SENSNEWS

Although the Ottawa Senators prospect cupboard is not of the same calibre as years past, there are still some prospects to keep an eye on over the World Juniors tournament. The Senators will have four prospects participating in this year’s tournament, including two from Sweden, one from Czechia and one Canadian.

Ottawa Senators World Juniors Prospects

Jorian Donovan

Jorian Donovan will be the number one player that fans will want to watch closely at this year’s tournament. Donovan is a former fifth-round pick of the Senators from the 2022 NHL draft. He was a late addition to Team Canada’s pre-tournament roster after initially being held off of the roster.

Donovan has played all of his OHL career with the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs (owned by Michael Andlauer). The defenceman is having another great season in junior with eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 31 games.

While Donovan’s role with the team is still unclear, he will be the easiest to keep an eye on, as fans will be watching Team Canada regardless. Hopefully, the Senators defender can find a consistent spot on the team and bring home the gold!

Oskar Pettersson

From one 2022 draft pick to another, we have Oskar Pettersson of Team Sweden. Pettersson was selected a few rounds before Jorian Donovan at pick number 72 in the third round.

This will be Pettersson’s second trip to the World Juniors with Sweden. In last year’s tournament, Pettersson had some impressive performances in which he scored two goals and two assists in seven games. It sounds like he will be wearing an ‘A’ on his jersey for Sweden, which is excellent to see.

This year, it has been a tale of two seasons for Oskar Pettersson. He has split time between the J20 league and SHL in Sweden, predominantly playing in the SHL. In the junior league, Pettersson is scoring at a goal-per-game rate with four goals and one assist in four games played.

However, in the SHL, he has just one point (assist) in 21 games played. It is important to note that this is not abnormal for Swedish prospects, as young SHL players rarely receive much, if any, ice time.

Although many of us bleed red and white, it will be fun to follow along with Pettersson’s progress on the international stage. Hopefully, he can have himself a successful tournament (just not against Canada)!

Tomas Hamara

Next up is Tomas Hamara of team Czechia. This will be Hamara’s third time participating in the World Junior’s for Czechia. Like Pettersson, Hamara is another Sens third-round draft pick from the 2022 NHL draft.

Tomas Hamara plays alongside Jorian Donovan with the Brantford Bulldogs. The two prospects are actually defence partners in the OHL, but they will be facing off against each other at this year’s tournament.

Hamara had struggled to produce in his OHL career with the Kitchener Rangers. Earlier this season, he was dealt from Kitchener to Brantford and has since found his offensive game.

Prior to his trade, Hamara had just three assists and no goals in 18 games. But once he was moved to Brantford, the offence awoke, and he has since put up one goal and seven assists in 14 games.

After struggling in last year’s tournament, it will be intriguing to see if Tomas Hamara can bounce back and become a difference-maker for team Czechia.

Kevin Reidler

The final prospect to follow for Senators fans is Kevin Reidler of Team Sweden. Kevin Reidler is the lone goaltender at this year’s tournament for the Ottawa Senators.

He is yet another 2022 draft pick from the fifth round, just like Donovan. Reidler will likely serve as the third-string goaltender for Sweden, but he may get a start or two depending on how the tournament unfolds.

Reidler is a current member of the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL, where he has a 12-4-3 record. Reidler is sitting at a nice and even .900 SV% with a 3.20 GAA.

He also picked up an assist this season, which is a nice touch. Although Reidler won’t have the most prominent role in Sweden, it would be nice to see him suit up for a game or two on the international stage.