Before jumping back into the mailbag, it’s important to discuss some of the recent happenings around the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and how they might impact the Ottawa Senators. Between the draft lottery and Corey Pronman’s recent reporting, there’s a fair bit to get to:
The Lottery
Draft Lottery V2.0 occurred yesterday, and the result was just fine from Ottawa’s perspective. Keeping the Lafreniere pick outside the division, and specifically away from the Toronto Maple Leafs, was a win. The New York Rangers are a worthy winner, having rebuilt their club with stunning efficiency.
So, how does the Rangers landing that pick impact the Senators? It’s tough to say at this stage. On the one hand, there really shouldn’t be much of an impact at all; the Senators are still drafting third overall, and never really had a hope at Alexis Lafreniere anyways. On the other hand, though, there’s some speculation that New York could go off the board and select Quinton Byfield at first overall. That sort of earthshattering move could have implications down the draft board.
While Lafreniere has been the consensus first overall pick all year long, there’s a growing movement of very smart prospect watchers that is suggesting the gap between him and Byfield is much smaller than most believe. With Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider already locked in at left wing, perhaps the need to complement Mika Zibanejad at center forces the Rangers to take a long look at Byfield. New York is in the unique position of being far enough into its rebuild (and just plain good enough) to draft for position a little bit more than an ordinary team selecting first overall would --- thanks, COVID draft lottery rules!
The Rumors
The Athletic’s Corey Pronman is reporting that Lucas Raymond and Jamie Drysdale are the two names to watch for Ottawa at fifth overall:
Pronman (Athletic) says only name he’s heard linked to OTT at 5 recently is Lucas Raymond. Also notes that a lot of sources tell him DET really like Perfetti. #Senspic.twitter.com/9kG9nhXDTL
While drafting a defender like Drysdale wouldn’t be my first choice at #5, the thought of getting Raymond in that spot should be enough to get any Senators fan excited. Beyond the flashy highlights is a reputation as a solid and consistent play driver, which is something the Senators will absolutely need as they move into the “contender” sphere.
Even if Drysdale is the pick, it’s hard to argue with the idea of him and Chabot feeding some combination of Byfield/Stutzle and Tkachuk up front.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»