SENSNEWS

The 2024 NHL Draft will be a big day for the Ottawa Senators’ organization. With the prospect cupboards being quite bare in Ottawa, replenishing them will be a key task this offseason.

Previously, we have discussed some of the lower-ranked players in the draft that the Sens should target. But as the days fade away and we get closer to the draft, I will be talking about some more that catch my eye.

Three Potential Gems In The 2024 NHL Draft

Anthony Romani

Forward – North Bay Battalion – OHL

The first player to discuss as a potential hidden gem in the draft is Anthony Romani of the North Bay Battalion. Romani is actually a re-entry in this draft as the 18-year-old went undrafted in his first year of eligibility last season. The 6’0″, 179 lb forward has had an outstanding season in the Ontario Hockey League.

In 66 games with the Battalion last season, Romani put up a respectable 23 goals and 20 assists for 43 points. While his numbers weren’t bad by any means, they also weren’t enough to get him selected in the draft.

Well, fast forward to this season, and Anthony Romani has taken a massive step forward.

In 68 games with North Bay, Romani was able to score 58 goals and add 53 assists for 111 points. The explosion of production had him finish second in the entire OHL in scoring behind David Goyette of the Sudbury Wolves (a Seattle 2nd rounder).

The numbers speak for themselves with Romani. He has one of the best shots in the entire OHL, which allowed him to score at the ridiculous pace he did. Having him projected to be a middle-round pick in the NHL draft means there is potential that an NHL squad could have an absolute steal.

Needless to say, it would be well worth it for Ottawa to use one of their picks outside of the first round to select Romani. 111 points in the OHL is a ridiculous feat, especially from a player who is just 18 years old. To say Romani has NHL upside is more than fair.

Justin Poirier

Forward – Baie-Comeau Drakkar – QMJHL

Next up to discuss is Justin Poirier of Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the QMJHL. This is Poirier’s first year of eligibility in the NHL Draft, and he has put up some outstanding point totals in the Q.

At 5’8″ and 181 lbs, Poirier is definitely on the smaller side, but his offensive abilities should make sure that teams are not turned away by his stature.

In his first season of junior hockey, Poirier made a great impression, putting up 48 points in 55 games played. His progression continued into his sophomore season as well, where he has been electric, putting up 51 goals and 31 assists for 82 points in 68 games played.

Despite his size, Poirier has proved that he has the talent to compete with the best players at his level. However, the projection to the NHL has turned away certain scouts, hence the volatility in his rankings from different prospect outlets.

But if there is one thing that people have learned from recent drafts, it is that size should not play nearly as big a factor as it often does in selecting players. Montreal, in particular, has selected several undersized prospects in recent drafts (Joshua Roy, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson) to name a few.

All three of these picks have provided the Canadiens with a tremendously valuable player that, in all likelihood, should have gone far higher.

So, with Poirier projecting as a 2nd-3rd round prospect, he could provide a team with a high-offensive upside prospect. Should he be available to Ottawa in this area of the draft, he is a prospect they should seriously consider selecting.

Max Plante

Forward – US National Development Team Program – NTDP

The final player to discuss is Max Plante of the US National Development Team Program. Plante is a first-year draft-eligible player who has found plenty of success with the program. At 5’10”, 178 lbs, he is still filling out his frame as a player but is not undersized.

Max Plante has been steady with his progression in the program. He has improved his numbers each season, finishing with an impressive 76 points in 64 games across both the NTDP and USHL this year.

Plante also had a very impressive U17 tournament with the United States in the 2022-2023 season. Plante finished with 10 points, all assists, in seven games with the States team. It is fair to say that you can classify him as a playmaking center going forward.

Plante is committed to the University of Minnesota Duluth for next season, where he will continue his progression. As you probably know, this is an excellent NCAA program and will be sure to get the best out of Plante’s game going forward.

As for Plante’s draft rankings, it’s hard to predict where he will fall right now. His rankings are spread quite far apart, but I would imagine he is much closer to the TSN projection of #35, compared to his other rankings.

But if he is to fall as far as a late second-round prospect, or potentially even a third-rounder, he would provide excellent value as a high-upside pick.