Senators at the Draft on Day One

Full disclosure: I watch junior eligible players play about as often as I watch Stephane Da Costa KHL highlight montages on YouTube. It rarely happens, so I’m not going to pretend to have some kind of informed opinion on who the Senators selected or complain about the prospects who were passed over.

That being said, the Senators made a splash at the draft yesterday acquiring the 21^st overall selection from Buffalo (via the New York Islanders) to add to their own 18^th overall selection. Although there were reports the Senators were aggressively trying to package some of their draft selections to move up in the draft, nothing came to fruition and the Senators stood pat.

Earlier this week I had heard a rumour that Thomas Chabot was the Senators’ guy and when the stepped up to the podium to make their selection at 18, this rumour proved to be true.

Chabot rocketed up draft boards this season thanks to his mobility and blend of offensive skills. In 66 games for the Saint John Sea Dogs, Chabot tallied 12 goals and 41 points this season. He added a goal and five points for the Canadian under-18 team.

He is renowned for being a skilled puck-moving defenceman who plays naturally on the left side. With Patrick Wiercioch being the only left defenceman on the parent roster whose calling card is his ability to move the puck, adding another puck-mover to the mix helps the Senators’ prospect depth and helps take all of the eggs out of the Mikael Wikstrand basket.

You have to go all the way back to 1998 for the last time the Senators drafted a player out of the QMJHL in the first round, but in recent years, it feels like the Senators have had some measured success finding talent out of the ‘Q’ with players like Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Mike Hoffman and hopefully Vincent Dunn and Francis Perron. And yes, you bet your sweet ass I’m selectively ignoring the team’s third round selection of Jakub Culek (Rimouski) from 2010.

With their 21^st overall selection, the Senators drafted Colin White out of the U.S. Development program. White, who projects as a right winger/center scored four goals and 17 points in 20 games with the USNTDP Junior team in the USHL while adding 23 goals and 54 points in 54 USDP games. The numbers are decent for the Boston College recruit, but reports indicate that his production suffered this season because of a wrist injury and a bought with mononucleosis.

Scouts wax poetic about White’s hockey IQ and defensive acumen, so if there’s still room for growth in his offensive game, that’s pretty damn impressive. Almost as impressive as the fact that I woke up to read the newspapers today and no journalists were complaining about the Senators passing up on Travis Konecny.

Here’s a table displaying where a few scouting resources had the Senators’ prospects ranked in their pre-draft rankings:

What they’re saying about Chabot:

“Chabot had a very quality second campaign in the Q, especially when Saint John’s defensive depth was tested and he was asked to step into a bigger role. He’s a very gifted skater who can outlet the puck well and is very dangerous off the rush. Chabot has impressive overall hockey IQ, especially offensively, as he sees the ice very well and is able to control the tempo.

“His value is certainly offensively tilted, as he loves to join the attack and stretch the ice with his passes. But, he’s not entirely one-dimensional, as he can make some defensive stops, is physical and can be effective on the penalty kill. He’ll need to continue to develop his defensive play, but he could be a two-way defenseman as a pro.” ~ Corey Pronman, ESPN Insider (paywall)

“Rapidly progressed all season shooting up the rankings while leading the Sea Dogs in defence scoring (66-12-29-41) .. represented Canada for the first time at the U18 World Junior Championships contributing five points (7-1-4-5) .. thinks the game well in both ends possessing a calming influence, very poised with the puck, making rationale composed decisions .. a versatile defender who can play big minutes in all situations .. naturally hunched over a bit , powered by long springy strides – skating mechanics provide a solid base – needs to work on adding strength and quickness to his stride .. pivots and turns are smooth and composed providing steady shielding .. exceptional footwork, elegant and effortless transition from back to forwards .. an intelligent puck carrier with really fluid crossover steps – maintaining a soft control on the puck at all times .. wants to be a difference-maker and will use his ability to carry it into the offensive zone .. high hockey IQ, anticipating the play well, jumping up aggressively as an attacker .. keeps his head up when walking the blueline and gets his shots through as a result .. projection is based on filling in a thin, lean frame, still needing to get stronger, particularly in the upper body .. must develop his one-on-one defending down low and staying patient and resisting temptation to over-commit .. demonstrates sound stick-check technique in unison with his athleticism to stretch out his body and get his stick low along the ice – seamlessly interchanging the pokecheck and then stretch-out blocking .. a leader on a young team, played a bigger role when Zboril went down to injury .. with some fine tuning to his positioning, possesses the tools to be a top-four defensemen in the NHL.” ~ McKeen’s

“Lean blue-liner with excellent footwork and a live, athletic body. Is already physically strong for his size and should easily add another 15-20 pounds to his frame without losing any mobility. Outstanding puck mover from the back end makes rocket, pro-style passes through the neutral zone, but also puts delicate touch on short area saucers. Has a long, fluid skating stride with fine lateral agility and pivots. Terrific vision and creativity from the point on the PP – makes great reads and cross-ice slap passes. No QMJHL draft eligible saw such dramatic development this season. Tremendous in the transition game and shows great offensive instincts jumping up on the rush. Defensively he uses an active stick more than big, booming hits; we’d like to see him become more assertive with his large frame. Gets roaming in his own end and loses positioning at times.” ~ Red Line Report

“Chabot is a smooth skating defenceman who sees the ice well and distributes the puck with ease. Has a smooth but powerful stride. His stride generates healthy amounts of speed and good lateral agility. He is ultra-creative in his passing game and displays confidence in moving the puck and unloading shots when lanes become available. Has a heavy shot from the point. On the power play, he will drive down deep into the offensive zone to keep offensive pressure and also slide down deep into the slot from the point to create another shooting option for his linemates. On the breakout, he reads the ice in front of him very well as he scopes out his options and hits his man with perfect, well-timed passes. Chabot controls the puck with good patience and poise. He has a real knack offensively and has the confidence and skills to carry the puck end-to-end and make high-risk passes out of the zone or in transition. Defensively, he plays the gap well as he forces the attacker to make the first move; he follows up by playing the man hard into the wall or utilizes his exceptional stick use and positioning to break up theattack on the outside of the ice. Hard to get around one-on-one with great backward skating and long reach. Good positioning defensively in his zone. Impressed some NHL teams with his ability to make creative breakout passes and strong vision at the U18’s in April. A guy who is still developing and could really become a home run pick after a few seasons of growth.” ~ Future Considerations

What they’re saying about White:

“After coming in to his draft season as a top-15 prospect, White’s season didn’t unfold quite as well as he’d have liked because of several ailments, but he still managed to pull off a fine campaign. White’s standout attribute is his hockey sense.

“’He has so many little details to his game’ said one scout, ‘he makes smart plays all over the ice.’” ~ Corey Pronman, ESPN Insider (paywall)

“Redeemed a challenging season as the hero for the US U18 World Junior champions producing the golden goal in overtime against Finland as assistant captain – added six goals in seven games (7-6-3-9) .. cerebral two-way forward who offers slick passing skills and a better than average shot .. entered the season with high expectations after an impressive debut for the USNTDP and a dynamic U17 World Championships leading the scoring (6-10-8-18) .. season was interrupted missing five games with mono and a further seven with a wrist injury .. overshadowed by a dominating first line built around Auston Matthews, he regressed offensively from well over a point a game (47-33-30-63) to 54 in 54 (54-23-31-54) .. an effective defender demonstrating sound positional sense and strong back checking effort .. offensive confidence waned at times not displaying the same intensity or confidence on the attack .. competes in all areas of the ice and is not afraid to go into traffic to get a shot off.. a strong skater with crisp edges and overall quickness – deceptively fast and always around the puck .. great on the cycle, stays low to the ice and works tirelessly along the wall .. good individual skills with quick hands and adept stickhandling .. strong offensive zone awareness and the ability to gain the zone .. competent on draws and relied upon heavily in defensive zone to win possession .. strength lies in ability to read the play without the puck, making himself serviceable by angle checking and taking away passing lanes .. a solid 200-foot player, his latent offensive talent and imagination will benefit from better linemates and health – with his upside remaining to be seen .. not committed yet but likely headed to Boston College for his freshman year.” ~ McKeen’s

“Entered the season as a strong Top 20 candidate, but a bout with mono, plus wrist (and other) injuries left him a shell of the impressive offensive player he was a year ago. Finally rounded into form and played at the World U-18 Championships the way we expected him to all season with a hat trick in the Semis and the overtime winner in the gold medal game. Very complete, well rounded centre with strong hockey sense in all three zones. His smart defensive play leads to quick-strike counterattacks in transition. Smooth skater with good acceleration and a deceptive extra burst when needed. Has outstanding instincts around offensive zone and a knack for popping up in the right spot at the right moment. Excellent finisher around net and scores in a variety of ways. Soft hands. But size is just average and we’re not sure he can translate his fine athletic ability into a top-six role in the NHL.” ~ Red Line Report

“The Boston College commit is a strong two-way player who does many of the little things a team needs to be a winner. He is a strong and talented center who relishes playing a 200-foot game. White is a dynamic skater who is strong laterally and can start and stop on a dime. His powerful first steps give him the ability to gain an advantage on his opponents in foot races. He uses his incredible straight line speed to blow by defenders on the outside and push the pace, opening up lanes with the puck on his stick by drawing defensemen in close. A smooth operator in the offensive zone and with the puck on his stick. He surveys the ice for options before dialing up a skilled pass to a streaking teammate. Quick, smart and smooth is his game. Loves to pass the puck and help set up solid attempts, but will not turn down an opportunity to fire off a shot himself. Has a strong shot with quick release, but it is his instincts of where to get to that make him a dangerous scorer. White doesn’t flash with a bevy of creative tricks when he has the puck; he simply holds it, protecting it and keeping it until he finds an option. A very patient player who is an opportunistic offensive threat. Has a nose for the net and is great at timing arriving pucks and getting off a quickly released one-timer. White plays all situations. Uses an active mind and well developed defensive tools to get a jump to disrupt the play and cause a turnover. He is relied on in key situations and important face-offs, winning most of his draws. He gets down low in the face-off circle, getting his stick parallel to the ice and using his quick reaction time and strength to win the draw cleanly. White does the little things right. He is strong on the wall and fights for the puck hard. He is a safe bet to support his defense and dig in along the boards consistently or if he thinks his teammate has the upper hand he will support just outside of the scrum, awaiting the loose puck. Has leadership qualities.” ~ Future Considerations

Other News and Notes:

– Robin Lehner made an interesting throwaway comment about getting a fair chance to develop at the end of his written statement thanking the Senators for his time here:

pic.twitter.com/cHIFgnAXWl

— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) June 27, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

In some respects, the Senators bent over backwards to give Lehner a full-time NHL job earlier than they had to by trading Ben Bishop. The Senators simply could have returned Lehner to Binghamton to conclude the season before moving making room for Lehner in the offseason. On the other hand, it’s not like the Senators ever gave Lehner a real opportunity to take the reins and run with them. Even in situations where Lehner was playing well or Anderson was coming back from injury, Anderson always received the opportunity to get his net back and carry the ball. 

– Joe Haggerty had a great tweet concerning Colin White: 

Colin White said his favorite part of the NHL combine week was going to a concert and “meeting some Buffalo girls.” Best answer all day

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) June 6, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js