SENSNEWS

The drafting within the Ottawa Senators organization has been inconsistent over the past few seasons. Some high-end picks have yet to develop as the team had hoped for, but there have been some later-round draftees who are beginning to look like steals.

Ottawa Senators Draft Steals

Jorian Donovan

Ever since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, Jorian Donovan has repeatedly exceeded fan expectations. The biggest accomplishment of Donovan’s career occurred recently as he earned his spot on the Canadian World Junior Team.

Jorian is the son of former Senator’s winger Shean Donovan, who now has a role in player development. He has also spent the duration of his OHL career playing for the Michael Andlauer-owned Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs.

During his draft year, Jorian Donovan had just 22 points in 64 OHL games. The following season, however, Donovan’s offensive game took a big step forward as he improved to score 45 points in just 55 games.

This earned him his first NHL contract, as he would sign his entry-level deal with Ottawa after the conclusion of his season with the Bulldogs.

This season, Jorian Donovan has taken another step forward in his development. So far, with the Brantford Bulldogs, Donovan has scored 26 points in just 31 games.

He is currently sitting fourth on the Bulldogs in points and leads the blue line in scoring by 17 points. Brantford has not had the strongest season this year, making Jorian Donovan’s performance that much more impressive.

After some impressive seasons in the OHL and a solid training camp for the Senators, Donovan is trending in the direction of becoming a solid blue-line prospect. The World Junior Tournament will be an excellent opportunity to see how he stacks up against the best of his peers.

Max Guenette

Maxence Guenette is a former seventh round pick of the Senators from the 2019 NHL draft. Guenette has been a mainstay on the blue line for the Belleville Senators over the past three seasons. The former Val d’Or Foreur has steadily progressed into an excellent offensive defenceman over the past four seasons.

During his draft year, Guenette had put up some decent numbers for a defenceman in the QMJHL. The Quebec League is known for being the highest-scoring of the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada.

As a defender, Guenette scored 32 points in 68 games for the Foreurs, which was just enough to get himself selected with the Senator’s last pick in the draft.

Guenette’s scoring in junior stayed consistent over the next two seasons before making the jump to the pro level. Max Guenette began his pro hockey career in the 2021/2022 season with Belleville. As a rookie, Guenette put up some impressive numbers with 19 points in 48 games.

This season, however, Guenette’s progression took another huge step forward. The positives started early as Max Guenette made it to the very last day of cuts for the NHL roster.

He was then placed in Belleville, where he has established himself as the team’s number one defenceman and MVP so far. Guenette leads the defence with 18 points in 26 games so far. He is only behind Angus Crookshank and Garett Pilon in points this season by any player.

With Travis Hamonic continuing to struggle on the back end, it seems like it is only a matter of time until Max Guenette gets his shot with the Ottawa Senators. With what was once a seventh round pick, the Senators scored a gem by selecting Max Guenette.

Angus Crookshank

Angus Crookshank rounds out the three players being mentioned today. Crookshank has spent most of the season with the Belleville Senators but was recently called up to Ottawa, where he has since played four games. The former fifth round pick of the Senators has had a rocky yet exceptional development path so far.

When the Senators drafted Crookshank back in the 2018 draft, he was seen as a project player coming from the BCHL. Crookshank had 45 points in 42 games in his final junior season before heading to the University of New Hampshire to begin his NCAA career.

Crookshank was excellent as a rookie in college, scoring 23 points in 36 games, and he slowly progressed over the next two seasons before finishing his college career with 18 points in 20 games.

Angus Crookshank then turned pro with the Belleville Senators, where he scored at a very high rate as a rookie. Crookshank scored 16 points in 19 games with Belleville before suffering a very unfortunate injury. Crookshank would tear his ACL and was then forced to miss the entirety of the 2021/2022 season as he recovered.

The following season, he bounced back with some solid numbers. Through 71 games for Belleville, Crookshank scored 26 goals and 21 assists for 47 points. He was one of the most consistent members of the Belleville Senators for the duration of that season.

Now enter this season, and Angus Crookshank has taken yet another big step forward. Crookshank currently leads the Belleville Senators in scoring despite missing the last few games. He had scored 21 points in 24 games with Belleville before being called up to the Ottawa Senators. He then tucked home his first NHL goal with the Sens against the Arizona Coyotes.

Since his call-up, Crookshank has looked excellent in a bottom-six role. It seems like there is a greater than 50% chance that he will be spending a large chunk of the near future with Ottawa. Based on performance alone, Angus Crookshank does not deserve to see the AHL again.

Angus Crookshank will be a fan favourite for years to come. To find a player who will be a pest to play against while also scoring some points in the bottom six is tremendously valuable in the fifth round. Crookshank is already well worth the draft pick he was taken with.