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Despite multiple regime changes in the front office, the Ottawa Senators have proven time and time again that they are an elite organization when it comes to drafting and developing young players, with a few new prospects emerging from within each year. For this installment of the Top 20 prospects, a player that has emerged and disappeared and then re-emerged at different times during his hockey career, Antoine Vermette, returns to the list atop the rankings due to a criteria change. Also of note in this reranking is the presence of six 2004 draft picks, five of which are presently participating in the World Junior Hockey Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Senators currently have a well-balanced group, with depth at every position, and a good mix of all different types of prospects.

 

Top 20 at a glance

 

1. Antoine Vermette
2. Ray Emery
3. Andrej Meszaros
4. Patrick Eaves
5. Alexei Kaigorodov
6. Brandon Bochenski
7. Igor Mirnov
8. Kiril Lyamin
9. Jan Platil
10. Billy Thompson
11. Chris Kelly
12. Christoph Schubert
13. Jeff Glass
14. Kelly Guard
15. Philippe Seydoux
16. Alexander Nikulin
17. Roman Wick
18. Shawn Weller
19. Neil Komadoski
20. Grant Potulny

 

Falling off the list: Sergei Gimayev (15) and Peter Regin (17)

 

 

1. (NR) Antoine Vermette (C) – 22 – Binghamton Senators

Draft : 2^nd round, 55th overall, 2000 Grade: 8.0B Projection: 2^nd line center/1^st line LW Similar to: Simon Gagne

 

Vermette makes his triumphant return to the Top 20 rankings. The fastest player in the organization, Vermette brings plenty more to the table now than he did before his rookie year with Ottawa. The St-Agapit Quebec native was not expected to play in the NHL last year, but forced the Senators to keep him on the roster. Once known simply for his speed and scoring prowess, it was Vermette’s versatility, energy and impressive defensive game that kept him in the NHL nearly the entire season. This year because of the lockout, Vermette is back in the AHL with Binghamton, and has continued with his all-round effort.

 

With Binghamton this year, Vermette has nine goals and 30 points in 32 games, which ranks in the top 15 in league scoring. While Binghamton has disappointed thus far this year, Vermette has not struggled. Vermette has played both center and the wing this year, but seems most comfortable at the pivot position. He has an edge on the rest of the prospects on this list in that he has already proven he can be a third or fourth line winger. The fact he is a valuable penalty killer already is impressive, and leaves his offensive upside as the only question mark. Considering he possesses not only great speed, but soft hands, good vision and impressive hockey sense for a young player, his offensive potential seems to be significant. In Ottawa, he may be most useful on left wing, as this is an area of need for the club.

 

2. (1) Ray Emery (G) – 22 – Binghamton Senators

Draft : 4^th round, 99^th overall, 2001 Grade: 8.0B Projection: Number 1 goalie Similar to: Olaf Kolzig

 

Emery’s disappointing play thus far in the 2004-05 season along with Vermette’s re-inclusion into the rankings makes his one position fall a no-brainer. A big goalie with outstanding athleticism, Emery’s technical game has come somewhat unglued this year in Binghamton, which explains his .907 save percentage. While Emery has long needed work on his consistency, this year he has struggled to the point where Billy Thompson has been the starter for short stretches over the organization’s supposed goaltender of the future.

 

Nonetheless, Emery is a stud goaltending prospect who has impressive upside and could be the solution to Ottawa’s goaltending void. While his anger management problems have been well documented, few goalies have Emery’s combination of size and athleticism, and technical play can be worked on at the NHL level. One other area of weakness is his puckhandling. Although Emery is capable of playing the puck ahead to his teammates, his decision making in this regard needs work. Of late, Emery has started to improve his play, and a strong second half of the season would be vital for not only his stock, but his confidence as well.

 

3. (2) Andrej Meszaros (D) – 18 – Vancouver Giants (WHL)

Draft: 1^st round, 23^rd overall, 2004 Grade: 8.0B Projection: Number 2 defenseman Similar to: Mattias Ohlund

 

Often times when a player drops at the draft, questions have been raised about a critical flaw in their game. With Meszaros last year, there was no evident answer for why the defenseman, touted to go in the top 15 if not top 10, fell all the way to the Senators at the 23rd pick. Thus far this season, Meszaros has done nothing but prove those teams who passed him over wrong, as his play in Vancouver has been nothing short of stellar. He has 24 points and 60 penalty minutes in 32 games, although his offensive production, already impressive, should increase if the Giants improve as a team. While the Giants have struggled despite plenty of preseason hype, Meszaros’ play has been one constant in a season of inconsistency for the squad.

 

While Meszaros is not tall, he has a thick build and has in no way struggled to transfer his game from the Slovakian Elite League to the bruising WHL. The poised blueliner has been virtually flawless thus far, with his offensive and defensive play being complemented well by a surprising penchant for delivering big hits. His outlet passing and poise in all zones of play are perhaps his greatest assets, which is important because they can easily translate into NHL success. Meszaros is playing for Slovakia at the 2005 World Junior Hockey Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and if his strong play continues in the second half with Vancouver, he could be in the AHL with Binghamton for September of 2005.

 

4. (3) Patrick Eaves (RW) – 20 – Boston College (NCAA)

Draft: 1^st round, 29^th overall, 2003 Grade: 7A Projection: Solid 2^nd liner, elite 3^rd liner Similar to: Marco Sturm

 

Boston College is considered one of the top hockey schools in college hockey, with some of the top American players of all time like Brian Leetch and Joe Mullen counted among their alumni. This year, Eaves is the top player on a once again competitive team. The Minnesota native’s injury problems, most notably a string of concussions which cast a black cloud over him as a freshman, seem to be a thing of the past, although his abrasive style does leave open the potential for other injury.

 

This year, Eaves has built on his strong sophomore campaign, and has seven goals and 19 points in 14 games with the Eagles. While he got off to a hot start, he has cooled off a bit of late, as this is his first time being the primary focus of an opposing defense. Eaves should adjust to the increased attention and produce more as the Eagles make a run at a title this spring. The question with Eaves is not whether he has what it takes to play at the NHL, because the effort and intangibles he brings to the ice make him a safe bet to be at least a third liner. For Eaves, one key for him to translate his offensive game into NHL production will be bulking up, which could also lead to improved durability.

 

5. (5) Alexei Kaigorodov (C) – 21 – Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RSL)

Draft: 2^nd round, 47^th overall, 2002 Grade: 7.5B Projection: Strong 2^nd line center Similar to: Brenden Morrison

 

Many prospects in Europe have struggled this year because of the influx of NHL players due to the lockout. Few if any have taken off the way Kaigorodov has. Now in his fourth season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, one of the top teams in arguably the world’s top league at the moment, the slick playmaking center has been among the league’s top scorers all year. At the moment, he sits fourth in the league in points with 29 in 36 games, while his 19 assists have him ranked first in the league in that category. Considering the Russian Super League traditionally is not generous in giving out second assists, this speaks volumes about Kaigorodov’s playmaking ability.

 

Kaigorodov is not particularly big, nor particularly fast, but has fantastic hockey sense and vision, seeing the ice very well. A mature player, his puck skills are well-developed, and he plays the game with a veteran savvy that will help him make the transition to the North American game. At this point, Kaigorodov should cross the ocean when a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is in place, but if that is not before September, he will spend another year in Russia. His breakthrough this fall is vital for his confidence, and his stock is certainly on the rise as a result.

 

6. (7) Brandon Bochenski (LW) – 22 – Binghamton Senators

Draft: 7^th round, 223^rd overall, 2001 Grade: 7.5C Projection: Second line winger, powerplay specialist Similar to: Cory Stillman

 

Bochenski has scored goals at every level, and this year he has continued to do so, despite going from college hockey to the AHL. The late round pick left the University of North Dakota a year early, after scoring 62 goals and 122 points in his final two years with the squad. While Bochenski started a bit slow in Binghamton, he has picked it up of late, and now has 12 goals and 20 points in 29 games.

 

The key to Bochenski’s success is his natural goal scoring ability. Neither particularly big nor particularly fast, Bochenski possesses terrific hands around the net, which makes him valuable on the powerplay. Like most snipers, he also has a terrific shot, which he can use either off the side boards or in the slot. He is most comfortable in front of the net, as his skating limits his ability to score off the rush. While Bochenski has some holes in his game, with defense being another thing he has to work on, he has plenty of natural ability, and after a couple of years in the AHL, could become a fixture on the Ottawa powerplay for years.

 

7. (4) Igor Mirnov (LW) – 20 – Moscow Dynamo (RSL)

Draft: 2^nd round, 67^th overall, 2003 Grade: 7.5C Projection: Second line winger Similar to: Peter Bondra

 

Mirnov has been in the shadow of Kaigorodov somewhat this year, but has still managed to score at roughly the same clip as last year. His drop in the rankings has more to do with other players like the aforementioned Kaigorodov taking their games to a new level. Through 34 games with Moscow Dynamo, the speedy winger has seven goals and 14 points, which through a full season will translate into nearly identical totals to the 22 points in 54 games he piled up last year. Considering Dynamo has added such NHL scorers as Pavel Datsyuk, Maxim Afinogenov and recently Martin Havlat, Mirnov may be excused if his production tails off a bit in the second half.

 

Mirnov is yet another pure offensive talent, a goal scorer who has tremendous speed and a strong shot. The native of Chita, Russia also has good hands and puck skills. While Mirnov and Bochenski play completely different styles of hockey, they are remarkably similar in many ways. Like Bochenski, Mirnov needs to work on his defense, but his offensive upside is quite good. The next step for Mirnov, who has a history of knee injuries and questionable conditioning, would be to come over to North America.

 

8. (6) Kiril Lyamin (D) – 18 – CSKA Moscow-2 (Russian High League)

Draft: 2^nd round, 58^th overall, 2004 Grade: 7.0B Projection: Second pairing defenseman. Similar to: Fedor Tjutin

 

While all other skaters ahead of Lyamin on this ranking have had good seasons, Lyamin has struggled this year. The steady blueliner lost his spot not necessarily to NHL players, but more directly to 2005 prospect Anton Belov, and has been playing primarily in the High League this year. Lyamin was also a member of the Russian team that took on QMJHL, OHL and WHL all-star teams in the recent Canada-Russia Challenge, but struggled in the six games, which had a heavy bearing on the Russian World Junior Team selection. As a result, when the team was announced, Lyamin, at the start of the year expected to lead the team, was left off the final roster.

 

Lyamin remains a big blueliner with good skating ability, and a solid overall set of tools. He can run the powerplay adequately, although his puck skills are not anywhere near those of Meszaros. The sturdy blueliner can also play it physical, but needs to be more intelligent in his use of his good size. Lyamin has good tools and solid potential, but needs to rebound from a poor first half that saw him bounce around Russia and struggle in an invitation series on a team he was supposed to lead.

 

9. (8) Jan Platil (D) – 21 – Binghamton Senators

Draft: 7^th round, 218^th overall, 2001 Grade: 6.5B Projection: Third pairing defenseman. Similar to: Ruslan Salei

 

Platil has always been a very raw defenseman. In junior with the Barrie Colts he developed into one of the OHL’s top defensemen, combining a cannon of a shot with a reckless physical game that struck fear into opposing forwards. Last year, in his freshman season in the AHL with Binghamton, Platil struggled more often than not, playing out of control, which was when he was not a healthy scratch. This year, Platil has really settled down, and although he has only registered one assist in 33 games, he has been a steady contributor in other ways.

 

The Kladno, Czech Republic native clearly will not be able to score in the AHL the way he did in junior. Platil’s biggest contribution is his punishing style which this year has been far more controlled. He has long been known for his big open ice hits that have drawn comparisons to Ottawa defenseman and current teammate Anton Volchenkov. This year though, he has learned how to pick his spots, and his hockey sense has caught up to his physical ability. Platil’s defensive positioning has vastly improved, and his future once again looks bright. He will most likely need another year in the AHL, but this raw blueliner is developing very well now with Binghamton.

 

10. (9) Billy Thompson (G) – 22 – Binghamton Senators

Draft: 5^th round, 136^th overall, 2001 (by Florida) Grade: 6.5B Projection: Back-up goaltender/platoon starter. Similar to: John Grahame

 

With Emery’s struggles, Thompson has a great chance this year to close the gap on the organizational depth chart, but has only had moderate success in doing so. Although his record has always been good, and presently stands at 8-5-0, his play has only picked up at the same time as Emery has begun to emerge from his slump. Through 16 games this year, he has a 2.71 GAA and a .909 save percentage, an improvement over last year.

 

Thompson remains the organization’s second option in goal for the future, because of his steady development over the last few years. He is a big goalie with good reflexes, although he is not nearly as athletic as Emery. Unfortunately, Thompson lacks any dominant quality. In junior he thrived only when on a poor team, and long-term with Ottawa, his best chance is if Emery falters and he thrives in his audition. Nonetheless, because of Emery’s struggles, Thompson’s stock is on a slight rise because his value to the organization increases as Emery falters.

 

11. (10) Chris Kelly (C) – 24 – Binghamton Senators

Draft: 3^rd round, 94^th overall, 1999 Grade: 6.0A Projection: Third line forward/ PK Specialist. Similar to: Stephane Yelle

 

Kelly has never been the type of player to bring fans out of their seats with his pure offensive abilities, but the Binghamton captain does bring plenty of intangibles to the ice. A former captain of the London Knights, Kelly works hard every shift and is invaluable on the penalty kill. Last year, in his first and only call-up to Ottawa, he displayed that penalty-killing ability, before suffering a knee injury. This year in Binghamton, Kelly has proven that he is ready for a checking line role in the NHL, whenever it returns to play.

 

The Toronto native has 27 points in 31 games this year, but his offensive abilities will not be what keeps him in the NHL. Kelly is a perfect grinder, with both good skating skills, and a knack for giving a team a boost when it needs it most. Capable of playing just about any position up front, the fourth-year professional does not have huge upside, but is on the cusp of regular NHL duty, although Ottawa’s depth may force him to establish himself elsewhere in the league.

 

12. (16) Christoph Schubert (D) – 22- Binghamton Senators

Draft: 4^th round, 127^th overall, 2001 Grade: 6.5B Projection: Third pairing defenseman. Similar to: Ossi Vaananen

 

Schubert, like Platil, has had something of a breakthrough this year in Binghamton, his third with the squad. The Germany defenseman has an ideal build at 6’3 and 219 lbs, and has good all-round tools. He has already set a personal best for points, with 13 through 34 games, all the while being a solid physical presence. At times when Anton Volchenkov was out of the line-up, Schubert was asked to step up, and more responsibility has been a good thing for the blueliner.

 

The problem with Schubert is that he needs to find a niche. He handles the puck reasonably well, has ideal size, and can play a physical brand of hockey, but has yet to excel in any one area. Nonetheless, he has NHL talent, and with a strong season, could be ready to make a serious push for a roster spot in Ottawa, when the NHL resumes play.

 

13. (19) Jeff Glass (G) – 19- Kootenay Ice (WHL)

Draft: 3^rd round, 89^th overall, 2004 Grade: 7.0C Projection: Journeyman starter. Similar to: Jeff Hackett

 

Only Alexei Kaigorodov has seen his stock take off the way Glass’ has. In many ways, the Cochrane, Alberta native has been arguably the WHL’s top goaltender this year, which has culminated in him being named as Canada’s starting goalie in the ongoing World Junior Hockey Championships. In 22 games with Kootenay, he has a sparkling 1.69 GAA, second in the WHL and a .936 save percentage, tops in the league. Kootenay does play a stingy defensive game, but Glass’ emergence has been central to their success.

 

Glass’ calling card is his ability to stay focused in games where he receives little action for long stretches of time. It is that very ability that won him the starting goaltender role on Team Canada, and which could be invaluable if he were to become the Ottawa starting goaltender sometime down the road. Glass is a self-described hybrid goalie, who can both use his size and the butterfly to stop pucks. One aspect of Glass’ game that has been particularly impressive is his ability to play the puck. He already handles the puck better than any other goalie in the organization, although surpassing Emery and both Ottawa goalies Dominik Hasek and Martin Prusek in that category is not the hardest thing Glass will have to do in his goaltending career.

 

14. (11) Kelly Guard (G) – 21 – Charlotte Checkers (ECHL)

Draft: Undrafted. Grade: 6.5C Projection: Back-up goaltender Similar to: Garth Snow

 

When Glass returns to the WHL, he will restart his pursuit of some of Kelly Guard’s statistical records that he set in his junior career with the Kelowna Rockets. A true late bloomer, Guard is in the ECHL this year because of Binghamton’s returning tandem of Emery and Thompson. Although Guard did hit the ground running with Charlotte, he has struggled of late, including one game against Pensacola where he allowed six goals on 19 shots before being pulled.

 

A big goalie whose biggest question mark is his lack of athleticism, Guard remains a project of sorts. He has the ability to take up an enormous amount of the net, but when he is moved side to side, he is in trouble. Because of his lack of athleticism, Guard’s upside is as a back-up goaltender. The book on him is simple, but he has had tremendous success before, and could again, although a strong second half in the ECHL is important for his stock to avoid falling considerably.

 

15. (12) Philippe Seydoux (D) – 19 – Kloten Flyers (Swiss Elite League)

Draft: 3^rd round, 100^th overall, 2003 Grade: 7.0C Projection: Third pairing defenseman. Similar to: Vitali Vishnevski

 

Switzerland has yet to produce a regular NHL player, but Seydoux along with Roman Wick who appears a few slots down, are two of the country’s top prospects at the moment. A big blueliner who likes to throw his weight around, and has under-rated offensive abilities, Seydoux’s fall in these rankings are not because of his own faults, but rather Schubert and Glass having strong seasons and leapfrogging him. In his third season with Kloten, he has eight points in 24 games, although the presence of NHL blueliners David Tanabe and Patrice Brisebois has cut into his ice time at times.

 

An injury forced Seydoux to miss the WJC this year, where he would have been Switzerland’s top blueliner. While he does like the rough game more than most Swiss prospects, he needs to bulk up significantly to effectively translate his style to the North American game. His ability to handle the puck has improved, and he could be ready to come over as soon as next year. A couple of years in the AHL and Seydoux could push for a roster spot with Ottawa, but presently, he needs to be tested in a more physical league than the one he is in now.

 

16. (20) Alexander Nikulin (C) – 19 – CSKA Moscow (RSL)

Draft: 4^th round, 122^nd overall, 2004 Grade: 7.0C Projection: Second line well-rounded player. Similar to: Ladislav Nagy

 

While Lyamin may have missed the cut on the Russian WJC team, Nikulin’s fine play this year meant he played himself onto the team. Nikulin was drafted by Ottawa in his second year of eligibility, after having gone through nine rounds untouched in 2003. This year with CSKA Moscow, the same team that Kiril Lyamin was unable to stick with, Nikulin has put up three goals and six points in 14 games, and has ably stepped onto a top line when star players have gone down due to injury. At the WJC, he has been a bit of a spare forward for the Russian squad, but scored a goal against Belarus in Russia’s third game of the tournament.

 

Nikulin is a shifty player that is reasonably advanced in his all-round game. Solid as both a finisher and a playmaker, Nikulin does not have outstanding size nor blazing speed, but his tremendous hockey sense allows the puck to find him in the offensive zone. The Senators scouting staff did not want to take skilled players in the middle rounds last year, but the fact that Nikulin as well as Roman Wick and Peter Regin, were taken despite the organization’s pre-draft preference shows how highly the scouts thought of these skilled players.

 

17. (NR) Roman Wick (RW) – 18 – Red Deer Rebels (WHL)

Draft: 5^th round, 156^th overall, 2004 Grade: 7.0C Projection: Second line scorer. Similar to: Martin Erat

 

Similar to Nikulin, Wick fell to the Senators in 2004, after being originally projected to go in the second round of the draft. Like Seydoux, Wick is a native of Switzerland, and has a chance to be the country’s first full-time NHL player. One thing that Wick has done that will help him immensely down the road is his decision to come to the WHL this year. While some imports like Juraj Gracik have struggled tremendously in the WHL this year, Wick has thrived. He comfortably leads all WHL rookies in both goals (18) and points (33) through 33 games before leaving for the WJC. Wick also has seven more goals than anybody else with Red Deer this year.

 

Wick has always been blessed with tremendous offensive ability, but with Brent Sutter this year, he has developed in other ways. For one thing, he has become very good at working the puck along the boards. A good sized winger, Wick is becoming more than simply a perimeter player. His hands and shot are both very good, and he sees the ice well, but without a better all-round game, he was most likely not destined for regular NHL duty. Wick, whose 19th birthday is on Thursday, could play the 2005-06 season in any number of places, as an overager with Red Deer, back in Switzerland, or even in the AHL with Binghamton.

 

18. (13) Shawn Weller (LW) – 18 – Clarkson (NCAA)

Draft: 3^rd round, 77^th overall, 2004 Grade: 6.5C Projection: Third line energy player. Similar to: Ethan Moreau

 

Shawn Weller does not have to so much as to ever pull on a Senators jersey to be the answer to a great Ottawa Senators trivia question. The Senators liked Weller so much, that they traded Radek Bonk in order to acquire a third round pick to take the Glens Falls, New York native. Weller’s debut at Clarkson University was delayed because of academic eligibility problems, which have since been sorted out. Through 13 games this year, Weller has put up eight points with Clarkson, but is currently with the United States at the WJC.

 

It was Weller’s combination of size, speed and physicality that endeared him to Senators scouts before the draft. He can skate with just about any forward, and brings an edge that the Senators could use at the moment on their third or fourth line. The intangibles Weller brings such as tenacity and work ethic are what got him a spot on the US squad. Weller’s offensive upside may not be that impressive, but his hands and shot are both more than adequate. His upside is as a great third liner, who provides energy and some clutch scoring, but he has three more years of college he could play before turning professional.

 

19. (14) Neil Komadoski (D) – 22- Binghamton Senators

Draft: 3rd round, 81^st overall, 2001 Grade: 6.5C Projection: Third pairing defenseman. Similar to: Kurt Sauer

 

The jump from college hockey to the AHL is a big one, and some players do better with that transition than others. After four strong years with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the son of former Los Angeles King, Neil Sr., has struggled to stay in the line-up with Binghamton. In 17 games this year, Komadoski has one goal and only six shots. His ice time is limited when he is in the line-up, so it has been tough for him to make an impact.

 

His father was a third pairing defenseman, who skated in just over 500 career games in the NHL, but was never an offensive threat. Neil Jr. has the potential to have a similar career, but at this point, there are a good number of defense prospects ahead of him on the depth chart. He is at his best when keeping the game simple because of strong defensive awareness, but he has struggled with the speed of the AHL game. A strong year next year could help his stock, but Ottawa may not be the organization for him.

 

20. (18) Grant Potulny (C) – 24 – Binghamton Senators

Draft: 5^th round, 157^th overall, 2000 Grade: 6.0B Projection: Role player/leader. Similar to: Jay Pandolfo

 

A one-time captain for the University of Minnesota, a college hockey powerhouse that is currently led by Grant’s younger brother Ryan, the 24-year-old’s rookie season in the AHL has been lukewarm. Although Potulny does have nine points and 71 penalty minutes in 33 games, he has been quite inconsistent. While this is not unusual for a young player adjusting to the professional game, Potulny is supposed to be a mature prospect, known as a heart and soul type of player.

 

Potulny has scored some very clutch goals over his career, but that has more to do with his character than his skill. Big and thick, Potulny is a good skater, with upside as a defensive specialist. While his defensive game is far from perfected, he has the intangibles to become a shutdown player in the NHL. So long as he can gain some consistency, Potulny will get a chance in the NHL, although it remains to be seen whether he sticks at that level.

 

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