go up. Maybe Anton Lander who had 9 points. I had singled out netminder Robin Lehner but if anything, he took a bit of a hit with a 3-2 record. ISS now has him ranked as the 6th best goalie available. Jacob Josefson scored rave reviews as a two-way forward though. It was William Wallen who seemed to impress ISS the most though:

"Wallen was consistently the most productive and effective Swedish player during the tournament. He is smaller but extremely elusive and quick, and very tenacious around the puck. Wallen played the point on the powerplay and packs a very strong shot. Although his size is a concern, Wallen plays a fearless game and squeaks away from checks with the puck but can also throw good physical hits as well, as illustrated on one shift against Canada where he took down McNabb and Doherty on the same shift. Wallen put up 8 points in just 4 games during the tournament. Wallen is very difficult to play against and his feet never stop moving."

USA's Kevin Lynch was ranked 82nd by ISS heading into the tournament but has come out sitting in the 42nd spot thanks to his 10-point performance. Central Scouting has actually dropped him from 93rd to 100th though so... who knows?

The guy I expected to see the biggest jump has vaulted up the charts. Everett Silvertips forward Byron Froese went from being unranked by both ISS and Central Scouting to #74 for ISS and #85 in N.A. for Central. ISS had this to say afterwards:

"Exposure at the world U-18s was great for him as he stepped up his game. Was consistently dangerous and cashed in chances around net. His defensive game is
solid and he often takes all the crucial faceoffs in all zones."

There are still two months before the draft and much can happen. The CHL playoffs are still ongoing and of course the NHL Combine and the interviews are ahead as well.

Really, the story of the U18s was the performance of the under-age players involved. The 2010 draft is already looking stellar with several players putting themselves on the map even more than they were prior to the Fargo-Moorhead games.

Canadians John McFarland, Joey Hishon, Brett Connelly and Erik Gunbrandson were all more than fillers on the roster - they were all impact players.

Finland has a pair of top prospects for next year in Mikael Grandlund and Teemu Pulkkinen.

German forward Tom Kuehnhackl (pictured) was first brought to our attention last November by team personnel in Camrose as someone we should keep our eyes and ears out for and he was impressive at the u18s.

Of course the Russians will have a very strong 2010 class, that's no secret. Kirill Kabanov and Maxim Kitsyn have been on the radar for a while now and Vladamir Tarasenko followed up his impressive WJAC last November with another strong effort in Fargo. All 3 should be considered 1st rounders for 2010.

(Photos Courtesy: Everett Silvertips, Sport1.de)

Top 5 Tuesdays: U18 Opportunists

Now what I'm talking about here are players involved in this year's U18s currently underway in Fargo-Moorehead who can elevate their 2009 draft stock a great deal by the way they play in this tournament.

I'm not talking about Magnus Svensson-Pääjärvi who might jump from top 8 to top 4... I'm talking about players who are outside the first round, perhaps not even rated right now by Central or ISS, who could parlay a big tournament into getting taken a couple rounds earlier than previously expected, or simply drafted at all.

Got that straight? OK, here we go...

#5 Toni Rajala - Finland

Nobody is really talking about the Finns this year because their really big names are going to be eligible for next year's NHL draft in 2010, that and the Swedes are so strong this year that the rest of Europe looks rather weak by comparison.

Toni Rajala is one of the very few Finns who are considered top 2 round quality this year. At 5'10 and 165 lbs though he's going to have to have a pretty impressive performance at Fargo to standout from the 2010 guys on his own team and get some spotlight of his own. So far he's kind of done that with a team high 5 points in 2 games. Flashback a year ago and some thought he could be a top-10 prospect and last month ISS, who have him ranked 39th overall right now, had this to say about him:

"Regarded as one of the most talented players to come out of Finland in some time, Rajala has put up consistent scoring numbers as an underage player at every level, including internationally. A dominant perimeter player, Rajala could jump back into the favour of NHL GMs with another of those performances at this April’s World U18 Championship."

#4 Robin Soudek - Czech Republic

Soudek played for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL this past year and was not a player who caught attention on most nights. Every once in a while he would show a bunch of hustle that would raise an eyebrow but he could not sustain much from game to game. He was much better in March than he was in November though and I like Europeans who are better in the second half as opposed to the first which is what the stereotype is - Euros fade after the mid point of a North American season because of the heavy game schedule.

At the U18's so far the Czechs have been pretty disappointing. They pushed Canada but are still fell short and sit 1-3 with losses also coming to Germany and Sweden. For his part, Robin Soudek appears to be holding his own. He actually has a couple points which is more than fellow countryman Andrej Nestrasil who is ranked 67th by both ISS and Central Scouting. Soudek meanwhile, isn't ranked by either scouting group so anything he can do at this tournament that leads to his name being heard on June 26/27th would have to be considered a huge success.

#3 Sweden - Everyone


OK, it's a cop out, I know. But the Swedes are so freakin' intriguing this year that you can't just overlook them but at the same time, all 5 players on my list could have been Swedes! Passing over the big names like Svensson-Pääjärvi (3rd), Ekman-Larsson (23rd) and Josefson (10th) there are a bunch of guys who could vault into the first round because of the way they play in front of the North American scouts this week.

Carl Klingberg is one such guy. He's 6'3 and 205 lbs so you know the scouts are all over him because of his size but he's putting up points too. So far he's got 2 goals and 2 helpers in 3 games. ISS currently has Klingberg just outside the first round sitting in the 33rd spot.

How about Anton Lander who ISS has ranked 40th right now? He's not as big as Klingberg but he might be more offensive minded as he's got a whopping 8 points already, second only to Mr. Paajarvi's 10.

And don't forget about netminder Robin Lehner who TPS first started telling you about last Christmas but is really starting to generate discussion lately. He's the 3rd best goalie available this year according to ISS (March) but I'm hearing people say that Frolunda's Lehner isn't much different than Jacob Markstrom who went early in the second round to Florida last June and was recently rated the best goalie prospect in the world by The Hockey News. Lehner is 6'4 and 220 lbs... I won't be surprised at all if he's ends up being the first goalie drafted this year.

#2 Kevin Lynch - USA


ISS has Lynch ranked 82nd overall while Central Scouting had him slotted 83rd just in North America in their mid-term rankings. Lynch plays with the US-NTDP with a bunch of guys who are mentioned a lot more often than he is. However, right now in Fargo he's outscoring every one of those guys with a team high 9 points in 3 games. He's got 4 points more than anyone else on his team including guys like Jeremy Morin and Drew Shore, both are top-20 ranked players. Hell, his 5 goals are as much as any teammate has in points.

Lynch is 6'1 and just shy on 190 lbs so he's got decent size. If you're looking for a player who is making a name for himself at the U18s... this has to be the guy for the Americans at least.

#1 Byron Froese - Canada

He's unranked by ISS and Central Scouting has him way back at #102 in North America but Byron Froese is really coming out of the pack lately. A source in Everett told me a while ago that not only would he make Canada's U18 team ahead of Silvertips rookie leading scorer Kellan Tochkin but that Frose would get drafted ahead of him too. Tochkin is ranked 137th overall by ISS but I think it's safe to say that Froese is going to skyrocket up the chart from unranked to top 100.

In Fargo, Froese has a team high 6 points, tied with underage John McFarland and TPS guest blogger Ethan Werek. He's 6' and 178lbs but Froese is a tenacious character player that isn't limited to playing a checking role because he can also put up points. His 57 points were more than Landon Ferraro (55), Carter Ashton (50), Ryan Howse (44) and Cody Eakin (48) who are all considered top 2 round prospects.

Top 5 Tuesday

Right now there isn't a European in the top 10 of CHL scoring, but a quick glance at the rookie scoring leaders and several imports lead the way. Having said that most teams don't succeed without a successful "Euro" and with that The Pipeline Show presents 5 players to watch for in this summer's CHL Import draft.

5. Tomas Tatar-Slovakia


Tatar was easily the most dynamic Slovakian at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa this year, piling up 7 goals and 4 assists in 11 games. He certainly caught the eye of my co host Guy Flaming with his superior skills and flare for celebrating.

We at TPS thought he might have been show boating a little, but after speaking with Oilers prospect, and Tatar WJC teammate, Milan Kytnar, we came to find out he's not a hot dog and just "didn't know what to do for celebrations." At 5.11 and 170 pounds, Tatar is being projected as a late second round pick right now for the upcoming draft, but should be a top 5 pick in the import draft, especially if he shows a willingness to come overseas and improve his game. A conversation with his countrymen Kytnar might help to sway him.

4. Jacob Josefson-Sweden

A versatile forward who can play both C/LW who is projected to be a top 10 pick in this June's NHL draft. However he might be a risk reward type guy for a CHL team. He might stay in Sweden until the WJC, then bolt for Canada, much like Mikael Backlund did recently, joining Kelowna. (By the way Backlund is scheduled to join Guy and myself tonight on TPS) Backlund's reason for leaving his home country was a lack of playing time. Josefson suffered a similar fate during the WJC in Ottawa where he failed to register a point. The 6.00 187 pound pass first player is strong on the puck and very smart, and could turn an average player into a sniper. The Rockets picked up Backlund 43rd overall in 2007, so watch for a team to take a chance on Josefson.



3. Robin Lehner-Sweden

Last year a Swedish netminder was the 3rd pipeman to be taken, as Florida snatched Jacob Markstrom with the first pick in the 2nd round. This year history could repeat itself as Robin Lehner is projected by ISS to be a 2nd rounder and the 3rd best goaltender available. The sweet stats on this Sweede are his size. He's 6.03 and 200 lbs, and reportedly moves extremely well. Lehner is said to have a never quit attitude who has the ability to win games by himself. There are a number of CHL teams who could use a stand out tender, including next year's Memorial Cup hosts, which could be the carrot dangled in front of him that gets him across the pond.

2. Stanislav Galiev-Russia

The first of 2 Russians on the list, and guy who's already used to the North American game. Galiev is currently with Indiana of the USHL where he's racked up 18 goals, 23 assist for 41 points in just 39 games. At 6.01 and 182 lbs the slick forward can dangle with the best of them and as a sizzling shot. Right now he's a top 20 pick for 2010, and I'd be shocked if he didn't jump to the CHL next year where he would get more exposure than the always improving USHL. Galiev could be the 2nd player picked even though a guy like Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi is a better prospect, there is a greater chance that Galiev will play in the CHL.



(Like Barry Manilow, Kirill "Copacabana" Kabanov is also of Russian ancestry)
1. Kirill Kabanov-Russia

Affectionately dubbed, "Copacabana" by TPS, Kabanov impressed me at the World Junior A Challenge in Camrose this past November. More so for his passion than his talent, even though his passion/temper landed him in hot water with the referees and his coach. The 6.03, 176 pound Left Winger who's a right handed shot, notched 3 goals, 4 assists and 12 penalty minutes in just 4 games for a very young Russian squad. It's not the first time he's dominated the point and penalty minute sheet in an international tournament either. At the 2008 World U-17 tournament, Kabanov had 11 points in 5 games to go along with 28 penalty minutes. Can dominate a game with his all world skill and will challenge Taylor Hall to be the first overall selection in the 2010 NHL entry draft. Will want to up his draft stock and that will come by jumping to the CHL.

You can here the November interview TPS did with Kabanov, where he basically told us there was a CHL bidding war for him here.



Tonight on TPS we're all over the map starting with Boston University goaltender Kieran Milan. The Edmonton product led his Terriers past rival Northeastern in the final of the Beanpot tournament with 23 save performance in a 5-2 win. From there we hope to speak with Springfield Falcon forward Ryan Stone whom the Oilers picked up in the Mathieu Garon trade with Pittsburgh a few weeks back. We'll find out how Stone is adjusting to Springfield where life has not been fun lately. Stone played junior hockey in Brandon, the same league as the Kelowna Rockets (okay it was a cheap way to mention the Wheat Kings) where Mikael Backlund is trying to lead the Rockets deep into the playoffs. So far so good for Backlund who has 13 points in 13 games for Kelowna who has clinched a playoff spot, hasn't lost in their last 9 regulation games, and could sneak into 3rd in the west. Finally from the WHL we'll check out the USHL where 2009 draft prospect John Moore plays for the Chicago Steel. The USHL is an underrated league that is starting to produce a large number of NHLers. You can catch the show live from 7-9 PM mountain time on the TEAM 1260 in Edmononton, or online around the world at http://www.thepipelineshow.com/. But as Guy likes to say, if you miss it live, click the archive.