We here at 2PS are looking at the top five prospects in each system. Then we had a thought: everyone and their mother likely has a list up on their blog, so why not do a different take on it? Instead of a straight top five, we’ll take a look at the top forward, top defender, top goalie, top overall prospect and the top dark horse prospect. Also, if a player earns top prospect nods, the top positional spot will be filled by the next best at that positional group.
Today, we’re looking at the Ottawa Senators.
Disclaimer: we’re following NHL rookie qualification rules here. If anyone has played 25 or more NHL games in a season, they are disqualified from consideration.
With that in mind, let’s go!
Top Overall Prospect: Curtis Lazar
Taken 17th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, Lazar had a spectacular season with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL posting 41 goals and 76 points while displaying the strong two-way game that made him a first round pick in the first place.
Lazar is an outstanding skater and plays bigger than his size (6’0” 190). He’s more a goal-scorer than anything else, with an excellent release off the rush. What the Senators love about him is his grit. He gets in the muck along the walls, battling for the puck with no fear. Coupled with his strong defensive game and it’s understandable why the Senators can’t wait to get him into the lineup.
Projected Role: Top-six forward
Player Comparable: The name that keeps coming up most is Patrice Bergeron, but if he rounds into more of a defensive role, think Mike Fisher.
Timeline: Lazar has as good a shot as any to make the Senators out of camp this year. He could find his way into a top-six role early, though the Senators may want to let him start on the third line as he gets accustomed to the NHL game.
Top Forward: Mark Stone
The former sixth-round pick continues to defy expectations in the Senators’ organization. After lighting up the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Stone has spent the past few years being a solid scorer for the Binghamton Senators of the AHL, notching 15 goals and 40 points in 37 games. He also got a 19-game stint with the NHL-Senators last year, scoring four goals and eight points in that span.
Stone is a goal scorer, finding the open seams in a defense and using his wide array of shots to bury pucks in the twine. His skating is still a bit of an issue (his stride has been called awkward) and he still needs to work on his defensive game a bit.
Projected Role: Top-nine forward
Player Comparable: A homeless-man’s Brett Hull. I know, you think I’m insane by dropping a 700-goal scorer’s name in here, but tell me that paragraph above isn’t Hull: not a great skater, pure scorer who finds the open spots in a defense. Stone isn’t likely to be even a 30-goal man in the NHL, but he’s got the ability to bury it with semi-consistency.
Timeline: Stone should challenge for a regular spot in Ottawa this season, but could be left out because of all the young competition in camp. If he doesn’t stick, he’ll likely be in an emergency call-up role for this year before challenging again next year.
Top Defenseman: Andreas Englund
With Cody Ceci having played 49 games last year and likely being a full-time fixture on the Ottawa blue line going forward, we’ll go with the Swedish Englund. He’s a big boy at 6’3” 190 (and still filling out), showing a mean streak that scouts love in big defensemen.
Englund has also shown maturity beyond his years, taking an alternate captain’s role for Team Sweden at the World Junior Championships. He’s not much on the offensive end, but he’s got good mobility and makes a solid breakout pass. His bread and butter is without a doubt his physical play and strong defensive game.
Projected Role: Top-six defenseman
Player Comparable: Douglas Murray. Like Murray, Englund is a masher with a very limited upside offensively. He’s all about defense and he’s willing to paste you into the wall to make sure you do nothing of consequence with the puck.
Timeline: His Swedish club, Djurgarden, just re-signed him to a two-year deal so that’s where he will remain. After that, he could use some seasoning with Binghamton before challenging for a spot with the Senators sometime around 2017/18.
Top Goalie: Chris Driedger
Taken in the third-round of the 2012 NHL Draft (76th overall), Driedger faces an uphill battle as the top spots in net for the Senators are locked down by Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner. Signed recently to a three-year, entry-level deal, Driedger will continue his uphill battle in the AHL this year.
He’s got a big frame (6’3”), solid positioning and the patience needed to be a quality goaltender, but he still needs to work on his consistency and his ability to forget the bad goals – he’s shown that letting in a bad one early can affect him the rest of the game.
Projected Role: Backup NHL goaltender
Player Comparison: Alex Auld.
Timeline: Having played his three years with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL, Driedger will now get a shot at contributing in Binghamton. He’ll likely need two or three years in the AHL before being ready to challenge for a spot in Ottawa.
Top Dark Horse: Ryan Dzingel
Drafted in the seventh-round of the 2011 NHL Draft, Dzingel wasn’t supposed to even make this list, let alone the Binghamton Senators. Granted, he only got in for nine games (scoring two goals and seven points), but it’s clear he’ll have a role there next season.
Dzingle has spent the last three years as one of the top scorers for the Ohio State Buckeyes, showing good grit and a strong defensive game, taking on all the tough matchups and killing penalties for the Buckeyes.
Projected Role: Third-line center
Player Comparison: A poor-man’s Ryan Kesler. Though he’s shown some pop both at OSU and early with Binghamton, it remains to be seen if he can be as good offensively as fellow Buckeye Kesler.
Timeline: Dzingel will likely need two full years in Binghamton before he can challenge for a roster spot with the NHL Senators.
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