Prospect Info: 2018-2019 Senators prospect watch

[aragorn]

I don't have concerns regarding Chlapik, he seems to be coming along just fine & at the right time. He can play centre or left wing & Ottawa could always use another good playmaker, most good goal scorers need someone to get them the puck. He's got a great shot as I have already said along with others, so it is great than he can also get the puck to someone in a better position to score. He looks like another good two way centre for the middle six who can do everything well, he can play on the third line but can also play on the second line. I imagine if he is placed with two good scoring wingers he could turn into an excellent 3rd or 2nd line centre & find for Ottawa.

Here is an example of three good pairings among the prospects that could make up the start of three good lines ..... & a decent forward to compliment them for now until a better one is acquired. Ottawa has a good number of very good prospects coming & soon & more, if they make any more deals which include prospects coming back. The future IMO looks a lot better than the present at the moment no matter who you line them up with & could include a few more depending on what the returns will be on trades.

1. Formenton - Brown ..... - Nurmi
2. Tkachuk - White ..... - Gagne
Luchuk ..... - Chlapik - Batherson 3.

 

[super6646]

As a flames fan, I'm curious to know how Tkachuk is looking for you guys. Do you guys think he is capable of being on the opening roster (and if so where), or will he be going back to college?

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

As a flames fan, I'm curious to know how Tkachuk is looking for you guys. Do you guys think he is capable of being on the opening roster (and if so where), or will he be going back to college?

He probably could play but should go back to college imo. He need to fill out and have another year of development without the pressure of the NHL

 

[Hale The Villain]

Hate to kick the team while it's down, but I just finished re-watching Tkachuk's WJC games, which I had PVR'd, and it reminded me exactly why I had him at outside of my top 7.

Even in his most impressive stretch of his year, he wasn't that impressive. Was mishandling a lot of pucks, missing on his passes and failing to finish good scoring chances because of his mediocre shot.

Did a good job winning battles, playing physical and supporting his linemmates, but this is not a player with top 10 quality talent, let alone top 4.

I hope he proves me wrong, but I really wish we had selected a player with more upside with our highest pick since Spezza.

 

[Icelevel]

Hate to kick the team while it's down, but I just finished re-watching Tkachuk's WJC games, which I had PVR'd, and it reminded me exactly why I had him at outside of my top 7.

Even in his most impressive stretch of his year, he wasn't that impressive. Was mishandling a lot of pucks, missing on his passes and failing to finish good scoring chances because of his mediocre shot.

Did a good job winning battles, playing physical and supporting his linemmates, but this is not a player with top 10 quality talent, let alone top 4.

I hope he proves me wrong, but I really wish we had selected a player with more upside with our highest pick since Spezza.

Time will tell. It is possible zadina turns out better. But it’s only possibilities now.

 

[aragorn]

Hate to kick the team while it's down, but I just finished re-watching Tkachuk's WJC games, which I had PVR'd, and it reminded me exactly why I had him at outside of my top 7.

Even in his most impressive stretch of his year, he wasn't that impressive. Was mishandling a lot of pucks, missing on his passes and failing to finish good scoring chances because of his mediocre shot.

Did a good job winning battles, playing physical and supporting his linemmates, but this is not a player with top 10 quality talent, let alone top 4.

I hope he proves me wrong, but I really wish we had selected a player with more upside with our highest pick since Spezza.

Maybe it's because you & a number of people are expecting something different from him based on where he was drafted. You & others clearly have your own definition of what kind of player should be drafted at that spot or in the early part of the draft & the way he plays the game does not fit your criteria for 4th overall. I see it differently & the Sens scouting clearly see it differently that Tkachuk's kind of talent was worth picking him 4th overall & numerous websites & experts leading up to the draft agreed.

He's not going to be a sniper goal scorer like Zadina, people need to get over that, he's not nor will ever be that kind of player. He plays a different way, he is going to be an in your face get his nose dirty pain in the ass front of the net presence who will tip in shots, fight for lose pucks & pick up a bunch of garbage goals or dirty goals in front of the net. He's not going to be a fancy player skating around the perimeter, he's going to be a rugged tough hard ass player to play against. He's going to be what I highlighted in your paragraph & IMO he is going to be the kind of player that makes everyone else around him better with his dogged determination & willingness to win at all costs. IMO this team needs that kind of player maybe more so than just another goal scorer & making his linemates better makes the team better overall & that's what is most important. I am starting to feel sorry for him with so many people already against before he takes his first shift, he's never going to appease those fans who prefer finnese or flashy players. Wayne Simmons isn't a flashy player but he certainly gets the job done, I'm hoping he turns into a player like that.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

Maybe it's because you & a number of people are expecting something different from him based on where he was drafted. You & others clearly have your own definition of what kind of player should be drafted at that spot or in the early part of the draft & the way he plays the game does not fit your criteria for 4th overall. I see it differently & the Sens scouting clearly see it differently that Tkachuk's kind of talent was worth picking him 4th overall & numerous websites & experts leading up to the draft agreed.

He's not going to be a sniper goal scorer like Zadina, people need to get over that, he's not nor will ever be that kind of player. He plays a different way, he is going to be an in your face get his nose dirty pain in the ass front of the net presence who will tip in shots, fight for lose pucks & pick up a bunch of garbage goals or dirty goals in front of the net. He's not going to be a fancy player skating around the perimeter, he's going to be a rugged tough hard ass player to play against. He's going to be what I highlighted in your paragraph & IMO he is going to be the kind of player that makes everyone else around him better with his dogged determination & willingness to win at all costs. IMO this team needs that kind of player maybe more so than just another goal scorer & making his linemates better makes the team better overall & that's what is most important. I am starting to feel sorry for him with so many people already against before he takes his first shift, he's never going to appease those fans who prefer finnese or flashy players. Wayne Simmons isn't a flashy player but he certainly gets the job done, I'm hoping he turns into a player like that.

I agree to an extent. I would have preferred a different player but he's ours now.

I also feel people are underestimating his vision and passing in tight spaces. He's a pretty creative player. I still don't really like his agility and footwork but hopefully that improves.

 

[BondraTime]

Yeah, I'm really bummed we used that pick on Tkachuk. Going to come back to bite us imo. Hope I'm wrong, though I'd have to be way off.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Maybe it's because you & a number of people are expecting something different from him based on where he was drafted. You & others clearly have your own definition of what kind of player should be drafted at that spot or in the early part of the draft & the way he plays the game does not fit your criteria for 4th overall. I see it differently & the Sens scouting clearly see it differently that Tkachuk's kind of talent was worth picking him 4th overall & numerous websites & experts leading up to the draft agreed.

He's not going to be a sniper goal scorer like Zadina, people need to get over that, he's not nor will ever be that kind of player. He plays a different way, he is going to be an in your face get his nose dirty pain in the ass front of the net presence who will tip in shots, fight for lose pucks & pick up a bunch of garbage goals or dirty goals in front of the net. He's not going to be a fancy player skating around the perimeter, he's going to be a rugged tough hard ass player to play against. He's going to be what I highlighted in your paragraph & IMO he is going to be the kind of player that makes everyone else around him better with his dogged determination & willingness to win at all costs. IMO this team needs that kind of player maybe more so than just another goal scorer & making his linemates better makes the team better overall & that's what is most important. I am starting to feel sorry for him with so many people already against before he takes his first shift, he's never going to appease those fans who prefer finnese or flashy players. Wayne Simmons isn't a flashy player but he certainly gets the job done, I'm hoping he turns into a player like that.

I don't think the Sens drafted Tkachuk 4th OVR based on his talent, just like I don't think they drafted Cowen 9th, Lazar 17th, White, 21st, Bowers 28th and Englund 40th because of their talent relative to other players left on the board. I think they focused on the wrong attributes, such as intangibles like character and teachable characteristics like defensive play, and as a result they passed on players with far more talent and higher upsides.

I'm not against Tkachuk, in fact I hope I'm wrong and he turns out to be a Simmonds-type guy, but I've watched close to 20 games of him the past 2YRs and I haven't seen a whole lot there indicating that there is a ton of untapped offensive potential with him. Said the same about the guys listed above when they were drafted.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Yeah the Tkachuk pick will end up being a pretty disastrous misstep for the club. Par for the course for Dorion. Another one to add to his legacy as one of the all time worst managers. He loves these guys with "big character" over good hockey players.

It'll be kind of funny though to point and laugh at people who like this in a few years while they say "no one could have possibly predicted this would happen". But then the crushing reality of incompetent management and years of bottom feeding without a proper development and scouting system will kick in.

In Dumb dumb's defense, watching the post draft interviews of him and Mann, it didn't really look like they were super stoked about the situation. I wouldn't be surprised if years later we found out Melnyk made that pick and not them on the draft floor against their advise.

 

[Benjamin]

Zadina is a game changer with the puck. Tkachuk is a game changer without the puck.

 

[Peptic Balcers]

He probably could play but should go back to college imo. He need to fill out and have another year of development without the pressure of the NHL

This is probably true, but I selfishly want him to go to London so I can see him with Formenton when they come to town.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

This is probably true, but I selfishly want him to go to London so I can see him with Formenton when they come to town.

I want him in London too. Boqvist is going now, if Bouchard returns and they add Tkachuk that team should be primed for a long playoff run. Would be a good experience for him like it was for his brother.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

I want him in London too. Boqvist is going now, if Bouchard returns and they add Tkachuk that team should be primed for a long playoff run. Would be a good experience for him like it was for his brother.

As much as I think playing in NCAA would make him stronger, I think playing on a stacked team like London would really allow him to explore his offensive creativity and he could just flat out dominate and come in with tremendous confidence the following year.

I think OHL or NCAA both have their advantages

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Lol we definitely need to keep Brady away from the upcoming tire fire that will be the 2018-2019 Sens.

 

[aragorn]

Yeah the Tkachuk pick will end up being a pretty disastrous misstep for the club. Par for the course for Dorion. Another one to add to his legacy as one of the all time worst managers. He loves these guys with "big character" over good hockey players.

It'll be kind of funny though to point and laugh at people who like this in a few years while they say "no one could have possibly predicted this would happen". But then the crushing reality of incompetent management and years of bottom feeding without a proper development and scouting system will kick in.

In Dumb dumb's defense, watching the post draft interviews of him and Mann, it didn't really look like they were super stoked about the situation. I wouldn't be surprised if years later we found out Melnyk made that pick and not them on the draft floor against their advise.

Remember not that long ago when people on here were all bragging at how good this team was at drafting & developing players? I guess that is another thing of the past now, when did it all go so wrong? From the conference finals just two seasons ago to one of the worse teams in the NHL in one yr, I bet no one saw that coming either?

 

[Cosmix]

Remember not that long ago when people on here were all bragging at how good this team was at drafting & developing players? I guess that is another thing of the past now, when did it all go so wrong? From the conference finals just two seasons ago to one of the worse teams in the NHL in one yr, I bet no one saw that coming either?

I don’t think the Senators were a strong ECF team, just a very lucky one. Similarly, I don’t think the Senators team that started last year was as bad as their season end record shows; however, the Duchene trade took some time to show positive results, the Brassard and Phaneuf trades have weakened the team, and the trade of Hoffman has further weakened the team. Trading Karlsson will deal a terrible blow to the team as the return could be poor like the Spezza trade.

So . . . next year looks like a tire fire season with little to justify this team being able to compete for a playoff spot. Bottom quartile of the league with a possibility of bottom 2 or 3 finish. Or you could put your faith in GM Dorion and his “vastly improved team” spin.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

As much as I think playing in NCAA would make him stronger, I think playing on a stacked team like London would really allow him to explore his offensive creativity and he could just flat out dominate and come in with tremendous confidence the following year.

I think OHL or NCAA both have their advantages

But, with London being so stacked, there's no guarantee Tkachuk would get first line minutes and opportunities there.

More I think of it, the more I want him getting as much gym and practice time as possible. NCAA is best for that.

 

[TheBradyBunch]

But, with London being so stacked, there's no guarantee Tkachuk would get first line minutes and opportunities there.

More I think of it, the more I want him getting as much gym and practice time as possible. NCAA is best for that.

London is very, very far from stacked.

They have added Boqvist, Dunkley and probably a few rookies but they got rid of Miletic, Thomas, Pu, Jones and Carbonara + Collins and Rollo are both now ineligible for the OHL (I believe).

They were a middle-of-the-pack team last year and they will probably be middle-of-the-road this year. Tkachuk might be their top fwd if he joined them.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Maybe it's because you & a number of people are expecting something different from him based on where he was drafted. You & others clearly have your own definition of what kind of player should be drafted at that spot or in the early part of the draft & the way he plays the game does not fit your criteria for 4th overall. I see it differently & the Sens scouting clearly see it differently that Tkachuk's kind of talent was worth picking him 4th overall & numerous websites & experts leading up to the draft agreed.

He's not going to be a sniper goal scorer like Zadina, people need to get over that, he's not nor will ever be that kind of player. He plays a different way, he is going to be an in your face get his nose dirty pain in the ass front of the net presence who will tip in shots, fight for lose pucks & pick up a bunch of garbage goals or dirty goals in front of the net. He's not going to be a fancy player skating around the perimeter, he's going to be a rugged tough hard ass player to play against. He's going to be what I highlighted in your paragraph & IMO he is going to be the kind of player that makes everyone else around him better with his dogged determination & willingness to win at all costs. IMO this team needs that kind of player maybe more so than just another goal scorer & making his linemates better makes the team better overall & that's what is most important. I am starting to feel sorry for him with so many people already against before he takes his first shift, he's never going to appease those fans who prefer finnese or flashy players. Wayne Simmons isn't a flashy player but he certainly gets the job done, I'm hoping he turns into a player like that.

I don't have anything against him. I just don't think that's what you go for when drafting that high.

It's not everyday you draft 4th overall.

 

[scallionjj11]

 

[Ice-Tray]

Preferring another player is fine, putting much stock in our personal limited viewings over the amount of scouting that went into this team's 4OA pick is questionable.

It's not about being right or wrong, it's more that the entire scouting staff has earned our respect, and earned the right have their guy play a few games in the NHL at the very very least before we start putting our 'scouting' opinions ahead, at least in my opinion. If anything, those who wanted Zadina should be concerned that 3 teams passed on him, and intrigued at how good Tkachuk will be to have been our staff's pick.

I mean we have a few guys here that often hold their scouting opinions above our staffs' for a pick that the entire team, including Dorion would have been in on (1st round). I mean the odds are around 50% for drafting these kids this early, and we have a history of making some very good picks under Trent and Dorion. I think we should see if this is another great pick before assuming not. He looks to be exactly what the team needs and a guy you build your team around. That's not to say that Zadina is not a good player, he's just not what we need right now. Given the almost unanimous opinions of professionals, that these two players were around the same in terms of quality pick, it stands to reason that the team chose what it needed most. We don't need strictly goals more than we need a heart and a soul.

We don't all have to love the pick, but I think we do need to wait and see how it unfolds before thinking we know best. This wasn't a reach of a pick, this was a consensus top 3-5 player according to everyone except a few posters on our board oddly enough.

I bet he'll end up exactly what this team needs to become a tight unit again, and what this fanbase needs to fall in love with the team again.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I like reading the criticism of taking Tkachuk 4th.. I also feel quite privileged to be able to read the insights into projecting young players here on this site. The guys paying their bills making those recommendations and making those decisions have a little more skin in the game... but alas they have made some mistakes in the past, so they have opened the door to being second guessed and not just questioned but told they are flat out wrong right out of the gate. The Sens could really use some help in their scouting department and it sounds like a fun job in a lot of ways. A handful of posters that share their insights here would no doubt qualify quite readily.. and I would guess it would not be too long before promotions replacing bums like Mann would be in order. Could get on the fast track to AGM and fix our development as well. The sky is the limit really.. I mean the top dogs in the NHL hockey operations departments likely do pretty well.

I just want to say thanks.

 

[Xspyrit]

Maybe it's because you & a number of people are expecting something different from him based on where he was drafted. You & others clearly have your own definition of what kind of player should be drafted at that spot or in the early part of the draft & the way he plays the game does not fit your criteria for 4th overall. I see it differently & the Sens scouting clearly see it differently that Tkachuk's kind of talent was worth picking him 4th overall & numerous websites & experts leading up to the draft agreed.

He's not going to be a sniper goal scorer like Zadina, people need to get over that, he's not nor will ever be that kind of player. He plays a different way, he is going to be an in your face get his nose dirty pain in the ass front of the net presence who will tip in shots, fight for lose pucks & pick up a bunch of garbage goals or dirty goals in front of the net. He's not going to be a fancy player skating around the perimeter, he's going to be a rugged tough hard ass player to play against. He's going to be what I highlighted in your paragraph & IMO he is going to be the kind of player that makes everyone else around him better with his dogged determination & willingness to win at all costs. IMO this team needs that kind of player maybe more so than just another goal scorer & making his linemates better makes the team better overall & that's what is most important. I am starting to feel sorry for him with so many people already against before he takes his first shift, he's never going to appease those fans who prefer finnese or flashy players. Wayne Simmons isn't a flashy player but he certainly gets the job done, I'm hoping he turns into a player like that.

Bobby Ryan is a finesse player and they certainly don't like him more. Hoffman too was a finesse player and Sens HF reports on him didn't make the unanimity. There's just no perfect player, the closer we have to that is Mark Stone and even then his skating is not above average. Like you said, Tkachuk already has 2 strikes against him, with the usual posters.

To understand what Brady should become, you just have to take a look at his brother Matthew (or even his dad for those who followed the NHL for a logn time). He is just 20 y/o and has a 0.67 PPG in his first 2 seasons...That's Hoffman career PPG. But it's not only his offense, his defensive game is already excellent, his possession numbers are among the best and he certainly disturbs his opponents. He is a pain in the ass to play against. He's like a modern Claude Lemieux

IMO, Brady will be a bit bigger, a bit faster and a bit more skilled. I'm not excited about Tkachuk for potential highlight plays, I'm excited for him to be the kind of player that will make your team harder to play against, and that will help you win.

A Tkachuk-Brown-White line could be very hard to play against in a few years. Brown will provide the highlights/finesse plays while Tkachuk will do everything else, and White will transcend the line with his IQ and hockey sense. They will both also occasionally provide super skilled plays.

Dzingel-Duchene-Stone
Tkachuk-Brown-White
Formenton-Chlapik-Batherson

That top-9 could be really really good.

Yeah the Tkachuk pick will end up being a pretty disastrous misstep for the club. Par for the course for Dorion. Another one to add to his legacy as one of the all time worst managers. He loves these guys with "big character" over good hockey players.

It'll be kind of funny though to point and laugh at people who like this in a few years while they say "no one could have possibly predicted this would happen". But then the crushing reality of incompetent management and years of bottom feeding without a proper development and scouting system will kick in.

I have read that for so long (10+ years) from the same kind of posters and yet... worst finishes have been last year (2nd last) and in 2011 (5th last). Made the playoffs 6 times in the last 11 years and even won 3 rounds. Sure it's not fantastic but it's still better than many teams. So I am still waiting for the "bottom feeding" that those people have promised me.

That being said, I'm pretty sure MOST NHL teams had Tkachuk 3rd or 4th on their list. Looks like scouting sources thought the same :

• NHL Central Scouting: 2nd (among NA Skaters)
• Future Considerations: 3rd
• McKeen’s Hockey: 5th
• Hockeyprospect.com: 5th
• ISS Hockey: 4th
• Bob McKenzie: 4th
• Craig Button: 2nd
• Jeff Marek: 4th

 

[Uchiha]

Our scouting values intangibles and character too much.