Ottawa Senators are No. 27 in 2025 NHL prospect pool rankings

Welcome to Scott Wheelers 2025 rankings of every NHL organizations prospects .

You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here , as we count down daily from No.

32 to No.

1.

The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and insight from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan.

8 to Feb.

7.

Advertisement Carter Yakemchuk has given the Senators pool the high-end prospect it has lacked since Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson s graduations, but theyve got very little in the cupboards behind him (without Yakemchuk, this might be the thinnest, weakest group in the league).

I debated slotting the Senators lower here, but Yakemchuk the best prospect in the countdown so far props them up.

Theres work to do for Steve Staios, though.

2024 prospect pool rank: No.

31 (change: +4) GO DEEPER NHL prospect pool rankings 2025: Scott Wheeler evaluates all 32 farm systems 1.

Carter Yakemchuk, RHD, 19 (Calgary Hitmen) Yakemchuk was one of the highest-scoring and most penalized draft-eligible defensemen in recent WHL history, breaking the rare 30-goal and 70-point benchmarks, and sailing past 100 penalty minutes with the Hitmen (who missed the playoffs) last year.

Thats a year after he scored 19 goals (third among WHL D) on a middle-of-the-pack team and was the only 2024 draft-eligible to make one of the WHLs All-Star teams when he was named a Central Division Second All-Star, which was important considering he was only a couple of weeks away from being eligible for the 2023 draft.

I thought he was unremarkable at the 2023 U18 worlds, and he struggled in stretches at both the World Junior Summer Showcase and his first rookie tournament with the Senators last August and September, but an impressive first main camp with the Senators demonstrated his upside.

His season since returning to the WHL has been good but not great by his standards.

Led by his instincts, plenty of confidence and legit skill for a D his size, Yakemchuk generates a lot from the back end.

While his game in the WHL has come with some give and take, hes got pro size, a pro shot, excellent one-on-one skill and hands and an attack mentality thats complemented by an active disposition to eagerly jump off the line or into the rush.

Hes also got a developing sense for when to hold it and when to move it, which has been a work in progress for him over the years.

He also protects the puck extremely well for a defenseman, which allows him to make the most of his decisions to involve himself in the play around the offensive zone, holding pucks past and away from reaching defenders and sometimes dazzling in extended sequences with the puck.

Its not uncommon to see him take a puck to the inside of the wall, beat his man off the line or go to the front of the net.

And while hes got work to do to refine his game and reads defensively, hes got the size and tools (it never hurts when youre a 6-foot-3 righty) to take the steps he needs to there and he plays really hard at both ends.

I would like to see his skating which is fine going forward but heavy-footed in other areas and can burn him improve, particularly from a standstill (where he can be a little slow out of the blocks).

Hes not a natural athlete, either.

There are games, though, in which he dictates terms with his offense and physicality, really taking charge on the ice.

If he can get a little quicker and continue to mature in his decision-making, hes high-end upside, especially offensively.

Advertisement I recently asked Staios about the fitness piece of it and how he fared in Ottawas testing.

Heres Staios: He did fine in fitness testing and thats something thats intriguing for me.

A lot of these players in the draft, youre evaluating them as they are right now but youre also trying to project out to what they can be and Carter has an ability that you just cant teach from a playing perspective and I think that hes still scratching the surface on physical maturity and thats mother nature.

Everybody matures a little bit differently.

And theres plenty of players that peak a little bit differently and we think Carters just entering into that phase and hes got a frame of 6-foot-3 and 200 to build off of.

2.

Stephen Halliday, C, 22 (Belleville Senators) Halliday is a late-blooming 6-foot-4 center whose high-end offensive smarts led him to have one of the most productive seasons in recent USHL history (95 points in 62 games) and register 77 points in 78 games as OSUs leading scorer as both a freshman and sophomore, producing 10 more points than his nearest teammate last year to earn an entry-level deal with the Sens.

He was excellent in Bellevilles playoff run last spring as well and was the only Sens forward who stood out at their rookie tournament in Buffalo in September.

He has been reasonably productive in his first full season in the AHL this year as well and has more to give on the stat sheet in my opinion.

He kind of reminds me in makeup and timeline of Jack Dugan, another big forward who progressed quickly (though late) from top USHL producer to top NCAA producer and AHLer who doesnt quite have NHL upside.

Both are similar in size and style (preferring to pass than to shoot), with good puck protection skill out wide but maybe no real it factor.

I think Halliday plays NHL games, though, and could see him becoming a heady, linemate-elevating third-liner/PP2 option with his impressive game smarts and vision.

Hes got a great stick, too, and gets his blade onto pucks first inside the offensive zone to find ways to keep sequences alive and then hold onto them long enough for teammates to get open.

Hes a great kid, too, so hes an easy one to root for.

3.

Zack Ostapchuk , LW, 21 (Belleville Senators/Ottawa Senators) Ostapchuk is ahead of Halliday on the depth chart right now but he also just is what he is: A pro-style, straight lines, honest fourth-liner with good speed and length.

He has grown on me as a player/prospect since the draft but hes a high-floor, low-ceiling player.

Hes not going to be a point producer at the next level but he was owed more in the AHL as a rookie last year for my money and started the year strong to earn his call-up.

With his blend of size (6-foot-3), speed, physicality, shot and sheer determination on the ice, I like his potential to become a lesser version of the type of player that Barclay Goodrow was to the Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning .

His effort and execution are always consistent.

Hes always engaged and applying pressure with the puck to attack, or without it to try to force opposing players into rushed decisions or come up with a steal.

He drives the net extremely well in control with his plus-level skating and length in puck protection.

He always seems to win his races.

Hes got a good curl-and-drag wrister.

Hes great along the boards pushing through contact on the cycle.

Hes still a little raw in some ways and hes never going to be a finesse type but he plays an intense game that is complemented by decently quick hands and good feel in the dirty areas around the net or in the corner.

He doesnt process the game particularly well, but his go-getter game has utility.

Advertisement 4.

Xavier Bourgault, LW/RW, 22 (Belleville Senators) Though the numbers havent come in the AHL yet (Bourgault was actually one of a poor Bakersfield teams most productive players as a rookie two years ago but really hit a wall last season and has been just OK this season following a trade to Ottawa), I still think Bourgault has a chance to figure it out.

He was one of the QMJHLs best forwards three years ago when I was consistently impressed by him in double-digit live viewings split between three Hockey Canada events and the Memorial Cup.

Though his late-October birthday was always a factor in contextualizing his three standout seasons in junior, some of Bourgaults tools do grade out highly.

He does a great job improvising under pressure to slide pucks around defenders, switch from a two-hand carry to a one-hand carry or pick up his pace.

His handles and edges as he adjusts to pressure both look comfortable (he was one of the better stickhandlers in the QMJHL).

Hes a quick enough skater in straight lines without being fast by NHL standards.

I like his change of direction with the puck.

And his game has some deception, with little stutters in his release that force the goalie down early and fake passes that force defenders to bite.

He hides the puck on his stick and sends mixed signals because his hands, feet and eyes do different things.

His release comes off his blade early in his shooting motion and stance and can surprise goalies (off either foot or from awkward postures, too), hes got a comfortable one-timer and smart instincts inside the offensive zone.

And though hes neither big nor small, his detail has made him an able penalty killer at various points in his career, he holds his own defensively, and hes got good core balance over a wide skating stance.

He does have work to do to get to the middle third against pros more than he has, though.

And while he played some center coming up, he projects as a winger.

For a time, I thought there was a path for him to develop into a secondary or tertiary middle-six playmaker.

That feels less and less likely now but I do think he has more to offer.

5.

Leevi Merilainen , G, 22 (Belleville Senators) Merilainen has always been a tricky goaltender for me to get a pulse on because Ive seen him steal his fair share of games and also look shaky fairly often.

When hes on, hes challenging shooters, quick up and down from his knees in his recoveries/closing the five-hole, quicker side-to-side on pushes, lightning fast through his feet in one-on-one situations with shooters (hes excellent in the shootout because of his footwork) and fighting to get to pucks with his speed and athleticism.

When hes off, he can look small in the net, gives up goals on low-danger shots too often and is a little too active/sporadic in the net as well.

He has found more control over the last three seasons in the pro game.

I was critical of the pick, and theres still something about his consistency that Im not fully sold on, but it has improved for sure, his quickness is a real asset and he has shown some real signs at various points for his age.

Ive liked what Ive seen in my viewings this year as well.

Hes got No.

2 upside and is good organizational depth at minimum.

6.

Blake Montgomery, LW, 19 (London Knights) Montgomery was an interesting gamble as an overager who still felt raw.

And he has taken off with the Knights after being one of the first college-committed players (hes committed to Wisconsin) to make the jump from the USHL to the CHL.

Hes long (6-foot-4) and he can absolutely fly.

That in and of itself makes him intriguing.

Hes an increasingly powerful, driven, straight-lines winger who plays in routes, can gain the jump on D, can really lean into his wrister in motion and has worked to round out his game and add different elements as well.

You can literally see him coming into his own with every game in London and hes learning how to deploy his obvious tools in real time.

Hes got pro projectability in spades and could become a development success story and a unique bottom-sixer if he stays on his current upward trajectory.

7.

Mads Sgaard, G, 24 (Belleville Senators/Ottawa Senators) I was a fan of Sgaards early in his career and while his play in the NHL to date hasnt indicated hes an NHL goalie, he does have a decently strong track record at lower levels (including in the AHL, where hes been around a .910 goalie across parts of five seasons) and an interesting toolkit.

Though there have been some ups and downs, he has mostly followed a good WHL career with progress in the AHL.

Hes a towering, 6-foot-7 goalie (one of the biggest in professional hockey right now) who lets the odd goal sneak through his body and can look a little gangly in the net, but actually moves fairly well, has filled out his frame and has developed his control.

Advertisement He also gets into his butterfly fairly quickly to close every big goalies biggest hole (their five-hole) and has some power to his game to make stretch saves when he has to.

Match that with a decent track record across multiple levels, and theres still reason for some optimism.

A lower-body injury (it looked like a leg to me on the play) suffered in the fall didnt help, though.

Because of how raw he was not that long ago, getting lots of reps before full-time promotion was always going to be important.

The clock is starting to tick though as one way or another he wont be on this list next year due to his age.

8.

Jorian Donovan, LHD, 20 (Belleville Senators) Donovan made significant progress over the course of his junior career, going from a fifth-round pick I had real reservations about as a prospect pre-draft to OHL champ, Memorial Cup champ, a strong showing at an NHL camp and an entry-level contract.

He became one of the top two-way defenders in the CHL and while his transition to the AHL this season has been slow, hes got the tools, if properly developed, to become a No.

5-8D.

Hes got pro size and excellent skating.

His reads have taken steps toward average or maybe slightly above.

He showed more confidence with the puck and began to try things and expand his game offensively last season, while also upping his physicality.

He can defend.

Hes got a good stick.

He plays hard.

Im just not sure if theres enough in his game to be more than a solid AHL defender/organizational depth who maybe gets a couple of cups of coffee, but he should have a long pro career and that would be a fine outcome given where he was drafted, though.

9.

Lucas Ellinas, C, 18 (Kitchener Rangers) Ellinas didnt make my final top 100 for the 2024 NHL Draft but there was a lot of chatter about him as a mid-round pick late in the year and I had two different sources in the final two weeks before the draft give him some love.

Hes got good speed, a strong work rate, good athleticism and a natural release.

Theres a belief hes still early in his development.

His production hasnt taken the jump some hoped and expected it would, but he can catch your eye on the ice and stand out in games with his consistent involvement in the play and I know he impressed the Sens in his development camp/rookie tournament introductions.

He plays a desirable, likable pro-style and there are some who believe hes got the makings of an effective bottom-sixer long-term (it will be a long-term path for him, though).

10.

Kevin Reidler, G, 20 (University of Nebraska-Omaha) After a strong post-draft season at the J20 level, Reidler made the move to North America last year, joining a Dubuque team with a track record of recruiting and developing Swedes and then jumping to the NCAA this season.

He was good in the USHL last year, immediately becoming the starter for one of the top teams in the league a team that played on the attack and gave up a fair amount back the other way (he was much better than his .902 save percentage and that revealed itself in a stellar playoffs).

Hes the backup at Nerbaska-Omaha behind Simon Latkoczy right now but has played well in his limited appearances as a freshman as well.

A towering 6-foot-6, 200-ish-pound goalie, Reidler reads and anticipates play well, has good quote-unquote hockey sense, is coordinated for his size and is good at moving laterally and going post-to-post or quickly stretching out for a goalie his size.

By all accounts, he also has a great attitude/mindset as a kid who doesnt get flustered and just wants to learn.

11.

Hoyt Stanley, RHD, 19 (Cornell University) Stanley was the best under-18 defenseman in the BCHL two seasons ago and earned a spot on the leagues All-Rookie Team after missing most of the prior season with a concussion.

Last season, as an 18-year-old freshman at Cornell, he looked like he belonged without standing out, which is kind of all you can hope for out of a player who has taken his path to playing college hockey (especially given his age).

This year, still as a teenage sophomore, the production hasnt taken a step but he has played big minutes (hes averaging more than 20 a night) to positive two-way results again.

Hes a long, mobile, pro-sized right-shot defenseman with impressive skating technique, an ability to handle and maneuver with the puck on his stick, and a decent shot that he should get to use more as he builds some confidence in college.

Hes still a little raw in some areas but I expect him to blossom into a standout college defenseman as an upperclassman.

He projects as an efficient, effective two-way D with some secondary puck-transporting elements and I saw enough NHL potential to rank him No.

98 pre-draft (10 spots in front of where the Sens picked him).

He doesnt have a high ceiling but he could become a third-pairing option in time.

Advertisement 12.

Gabriel Eliasson, LHD, 18 (Barrie Colts) Eliasson deserves mention as a feared, imposing presence with passable mobility (I dont think its a strength, but some do) but I remain a skeptic.

Ive seen some players cost their teams with discipline over the years but Im not sure Ive ever watched a more undisciplined player than Eliasson.

His lack of control in his decisions with/without the puck during the actual play but also more pressingly with his body and his decisions after whistles was a major talking point all of last year and has been a continued issue for him in my many live viewings this year (first at his first rookie tournament in Buffalo and then again in repeat trips to Barrie, though they do think hes slowly making progress).

He has shown almost no ability to read the room (and the game clock) and rein it in over the years, even on the international stage where it really counts.

I could not believe how many times he cost the Swedes with a bone-headed penalty of frustration and rage during their international schedule last season and you came to expect it at the J20 level.

Its one thing to want to be tough and mean when youre a 6-foot-6 defenseman.

Its another thing altogether when your team gives you one chance after another to cool it and you never get the message, resulting in benchings because you cant be trusted to be on your best behavior.

On the ice, there are also some real warts.

With his size and fine-to-decent mobility, Eliasson could be a real force.

But for a player who skates reasonably well for his size and who some argued has skating as a strength, he gets way too wide in his stance defending one-on-one, he doesnt often keep a good gap with his stick, and he gets burned wide a lot as a result.

With good coaching, he should be able to clean that up and keep his feet moving better instead of falling back into this big stretched-out position that is largely ineffective but theres a lot of work to do for him to realize the promise of a high second-round pick.

He has also lengthened his stick this season and it has really limited his already-limited play with the puck, forcing him to put pucks off the glass and go D-to-D too reliantly because he still hasnt figured out the handles comfortably enough.

Hes a major work in progress.

Positively, his on-ice results have been strong in Barrie and he clearly has value eliminating guys, clearing the net and winning or holding in board battles.

When he works to rush out to rebounds or back to chips he can close out on pucks in the D zone as well.

Id like to see more of that urgency in his gap control because he can blow guys up and be disruptive but he too often falls back into that stance of his.

Eliasson is a project in the truest sense.

13.

Theo Wallberg, LHD, 21 (Ohio State University) A second Buckeye in the Sens system (and third Dubuque Fighting Saints grad, along with Halliday and Reidler), Wallberg, who just turned 21 in December, impressed college hockey folks and scouts last season as a freshman, stepping right into a tough Big Ten conference to become a key contributor on OSUs back end.

This season has come with improved defensive play without a step forward offensively, and without a minutes uptick (he gets second-pairing usage).

Hes a 6-foot-5, 200-plus-pound defenseman who is a strong athlete and has impressive mobility for his size.

His handling has come along, he sees the ice well enough, hes got defensive upside to continue to tap into, and theres a toolsy profile to work with.

The Sens have to hope that one of their big D (him, Eliasson and Eerik Wallenius) works out and becomes a call-up/depth option.

I actually like Wallberg the most of the three right not but Im not sure he has as much to still tap into as the other two.

14.

Javon Moore, LW, 18 (Sioux Falls Stampede) Moores a pro-sized (6-foot-3) winger who can skate, which allowed him to attack off the rush and circle the offensive zone fairly frequently at Minnesotas high school level last season.

His year in the USHL this season ahead of his commitment to the University of Minnesota has been fine but hasnt marked a noticeable step forward (which you can live with as a kid who took a high school path that comes with some learning up levels).

Moores also a player I kept getting told had some real offense to his game and then whenever Ive watched him I just havent seen it.

The goals he has scored these last two years have rarely been off high-skill plays and I find his actual impact on games a little more muted than his production and tools.

Theres some potential there but I dont think he reads the game naturally and the skill level looks more average than above it to me.

I wouldnt be surprised if he became an effective bottom-sixer for the Golden Gophers as a freshman next year and then a solid top-six go-getter for skill players as an upperclassman, but hes going to have to do that at a very high level to get signed and I also wont be surprised if he struggles with the NCAA level to start.

I thought about ranking a trio of other Sens prospects on the list in his place.

15.

Oskar Pettersson, RW, 20 (Belleville Senators) Pettersson is a pro-sized, physical, shot-blocking, battle-winning worker bee who plays an honest, net-driven, pro-style game that builds toward an NHL shot through hard work, give-and-go sequences and determination.

Hes not the most talented or cerebral player on the ice, but he finds ways to impact shifts and make things happen.

He forechecks well, he plays with jump, he finishes his hits and he has shown a willingness to go into dirty areas against pros and even bully against his peers.

Hes also a strong skater.

Hes a lead-by-example type who the Sens will be looking to build into a fourth-line checker type.

Though he wasnt productive in the SHL as a teenager and hasnt been productive in the AHL at 19 and 20, he has played a lot of pro hockey at an early age and in that context I think you can live with where hes at as a starting point.

He needs to develop his offensive tools and quality, but his energy and work rate cant be taught.

He may just top out as an AHL checker instead of an NHL one, but hes a likable player and I felt his clearly defined role made him worthy of inclusion over the three prospects (touched on below) who I considered slotting here over him and Moore.

The Tiers As always, each prospect pool ranking is broken down into team-specific tiers in order to give you a better sense of the proximity from one player or group of players to the next.

The Senators pool is divided into four tiers: 1, 2-7, 8-11, 12-15+.

Belleville Senators forward Tyler Boucher, Brantford Bulldogs 20-year-old Tomas Hamara (who is signed) and big Finnish defenseman Eerik Wallenius were also considered for the fourth tier and are comparable prospects to the final four players ranked.

(Photo of Carter Yakemchuk: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images).

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