With the Ottawa Senators having been absent from game action since March, there has been plenty of time for the internet to go crazy with all sorts of rumors, speculation, and ideas.
“They should trade third overall and fifth overall for first overall,… some have remarked.
“Sounds like they might look at trading down to pick up another asset,… suggested others.
Now that the draft is only a few short days away – it starts on Tuesday – it seems like the bigger picture is finally starting to settle into place. TSN and NHL.com have quoted Senators GM Pierre Dorion as all but confirming that his team will be keeping both the third and fifth overall selections. It doesn’t sound like there will be any funny business there.
While it’s true that this has always been the most likely outcome, the added degree of certainty that comes with the General Manager’s comments provides the fan base with some idea of what might develop over the next few days. We’re basically guaranteed that one of Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle will be donning the new-look Senators jersey on Tuesday, and now we can expect to see one of the other highly touted prospects do the same.
Of course, the knowledge that Ottawa is going to draft third and fifth overall does little to actually answer the question of who they are going to select with that latter pick. As has been mentioned here and in the comments section over the past few days, nobody seems to have a clue right now. Names like Lucas Raymond, Jamie Drysdale, Jake Sanderson, and Yaroslav Askarov seem to be the most frequently mentioned this week, with others such as Cole Perfetti, Anton Lundell, Jack Quinn, and Marco Rossi getting some attention as well. There is, quite simply, a laundry list of possibilities. It may even be the case that the Senators themselves haven’t yet made up their mind.
So, if the Senators are unsure, maybe you can help. Assuming each player below is available in the fifth overall slot, who would you prefer to see the team select?
As always, thanks for reading.