Checking in on the Ottawa Senators Top Prospects

Given that there’s been no Senators hockey for another few days, I took some time to look into some other parts of the organization. I recently wrote about what’s going on with the Belleville Senators, and now it’s time to take a look at what’s been going on with the rest of the Ottawa Senators prospect group. It’s not exactly the most inspiring group, but there’s a few guys that Senators fans should be excited about. Let’s dive into who is standing out among the non-AHL prospects for the Ottawa Senators.

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Carter Yakemchuk

Yakemchuk has continued to produce after being drafted seventh overall in the summer (Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire)

About a month ago, I wrote about how Yakemchuk’s season had been going. I mentioned how well he had been playing and how Senators fans should start to get excited about watching him play for Team Canada at the World Junior Tournament. Unfortunately, a week later I was forced to eat my words, with the snub of Yakemchuk from Team Canada’s Roster. That snub doesn’t change anything about Yakemchuk being held in high regard. Team Canada played it safe, leaving off not just Yakemchuk, but several other highly talented players.

Undoubtedly, Yakemchuk is the best prospect in the Ottawa Senators system. He’s up to 12 goals and 29 points in 25 games. That puts him second among WHL d-men in goals, and ninth in points. His Calgary Hitmen are contending for the first time since Yakemchuk has been there. While he won’t get to play at the World Juniors, hopefully he’ll earn valuable big game experience with a deep playoff run.

Blake Montgomery

Speaking of playing for contending teams, Montgomery’s decision to join the London Knights in November has allowed him the opportunity to play for arguably the best team in the CHL. In ten USHL games, he had scored ten points. Since joining London, he’s scored 10 goals and 19 points in 17 games. Keep in mind that he started slow, with no goals and just one point in his first five games. Since then, he’s been on fire, and so have the Knights. They’ve gone 15-2 with Montgomery in the lineup.

Gabriel Eliasson

Eliasson’s numbers aren’t much to look at. He’s scored just two goals and four points through 31 games with the Barrie Colts. The Colts, meanwhile, are also one the better teams in the OHL. Eliasson’s not exactly counted on for his offense. He’s a physical defensive defenseman whose highlights this season include a few massive hits, and involving himself involved in a bit of a line brawl, during which fans were throwing teddy bears onto the ice. Here’s a stat to really hammer home the type of game Eliasson plays- he leads the OHL in penalty minutes with 68.

Matthew Andonovski

Andonovski isn’t far behind in the OHL penalty minute race, sitting third in the league with 64. The 2023 fifth round pick made Senators fans take notice with his phenomenal season last year, where he did a little bit of everything for the Kitchener Rangers. He scored seven goals, 32 points, 124 penalty minutes, and was a league best plus 58. His numbers aren’t quite as impressive this year. He’s put up nine points in 33 games. Nonetheless he’s the captain and one of the most important defensemen on a loaded Kitchener team. They are one of the only OHL teams with any chance to knock out the Knights come playoff time.

Luke Ellinas

Ellinas is Andonovski’s teammate on Kitchener. The 18 year old forward has scored 15 goals and 23 points in 33 games. That gives him the second most goals on the team. The numbers don’t tell the whole story with his game. He’s seen an increased role this season with Kitchener, from wearing an A on his jersey, to becoming Kitchener’s go-to faceoff guy. He’s taken a team high 579 faceoffs already this season after taking just 150 all of last year.

Best of the Rest

Tomas Hamara has scored 25 points in 24 games for the Brantford Bulldogs. That places him 10th best among all OHL d-men. The key to his big offensive season is his power play success, where he’s scored all three of his goals and 13 of his points.

Theo Wallberg’s managed just four points in 13 games for Ohio State. The big Swedish d-man was more productive last season as a freshman, with 21 points in 28 games.

Javon Moore has just four goals and 13 points for the Sioux Falls Stampede in the OHL. Of the three fourth round picks a year ago, Moore has been the quietest, given the solid seasons from Montgomery and Ellinas.

Fifth round pick Eerik Wallenius has produced nice numbers in the Finnish under-20 league. The big d-man has scored four goals and 19 points in 25 games, while also adding 38 penalty minutes.

Hoyt Stanley has just two assists in 11 games for Cornell. Given that Stanley is one of the youngest players on that team and is known more for his defense, those mediocre stats through 11 games aren’t the be-all-end-all.

As for Ottawa Senators prospects to watch at the World Junior Tournament, there is only one- goaltender Vladimir Nikitin, who will represent Kazakhstan.