Luck may not have smiled on them in the National Hockey League draft lottery, but the Ottawa Senators certainly won’t complain about holding the seventh overall pick in the auction.
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Expectations were low for the Ottawa team heading into the draw: with a 6.5% chance of jumping to the first selection, the “Sens” expected to draft outside the top 5.
“We are pleased to add another top-10 talent to our excellent pool of prospects,” general manager Pierre Dorion said in a statement on Tuesday.
“[Amateur scouting chief] Trent Mann and his team have worked hard all year to gauge what we perceive to be a draft with a lot of depth. We look forward to adding an important piece to our organization in July.”
Senators fans shouldn’t get too attached to this selection, however, since Dorion revealed in his season report that he was open to parting with him for immediate help.
In addition, the “Sens” hold two second and third round selections in 2022, in addition to having chosen four times in the top 10 in the last four auctions.
If no offer manages to charm Dorion, the team from the Canadian capital will be able to set its sights on a quality hope. Defenders Simon Nemec and David Jiricek, in addition to forwards Matthew Savoie, Joakim Kemell and Conor Geekie, to name a few, could be ignored by the first six teams that will decide at the Bell Center in July.
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