Ted Leonsis does Bettman a solid

 

Life is never dull during the Stanley Cup Finals, even on an off-day. Yesterday, news broke that the Washington Capitals were buying CapFriendly, the indispensable site for NHL salary cap data. Nerds everywhere held their spreadsheets as details trickled out about how the site would be folded into the Capitals' hockey operations and it would go dark to the public on July 1. But normal people are mourning the loss too as tools like the Armchair GM and Mock Draft will soon be disappearing.

Given how ubiquitous the site has become around the league, it's hard to believe that Gary Bettman used to say with a straight face that fans didn't want this sort of information. In a hard-cap league, that's almost as ridiculous as saying fans don't want to know about points, or goals, or save percentage.

What Bettman really meant, was that the NHL didn't want to provide this service. Part of the reason is surely because owners and management didn't like all their mistakes, like the dreaded red arrow that shows up when a player (who is seldom worth the contract) has more than six years left on their deal, so readily available and easily digestible to the public. A bigger reason, though, was that CapFriendly was already providing an excellent service without the NHL having to lift a finger or spend a dime.

The growth of CapFriendly in recent years would've made it a very attractive asset to Capitals' owner Ted Leonsis. While the introduction of scouting may not have moved the needle much given how resistant NHL scouts can be to outside opinions, last year's launch of SalarySwish, an NBA equivalent under the CapFriendly umbrella, was likely irresistible to Leonsis, who also owns the NBA's Washington Wizards.

The introduction of gambling content caused a stir at the time but, to their credit, CapFriendly made it very easy to opt out and enjoy a gambling-free experience, something that is increasingly rare nowadays. Gambling content and CapFriendly Premium were, in hindsight, early warning signs that the site was likely struggling to continue operating as they had on their existing budget, and needed to find new ways to bring some money in. Leonsis and the Capitals smelled blood in the water and reeled in a prized catch in an impressive mixing of nautical metaphors.

While the NHL was likely happy to have fans satisfy their cap cravings without any effort, CapFriendly was technically a competitor of NHL.com, especially as they added more and more information that the NHL provided but packaged it better and shared it alongside the still technically secret cap numbers. While I wouldn't think he'd have had a hand in this (although you never know), Bettman must be pleased to see a site that had been a nuisance to the league on and off for nearly a decade taken out so quietly once it started to get too big for its britches.

Speculation has already begun on possible replacements to CapFriendly, with PuckPedia seeming to have the inside track to be the next go-to site for all things salary cap. Its team has sprung into action to work towards introducing new features, as well as highlighting some ones that weren't on CapFriendly, like the Pick Value Calculator.

There will be growing pains, for sure, but fans can hope that it will eventually evolve into something close to what CapFrienly was, or maybe even as good or better. If PuckPedia can't pull it off, there will be no shortage of other sites looking to take the mantle. At least until some other billionaire decides they want to take all the toys for themselves.

Life in the gutter (or close to it)

For whatever reason, I've been watching more playoff hockey this year than I have the past couple. I've found this year's playoffs to be quite good, and am already hoping for a long series between Edmonton and Florida, even if it is scheduled to run to, I believe, August 2027. Watching Game 1, one thought kept going through my mind.

These teams are good.

Granted, that should be obvious, but watching such good teams made me realize that I have just finished my fifteenth straight season following a team that, when it comes down to it, really has never been very good. The best season since I started following the Sens in 2009-2010, they had a negative goal differential. That's not good!

Rooting for a team that has been, at best, on the upper end of okay has undoubtedly affected my perception of hockey. Seeing the Panthers execute a flawless counterattack capped off by a pinpoint finish from Carter Verhaeghe, I realized I cannot even imagine what it would be like to see the Sens do that on a regular basis. Nor can I imagine seeing them have a powerplay as sharp as the Oilers'. If the Sens had even a single month where they were as defensively sound as Florida has been this season I think it would fundamentally change me as a person. I'd probably get a tattoo commemorating it.

It's not as though the Sens haven't had talent. Each season, it seems like a running joke how many former Sens are on other playoff teams. This year, it included bonafide stars like Mark Stone and Mike Zibanejad, cast-offs like Cody Ceci and Cam Talbot, and even Andreas Englund and Mike Reilly, who, sure, why not. Along with Ceci, Connor Brown and Vladimir Tarasenko are both playing parts on this year's finalists. Should the Sens have surrounded them with more talent, or is this dumb luck?

Maybe this is just the way some teams have to be. With an ever growing league, it's less and less likely any given team will win each season. If we were just drawing lots, the Sens would be about 50/50 to have won a Cup since I started watching, so it's not like they're a uniquely cursed team. Fans of the Canucks, Sabres, and Sharks, just to name a few, would all have a very good case they've been more hard-done by than the Sens, and a trip to the conference final is more than a lot of teams have had in the past decade. 

Is there a deeper lesson here? Maybe the acceptance of mediocrity, perhaps best exemplified by our ever changing but never differing cast of coaches, the latest of whom is a real human person named Travis Green, is antithetical to the pursuit of greatness. Maybe sports fandom based on results, rather than feeling, has corrupted the game and a return to our roots would make everyone, even fans of the best teams, happier.

Or maybe this is just a bunch of stuff that's happening that kinda ticks me off. That's probably it.

A possibly more realistic 2022 Team Canada Men's roster

In recent weeks, the NHL and NHLPA have made significant progress in talks regarding the restart of the 2019-20 season. Amid those talks, reports of a new CBA as well as NHL participation in the 2022 and 2026 Olympics have emerged. The prospect of an Olympic games with NHL players is tantalizing to a sports-craved population, especially since 2018 saw the league skip out on the games for the first time since 1994.

With the Olympic news coming out, the process of projecting rosters has already begun, which is why I'm here to tell you that they've been doing it wrong. Well, maybe not all of them, and the results aren't particularly off from what I'd imagine the teams will turn out like, but I've noticed a pattern that always takes place with these sorts of projections. While it's hard to project which players will be the best options a year and a half from now, it seems that many don't even try. Take this example published by theScore, the roster is essentially just the top players today with Alexis Lafreniere added in to create the illusion of a far-off future.

I'm not going to sit here and say I can project who'll be what when 2022 rolls around, but I can use what we know from past Olympics to create a more realistic projection of Team Canada's 2022 Olympic roster. To do this, we will pick a roster made up of players that are the same age as the 2014 roster, the last time NHLers went to the games. By this I mean that, if Team Canada had one 31-year old defenceman in 2014, the 2022 team will have one 31-year old defenceman (all ages are as of the opening ceremonies of the respective Olympics). This may seem like an arbitrary set of rules (it is), but it plants us in reality away from dreaming of young superstars breaking onto the scene or ageless wonders sticking around forever.

Before we can start constructing the 2022 roster, we need to look back at 2014 to get our blueprint:

Forwards

Patrick Marleau (34)

Chris Kunitz (34)

Patrick Sharp (32)

Jeff Carter (29)

Rick Nash (29)

Ryan Getzlaf (28)

Corey Perry (28)

Patrice Bergeron (28)

Sidney Crosby (26)

Jonathan Toews (25)

Steven Stamkos (24)

Jamie Benn (24)

Matt Duchene (23)

John Tavares (23)

Defenceman

Dan Hamhuis (31)

Duncan Keith (30)

Jay Bouwmeester (30)

Shea Weber (28)

Marc-Édouard Vlasic (26)

Drew Doughty (24)

P.K. Subban (24)

Alex Pietrangelo (23)

Goalies

Roberto Luongo (34)

Mike Smith (31)

Carey Price (26)

The first thing I noticed was how young the cutoffs were, no forwards or goalies over 34 are eligible and while the likes of Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton weren't expected to be part of the team, this knocks off Eric Staal, Jeff Carter and even Patrice Bergeron at forward along with Mike Smith, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Corey Crawford in nets. Somewhat surprisingly, the situation is even bleaker on the blueline, as the 31-year old age limit eliminates the entire 2014 defense corps except for Pietrangelo, as well as Mark Giordano, Kris Letang, and Brent Burns. This isn't to say that none of these players will be on the team in 2022, but just that history shows us that maybe we should think twice about assuming they won't slow down suddenly.

Next, we run into the opposite conundrum, the minimum ages. No skaters under 23 will make the team, which means that not only are 2020 top prospects Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield ineligible, but so are Robert Thomas, Nick Suzuki, Barrett Hayton, Kirby Dach, and Victor Mete. It's always possible that one or more of them defy the odds and force their way into the conversation and even the team, but it's best not to get too excited about seeing them representing Canada at the highest level anytime soon. Yes, if we go back to 2010 Crosby, Toews and Doughty were all under 22, but those players were at a level that these players, except maybe Lafreniere, probably can't expect to be at in time for the Olympics. In net, the minimum age of 26 means that Carter Hart, who's been floated as a potential starter for the games, will be left off the roster. Hart has the potential to be one of the top netminders in the world and he's passed every test so far, but expecting him to come so far, at such a young age, in such a short period of time, may be too much too ask.

Finally, we have what I call the "black hole ages" (yes, I've even came up with my own terminology for this imaginary project. Concerning, no?). These are the ages between the maximum and minimum ages where players are ineligible due to no one from the 2014 team fitting the description. Is it a bit ridiculous to arbitrarily remove players from consideration completely? Absolutely, but is it more ridiculous than naively believing that players will never age? You can decide that for yourself. At forward, black hole ages eliminate Brad Marchand and Jonathan Toews (33), John Tavares, Steven Stamkos and Matt Duchene (31), as well as Ryan O'Reilly, Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin (30). On defence, we must bid adieu to Colin Miller (29), and Shea Theodore (26). Most worryingly, both the defence and forward positions cannot use any 27-year olds, which is right around the average age for both, yet bafflingly did not have any in that age group in 2014. The list of ineligible 27-year olds is long, but includes the likes of Sean Monahan, Morgan Rielly, Darnell Nurse, Tom Wilson, Matt Dumba, and Josh Morrissey, as well as seemingly the entire New York Islanders defence (Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, and Devon Toews). Lastly, the low total of three goalies means that the pickings will be slim for that position, but despite missing out on Jordan Binnington, Matt Murray, and Braden Holtby, among others, I think you'll see that there's still a decent trio that can be put together.

Before we can begin, I must admit that I made one executive decision. Eagle-eyed readers may notice that, much like Steve Yzerman before me, I did not include Martin St. Louis on my 2014 team. St. Louis was a replacement for injured Tampa teammate Steven Stamkos and that saga involved an array of bitterness that saw St. Louis traded to the Rangers at that year's trade deadline. Originally, I was going to include St. Louis, which meant I would have to find a 38-year old forward, but there was only one current Canadian NHLer who'll be 38 during the next Olympics: Jason Spezza. I wanted to put Spezza on the team, I really did, but despite a decent season with the Leafs this year, he's far from an Olympian now, much less 19 months from now. So instead, I stuck with the initial roster, bringing Steven Stamkos back and opening up another slot for a 24-year old forward.

With that lengthy preamble out of the way, let's begin with the forwards that will make up the 2022 Canadian Olympic Men's Hockey Team.

23-year old forward (2)

2014: Matt Duchene, John Tavares

2022: Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tyson Jost

Dubois is an easy choice for the first 23-year old, as he's already developed into an elite playmaker and 20-goal scorer. Jost, on the other hand, has topped 10 goals in his first two seasons with Colorado and was 50/50 to do it again this year before the season was suspended. While his play has been far from spectacular, as a former 10th overall pick, Jost looks like as safe a bet as any to take his game to the next level in the next season and a half.

Missed the cut: Dillon Dube, Jordan Kyrou

24-year old forward (3)

2014: Jamie Benn, Steven Stamkos

2022: Mathew Barzal, Anthony Cirelli, Mitch Marner

This category is where I made my second executive decision. While the 2014 team only had 2 24-year old forwards, they also had 2 24-year old defenceman. The 25-player roster allows for an extra forward, defenceman, and goalie, with one flex spot available. In 2014, Team Canada used in on a defenceman, but the vast chasm in talent between 24-year old forwards and 24-year old defenceman means that even with the strictly imposed rules, I cannot in good conscience leave any of these three off of the team. This trio gives us a diverse group of young talent, Barzal's the sniper, Marner's the playmaker, and Cirelli is the two-way ace. With some of the team's top players aging out, they'll be more than capable in injecting some youth into the lineup.

Missed the cut: Anthony Beauvillier, Travis Konecny, Dylan Strome

25-year old forward (1)

2014: Jonathan Toews

2022: Connor McDavid

No real discussion here, even though there are plenty of players in this category I'd love to see on the team, there's no way not to have McDavid in this slot.

Missed the cut: Jake DeBrusk, Brayden Point

26-year old forward (1)

2014: Sidney Crosby

2022: Nathan MacKinnon

Just like McDavid, MacKinnon is the obvious choice. Quite possibly the second best player in the world, MacKinnon should give the team a dominant one-two punch down the middle.

Missed the cut: Max Domi, Bo Horvat

28-year old forward (3)

2014: Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry

2022: Jonathan Huberdeau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Mark Scheifele

Huberdeau has quietly developed into a high-end goal offensive weapon the past few seasons, reaching the 30-goal mark and notching 92 points. Huberdeau gives the team a potentially elite scorer when playing with more high-end talent. Nugent-Hopkins has never quite lived up to the promise as a first overall pick but having put up numerous 20-goal years in Edmonton while rarely getting time with high-end talent as he's been largely anchoring the second line behind McDavid and Draisaitl. Scheifele is one of the players that makes Canada the dominant power it's been for the past decade in best-on-best tournaments. He's the top centre on his team and one of the best in the league, yet is a bottom six forward on the team. He's the type of player the team can rely on to play up to 15 minutes a night and occasionally take over.

Missed the cut: Phillip Danault, Barclay Goodrow

29-year old forward (2)

2014: Jeff Carter, Rick Nash

2022: Sean Couturier, Mark Stone

While Canada has enough talent to put together two teams that could out gun most other countries, historically their true dominance has come from players that can play a true 200-foot game, driving play at both ends. Couturier and Stone are two of the league's top defensive forwards and are both 30-goal scorers, so their inclusion on the team gives Canada a pair of players who can control the game and contribute to their dominance.

Missed the cut: Brendan Gallagher, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Jaden Schwartz, Tyler Toffoli

32-year old forward (1)

2014: Patrick Sharp

2022: Logan Couture

This is where the arbitrary age marker causes problems, given that players like Brad Marchand and Jonathan Toews are a year too old while John Tavares and Steven Stamkos are a year too young, the latter being ineligible by just four days. Still, aging is unpredictable, especially for skilled forwards, and Couture isn't necessarily any more or less likely to regress than any of the others listed above. If he ends up being the best of the bunch by 2022, Canada still gets a high-end offensive player, and if they get playoff Logan Couture the tournament is essentially over before it begins.

Missed the cut: Jamie Benn, Mike Hoffman

34-year old forward (2)

2014: Chris Kunitz, Patrick Marleau

2022: Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux

Our roster lucks out by having these two fall into the age 34 group, as Crosby is still one of the best in the world right now and Giroux continues to be great in Philadelphia. Still, it's important not to overestimate how good they may still be by the next Olympics. While Marleau was still great in 2014, his sharp decline would begin shortly thereafter, while Kunitz was mostly there as a linemate for Crosby. Yes, Crosby and Giroux are likely better than Marleau and Kunitz respectively, but the thought of the two of them being top line players for Canada in a year and a half may be a touch hopeful. Still, they should remain among the best in the world, giving Canada a pair of elite vets to go along with the blossoming young stars.

Due to the lower age limit on defence, there's significantly more turnover than at forward. This unit may not appear to be outstanding on the surface, but looking back at 2014 theirs doesn't either and yet it was dominant. With a team as skilled as Canada, the key is to find seven or eight defenders who are responsible in their own end and/or skilled enough not to take away from the talent up front.

23-year old defenceman (1)

2014: Alex Pietrangelo

2022: Cale Makar

Makar already looks like one of the best defenceman in the league, so give him a bit more time and he could be a valuable piece for Canada in Beijing. His offensive prowess is well-known and as he matures his defensive game should improve, creating the potential for a superstar despite his young age. While I still stand by my point that it's important when projecting these rosters not to get overly excited about potential, Makar is just too tantalizing not to.

Missed the cut: Dante Fabbro, Samuel Girard

24-year old defenceman (1)

2014: Drew Doughty, P.K. Subban

2022: Thomas Chabot

As you may recall, this is the slot we removed one player from to add another 24-year old forward. While it's entirely possible that more defenceman develop to the level required to make the team by 2022, there just aren't any others that would seem to have that potential. Chabot, though, is already logging massive minutes for Ottawa and looks like he has the potential to quickly develop into one of the league's top d-men. If he does, that gives Canada a bright future and present on the blueline.

Missed the cut: Ethan Bear, Jeremy Lauzon

25-year old defenceman (1)

2014: Marc-Édouard Vlasic

2022: Vince Dunn

There were a handful of strong candidates for this spot, put I'm going to go with the players who I think best exemplifies the spirit of Vlasic with Dunn. While Dunn isn't the defensive specialist Vlasic was, he's a solid two-way player who can put up double digit goals in a full season. Much like Vlasic though, he was never really thought of as a national team player until he made the team. Vlasic often played in Brent Burns' shadow in San Jose, much like Dunn does today with Alex Pietrangelo (and Colton Parayko) in St. Louis. Despite his lack of name recognition, Dunn was a big part of the Blues championship, and could be an unsung hero for Canada in 2022.

Missed the cut: Travis Dermott, Aaron Ekblad, Haydn Fleury

28-year old defenceman (1)

2014: Shea Weber

2022: Dougie Hamilton

Despite what the anti-museum lobby may tell you, Dougie Hamilton is quite simply an elite defenceman. Despite his size, however, he's not Shea Weber, but an offensive weapon similar to Brent Burns in his prime. While Burns didn't make the team in 2014, Hamilton should be an easy choice as he's a much better all-around player than Burns was.

Missed the cut: Colton Parayko

30-year old defenceman (2)

2014: Jay Bouwmeester, Duncan Keith

2022: Tyson Barrie, Brayden McNabb

Yeah I'm not thrilled with this either, but these were the only two available. That said, while Keith spent the better part of a decade being an elite blueliner, Bouwmeester, while solid, was never at that level. What we're looking for in putting together this roster is not for the players who'll leave the best legacies, but a snapshot of who's the best at the moment. Will Barrie and/or McNabb fit that description? Probably not, but they could, which for the purpose of this is enough to put them on the team.

Missed the cut: None

31-year old defenceman (1)

2014: Dan Hamhuis

2022: Alex Pietrangelo

Pietrangelo goes from being the youngest defenceman in 2014 to the oldest in 2022. Since 2014, Pietrangelo has become a captain, a Stanley Cup champion, and one of the most consistent blueliners in the game. If he stays close to his current level, he should be a more than capable member of the team while providing the experience and leadership this back-end seems to need.

Missed the cut: Ryan Ellis, David Savard

That just leaves us with the goalies and I'm not gonna lie to you, this part had me worried. Canada's struggles in developing a new generation of netminders has been well documented and by imposing this set of rules on the roster an already weak position had the potential to become a disaster. But then I realized that, since Canada has no obvious choice in net, there's no one that cannot be left off the roster. While the trio I came up with may not be the best three, their certainly all in consideration for the real team.

26-year old goalie (1)

2014: Carey Price

2022: Tristan Jarry

Jarry had been stuck behind Matt Murray for the past few seasons in Pittsburgh, but this year his .921 save percentage was enough to have him essentially split time with the two-time Stanley Cup winner. Much like in 2017 with the Vegas expansion draft, Pittsburgh seems poised to lose one of their goalies to Seattle in 2021. Whether Jarry takes the reigns in Pittsburgh after Murray leaves, is exposed and becomes Seattle's starter, or is on any of the other 30 teams in the league, he looks to have the potential to be a good-to-great starter and someone worthy of inclusion on the roster.

Missed the cut: None

31-year old goalie (1)

2014: Mike Smith

2022: Darcy Kuemper

We once again turn to the Coyotes for this pick, as Kuemper has emerged as a sneaky-good goalie the past two seasons, turning in a Vezina-cablire campaign this year with Antti Raanta hurt once again. Kuemper may be a fluke, but he may just as well be the latest in a long line of goalies who take their game to the next level in their 30s. If he does, Canada may have dodged a bullet with their decade of poor goaltending prospects and have found their starter after all.

Missed the cut: Jake Allen, Michael Hutchinson

34-year old goalie (1)

2014: Roberto Luongo

2022: Carey Price

As is tradition, Team Canada will bring back their last starter to sit on the bench in these Olympics. While the 8 year gap is bigger than usual, Price still looks like the best choice for this slot. Price's status as an elite goaltender has been hotly contested in recent years, and he does not appear to be trending towards being that in 2022. That said, Canada has no clear number one, so Price may be just as good a bet as any to help carry the team to victory in a short tournament.

Missed the cut: Cam Talbot

We did it, we imposed restrictions to help make the team more realistic and were able to put together a team worthy of those that came before. The entire roster and a rough lineup is below:

Jonathan Huberdeau - Connor McDavid - Mark Stone

Claude Giroux - Sidney Crosby - Nathan MacKinnon

Pierre-Luc Dubois - Sean Couturier - Mark Scheifele

Logan Couture - Anthony Cirelli - Mathew Barzal

Tyson Jost - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Thomas Chabot - Dougie Hamilton

Vince Dunn - Cale Makar

Brayden McNabb - Alex Pietrangelo

Tyson Barrie

Darcy Kuemper

Carey Price

Tristan Jarry

Do I think this will be the roster Canada ices in 2022? No, but this is a more reasonable outline of the talent level we should expect from them? Yes. There are players who aren't on this roster that probably should, but even though it's only a year and a half away, a lot can change in that time. Even with the restrictions in place, this team looks dominant and would probably be the favourite to win gold. The lesson here (if you're looking for something like that) is that while things change, that change does not mean that they'll be massive repercussions. Also, Canada is really good at hockey

Drafts Revisited: 2012

With the NHL and virtually every other sports league on pause, many media types are looking for ways to fill pages with something resembling news. One of the most popular ways this has been done is through historical redrafts. With this in mind, I thought it might be a good opportunity to look back at some of the Senators' drafts and see what could have been while also addressing some of the issues I have with how this exercise is normally done.

One thing about how redrafts are usually done that's always bothered me is the amount of hindsight used. Take this recent 2014 redraft as an example. While David Pastrnak is certainly one of the top players taken in the draft, there's no way that Florida would have taken him 24 spots higher than he actually went at first overall. I've put in some ground rules to address this as well as a few others.

• If the pick is in the top 5, you players taken up to 5 spots after can be chosen. For top 10 picks it's 10 spots. For the rest of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds, players can be taken one full round (usually 30 picks) before they were actually selected. For the 4th round and beyond, any player is on the table (accept for undrafted players, because that would hurt my brain).
• No trades or undoing trades. While ideally Ottawa would have taken Vladimir Tarasenko with their 1st rounder in 2010 instead of trading it for David Rundblad, we won't be undoing that trade here. While it definitely relates to the draft, it begins to wander too far into the other parts of a GM's job for this. Likewise, we won't be packaging picks to trade up or vice versa.
• Everything can be taken into account. If a player had one great season but otherwise was average, that can be better than a player whose had a solid career, or not depending on circumstances. Positional needs? Value for a possible later trade? Hair colour? Everything is on the table, much like in a real draft.

So far we've looked at the 2010 Draft and gave the Sens some decent prospects despite only having 4 picks, as well as the 2011 Draft, where an already impressive haul was turned into an embarrassment of riches.

Today, we'll look at the last instalment, for now at least, of this series with the 2012 draft.

1st Round, 15th Overall

Actual Pick: Cody Ceci - D

Hockey fans in Ottawa are no doubt familiar with Cody Ceci by now. In 2011-12 he scored nearly a point per game for a very good 67's squad. His 60 points were second only to Dougie Hamilton among OHL defencemen that season. He quickly made his way to the NHL and scored three goals in 49 games in 2013-14, eventually reaching double digits in his third year with a 10 goal 2014-15 campaign. His offensive abilities then dried up however, and his defensive shortcomings were exposed for all to see now that he wasn't contributing at the other end either. Despite 7 goals in a 2018-19 season where he tied his career high with 26 points, he was traded in the off-season to Toronto as part of the Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev trade.

Updated Pick: Tomas Hertl - C (17th Overall, San Jose Sharks)

Hertl broke onto the scene in 2013 with a 4-goal performance against the Rangers, capped off by this incredible goal that all but ended Martin Biron's playing career. In his rookie season, Hertl scored 15 times in just 37 games. He'd struggle to immediately repeat that kind of offensive skill, although he did top 20 goals twice in the next 4 seasons, but he earned a reputation as a solid two-way player. His offense finally returned to his 2013-14 levels last season, as he scored 35 goals for the Sharks, second only to then-captain Joe Pavelski. Injuries and the overall implosion of the team around him hit Hertl this season, although he still finished with a very impressive 16 goals in 48 games and looks like he may be a key piece to the Sharks' rebuild, either as a player or an incredibly valuable trade chip. Hertl would have given the Sens not just the pure goal-scorer they've been looking for since Dany Heatley left town, but a bona fide first line centre that can excel in all aspects of the game.

3rd Round, 76th Overall

Actual Pick: Chris Driedger - G

While his draft season was nothing outstanding, he put up close to a .900 save percentage while splitting time with the Hitmen, Driedger took off after that, becoming one of the WHL's best goalies in his final two seasons before impressing with a short stint in Binghamton and making a handful of NHL appearances. He never managed to make good on the "goalie of the future" hype that at times popped up around him and he has since moved on to Florida, where in 12 appearances he's put up impressive numbers while battling with Sam Montembeault for the back-up job.

Updated Pick: Frederik Andersen - G (97th Overall, Anaheim Ducks)

We've yet to take a goalie in these three drafts as even with the full benefit of hindsight I've still been hesitant to pull the trigger. But we may as well follow the real Sens now given that Andersen is as close to a sure thing there is in today's NHL. While Andersen broke into the league in 2013-14 and quickly established himself as one of the best young goalies in the league, he eventually lost his job to another outstanding young goaltender in John Gibson. He was then traded to Toronto where he's played the past 4 seasons and made good on his potential, despite some admittedly streaky play and an average 2019-20 season. Andersen's .909 save percentage this season was the only time he's posted a mark below .910 in his 7 seasons (6 full seasons) in the league. That type of consistently is what you're looking for when you go out on a limb and take a goaltender, even if it's in the 3rd round.

3rd Round, 82nd Overall

Actual Pick: Jarrod Maidens - C

While the first two picks of the 2012 draft were nothing special for the Sens, Maidens and the rest of the Sens remaining picks didn't even appear in an NHL game, meaning the next five upgrades should be significant. Maidens battled concussions in his draft season but the Sens gambled that he would be able to make good on the potential he had shown with Owen Sound the season before. The gamble did not pay off as Maidens never played another game due to concussion problems.

Updated Pick: Colton Parayko - D (86th Overall, St. Louis Blues)

In 2011-12, Parayko put up 42 points in 53 games for Fort McMurray of the AJHL while also serving 65 PIMs. Unlike some players we've looked at earlier this series, however, upon making the move to college hockey with Alaska-Fairbanks, we managed to keep up his offensive performance while scaling back on his lofty penalty totals. After a brief stint in the AHL at the end of the 2014-15 season, Parayko played 79 games for St. Louis the following season and has become on of the more unheralded offensive contributors from the blueline in the game. While he doesn't have the mean streak he showed in his draft year anymore, at 6'6" and 230 lbs. Parayko is a unique player whose combination of skill and size were a major part in the Blues incredible championship run last season.

4th Round, 106th Overall

Actual Pick: Tim Boyle - D

The younger brother of NHL veteran Brian Boyle, Tim Boyle was an interesting selection as he was a top-end talent at the high school level. Boyle struggled to translate that skill to higher levels however, as he only played 15 games for Union College the following season before bouncing around in the lower minors. He has not played since the 2017-18 season where he split time between the Southern Professional Hockey League and the ECHL.

Updated Pick: Jaccob Slavin (120th Overall, Carolina Hurricanes)

Despite being a defensive defenceman, Slavin put up 30 points in 60 games in his draft year with the USHL's Chicago Steel, thanks in large part to 27 assists. In 62 games the following season he tallied 33 points and 28 assists. Slavin has remained much the same player throughout college and to the pro level, where he has very consistently put up 20-35 points while being one of the league's premier shut-down d-men. After taking players like Klingberg and Parayko to join Erik Karlsson on the blueline, the addition of Slavin serves as an excellent safety net to pair with any of those three to allow them to excel offensively knowing they have an elite defender with them.

5th Round, 136th Overall

Actual Pick: Robbie Baillargeon - C

Scoring at nearly a point per game rate for the USHL's Indiana Ice enticed the Sens to take Baillargeon in the 5th round in 2012. After a solid second USHL season split between the Ice and the Omaha Lancers, Baillargeon played three seasons at Boston University before transferring to Arizona State for his fourth and final NCAA season. While he played well on some good teams in college, it never amounted to an NHL deal as he played parts of two seasons in the ECHL before playing 50 games in 2018-19 for Milton Keynes in the Elite Ice Hockey League.

Updated Pick: Connor Brown (156th Overall, Toronto Maple Leafs)

Brown led the Erie Otters in scoring in all three of his seasons there, beating out Connor McDavid in his final two years, capped by a remarkable 128 point 2013-14 season, 21 up on teammate Dane Fox for the league lead. While he hasn't been able to recreate anything close to those numbers in the NHL, he scored a career-high 20 goals in his rookie season and this year set a new career high with 43 points for Ottawa and was set to make a push for a new career high in goals before the season was suspended. Brown has also become a very good defensive forward to go along with his solid offensive play, and was the key asset the Sens got from Toronto in the Cody Ceci trade. Brown now looks to be a major part of the team's future and since we've already passed on Cody Ceci, taking him in the 5th round ensures he stays a part of the organization.

6th Round, 166th Overall

Actual Pick: Francois Brassard - G

The second of two goalies the team took in 2012, Brassard split time with Louis Domingue for Patrick Roy's Quebec Remparts squad and formed the top duo in the league. When Domingue aged out following the season, Brassard took over the starting top and finished 3rd and 4th in the QMJHL in save percentage and GAA respectively. Brassard however, never took his game to the next level and went the rare Canadian college route by committing to Carleton for three seasons and is currently playing for the Maine Mariners of the ECHL.

Updated Pick: Vinny Hinostroza (169th Overall, Chicago Blackhawks)

While Hinostroza's USHL career showed some flashes, including 60 points in 46 games in 2012-13, he was never a particularly hot prospect. His time at Notre Dame saw him put up 76 points in 76 games over two seasons however and after nearly continuing that pace in the AHL, he found himself part of a Blackhawks team that still had some of that 2010-2015 dynasty shine left on them. Hinostroza has battled injuries and consistency throughout his career and was a casualty of Chicago's cap crunch as they sent him to Arizona in order to get out from Marian Hossa's contract. Consistency aside, Hinostroza has scored a very respectable 100 points in 246 career games in the NHL and has talent that could be of value to a young team like Ottawa when he's on his game.

7th Round, 196th Overall

Actual Pick: Mikael Wikstrand - D

Despite never playing an NHL game, Wikstrand was a decent choice with the team's last pick. He was a fairly regular player for Mora IK of the Swedish Allsvenskan in his draft year and after seeing his role and production increase the following two seasons he was picked up by Frolunda in the Swedish top division. While the Sens did sign him to an entry level deal and still hold his NHL rights, they've been unable to lure him away from Europe where he currently plays for Ak-Bars Kazan in the KHL.

Updated Pick: Nikita Gusev - LW (202nd Overall, Tampa Bay Lightning)

From one risky pick to another, the Sens end up taking Nikita Gusev with their 7th rounder. Originally drafted by the Lightning, Gusev quickly became a young star in the KHL and showed little desire to come over to North America. Tampa Bay traded his rights to Vegas who couldn't entice him over either, so they eventually gave up and flipped him to New Jersey, where he finally signed and put up 13 goals and 44 points in 66 games on a bad Devils team. While Gusev has the potential to be a top-end talent, there's no guarantee Ottawa would have been able to sign him or if they would have followed in the path of Tampa Bay and Vegas and given up on him. However, with Joakim Ryan the only other bona fide NHLer left on the board, the risks seems worth it.


After adding loads of talent in 2010 and especially 2011, this version of the Ottawa Senators added Tomas Hertl, Frederik Andersen, Colton Parayko, Jaccob Slavin, Connor Brown, Vinny Hinostroza, and Nikita Gusev to what is becoming a dominant prospect pool. In the actual 2012 draft, the Sens took a number of risks that didn't pan out. While it's normally wise to take the safest picks available in the draft, the updated selections of Andersen, Hinostroza, and Gusev all carry different types of risk even with the benefit of hindsight. Going into this draft, I was confident I would be able to improve on a disastrous draft. While it would be hard to argue that I haven't accomplished that, it's worth noting how many risks were required in order to get the highest possible ceiling in a draft class.

Drafts Revisited: 2011

With the NHL and virtually every other sports league on pause, many media types are looking for ways to fill pages with something resembling news. One of the most popular ways this has been done is through historical redrafts. With this in mind, I thought it might be a good opportunity to look back at some of the Senators' drafts and see what could have been while also addressing some of the issues I have with how this exercise is normally done.

One thing about how redrafts are usually done that's always bothered me is the amount of hindsight used. Take this recent 2014 redraft as an example. While David Pastrnak is certainly one of the top players taken in the draft, there's no way that Florida would have taken him 24 spots higher than he actually went at first overall. I've put in some ground rules to address this as well as a few others.

• If the pick is in the top 5, you players taken up to 5 spots after can be chosen. For top 10 picks it's 10 spots. For the rest of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds, players can be taken one full round (usually 30 picks) before they were actually selected. For the 4th round and beyond, any player is on the table (accept for undrafted players, because that would hurt my brain).
• No trades or undoing trades. While ideally Ottawa would have taken Vladimir Tarasenko with their 1st rounder in 2010 instead of trading it for David Rundblad, we won't be undoing that trade here. While it definitely relates to the draft, it begins to wander too far into the other parts of a GM's job for this. Likewise, we won't be packaging picks to trade up or vice versa.
• Everything can be taken into account. If a player had one great season but otherwise was average, that can be better than a player whose had a solid career, or not depending on circumstances. Positional needs? Value for a possible later trade? Hair colour? Everything is on the table, much like in a real draft.

Last time we took a look at the 2010 Draft where the Sens only had 4 picks but managed to snag Mark Stone in the 6th round. I stuck with Stone with that pick but added some more talent to the team ahead of him in the higher rounds.

Today, we'll jump ahead one year to 2011, where the team had a whopping 10 picks including 3 first rounders. This draft is a good one to look at in the lead-up to 2020 where Ottawa currently have 13 picks and 3 first rounders yet again. But instead of simply looking back at some of the stellar picks they made, let's also look at ways that they could have made even better picks with another redraft.

1st Round, 6th Overall

Actual Pick: Mika Zibanejad - C

After a 9 game trial following his draft season, the Sens sent Zibanejad back to Sweden where he continued his solid play from his draft year. After a stint in Binghamton during the 2012-13 lockout, Zibanejad scored 7 times in 42 games as the Sens made the playoffs in the shortened season. From there, he developed into a solid offensive player good for 20 goals. His biggest successes, however, came after he was sent to the Rangers in the 2016 off-season for Derick Brassard. Last season he topped 30 goals for the first time and had 41 in only 57 games this year before the season was paused. Brassard, for his part, was a key player in the 2017 playoff run but quickly fell off afterwards, but not before Pierre Dorion scored a king's ransom from Pittsburgh ahead of the 2018 deadline.

Updated Pick: Sean Couturier - C (8th Overall, Philadelphia Flyers)

While Zibanejad did turn out to be a very nice pick at 6th overall (trade aside), Sean Couturier is too tempting to pass up. Couturier jumped into the league a year ahead of Zibanejad and found a role as a two-way force almost immediately. He's scored over 30 goals in each of the past two seasons and had 22 in 69 games this year while transitioning from analytics darling to legitimate star. On top of this, his two-way ability more closely resembles what the team was looking for when they shipped Zibanejad to New York for Brassard in 2016, making it possible that Dorion would not have given up on a potential top line centre for immediate help.

1st Round, 21st Overall

Actual Pick: Stefan Noesen - RW

Noesen led the Plymouth Whalers in both points and penalty minutes in his draft season, making him a tantalizingly gritty player to take with the 21st pick of the draft. Noesen was the prospect traded for Bobby Ryan on a busy July 5, 2013 which saw Alfredsson leave while Ryan and Clarke MacArthur arrived, signalling the start of a new era for the team. Noesen never latched on in Anaheim and has since played for New Jersey, Pittsburgh and San Jose. While he's been able to secure a fairly steady NHL job and carved out a reputation as a solid defensive player, it's safe to say he's not the player the Sens or the Ducks hoped they were getting.

Updated Pick: Brandon Saad - LW (43rd Overall, Chicago Blackhawks)

After passing on Mika Zibanejad at 6th, the alternate Sens take a player who was once traded for Zibanejad's future teammate Artemi Panarin in Brandon Saad. This continues the trend of solid two-way forwards with offensive touch, as Saad is a fairly reliable 20 goal scorer who has topped 30 once in his career. While most of his success has come on loaded Blackhawks teams, it's worth noting that his 31 goal season was with the Blue Jackets and he was on pace for 29 goals on a bad Chicago squad this season.

1st Round, 24th Overall

Actual Pick: Matt Puempel - LW

After putting up over a point per game on an awful Peterborough Petes team in his draft year, the Sens used their second first round pick on Puempel. While he continued to put up big numbers, including a 30 goal campaign in his first full AHL season, Puempel was never able to transfer his scoring touch to the NHL, netting only 4 goals in 52 games with Ottawa. His best offensive stretch came in 2016-17 when he was claimed off waivers by the Rangers and scored 6 times in 27 games. This season, he's been unable to crack the roster of the historically bad Red Wings.

Updated Pick: William Karlsson - C (53rd Overall, Anaheim Ducks)

While I would have taken Karlsson over Saad, he fell just outside of the 30 pick boundary for reaching on a pick in the first three rounds. Taken in the second round, Karlsson was looking unremarkable for most of his career. That is until the Vegas Golden Knights took him in the 2017 Expansion Draft. Karlsson scored 43 times in 2017-18, more than doubling his career total and centred the team's top line in their unbelievable finals run in their inaugural season. While he hasn't come particularly close to matching that lofty goal total in the past two season, he's remained one of the team's top players and an excellent play driver as he and Paul Stastny give Vegas one of the league's top 1-2 punches down the middle. While the team went for two-way play with the first two picks, Karlsson gives them some offensive flair and fire power that should help with the loss of Zibanejad. John Gibson was a tempting option with this pick after he looked to be establishing himself as one of the league's top netminders, but his struggles this year go to show that even with the benefit of foresight, picking a goalie still presents its share of risk.

2nd Round, 61st Overall

Actual Pick: Shane Prince - LW

Ottawa took one of the 67's top offensive weapons with the final pick of the 2nd round, but Prince never really lived up to his OHL numbers. Although he did scored 20 goals twice with Binghamton, he only managed 3 goals in 44 games with Ottawa before they traded him and a 7th round pick to the Islanders for a 3rd. While he was marginally better on Long Island, he never was able to stick in the lineup and has played the past two seasons in Europe, currently with Dynamo Minsk in the KHL.

Updated Pick: Vincent Trocheck - C (64th Overall, Florida Panthers)

Before he fell victim to Florida's analytics purge at the trade deadline this year, Trocheck was one of the team's most reliable players. While an injuring in 2018-19, coming off his first (and so far only) 30 goal season, may ultimately prevent him from reaching his full-potential, he's another player that fits the Sean Couturier mold that, as the GM of the alternate dimension Sens, I've been targeting. Jordan Binnington is the other option with this pick, but just like with John Gibson, there's still too much uncertainty in his game to justify passing on Trocheck.

4th Round, 96th Overall

Actual Pick: Jean-Gabriel Pageau - C

After getting into 9 games during the lockout shortened 2013 season, Pageau was crucial to the Sens upsetting Montreal in the first round of the playoffs with a hat-trick in game 3 of the series. He also scored 4 goals, including the double OT winner, in game 2 of the 2017 2nd round series against the Rangers. These two performances, which rank in the upper echelon of Ottawa Senators' playoff moments, made him a fan favourite. When he wasn't turning into Mario Lemieux in the playoffs, Pageau was a rock solid two-way player who could be counted on to provide double digit goals year in and year out. After a promotion to the first line this year, Pageau scored 24 times in 60 games before being traded to and subsequently signing an extension with the New York Islanders. Fittingly, the trade got Ottawa a first and second round pick in the 2020 draft, which has many drawing comparisons to the 2011 Sens draft where Pageau was taken.

Updated Pick: Johnny Gaudreau - LW (104th Overall, Calgary Flames)

Lord forgive me for this. While Pageau topped 20 goals for the first time in his career this year, Gaudreau has done it 4 times and was on pace to do it again this season. He's also scored 30 twice, including a career high 36 in 2018-19 where he also notched a career high in points with 99. While he's not the two-way presence Pageau is and has struggled along with many on the Flames this season, he's certainly the better player as well as a legitimate top-line scoring threat. While it hurts to lose all the memories that Pageau's provided for the franchise, having Johnny Gaudreau on the team makes Ottawa a much better team. And if you really can't bear to lose the chant, Gaudreau and Pageau do rhyme.

5th Round, 126th Overall

Actual Pick: Fredrik Claesson - D

A solid two-way defenceman, Claesson is part of the reason that makes this draft class so special for the Sens, despite the lack of success in the early rounds, the team continued to find talent with their later picks. While he was never a particularly high-end player, Claesson played a big role in the team's 2016-17 success, with a career-high 3 goals in only 33 games. The team moved on after the 2017-18 season and he played 37 games with the Rangers the following year. After being signed by the Hurricanes in the off-season, Claesson spent his entire time with the organization in the minors before getting a chance with the Devils as part of the Sami Vatanen trade. While he may only be a borderline NHLer, the Sens did well to get some solid production out of a 5th round pick.

Updated Pick: Andrew Shaw - RW (139th Overall, Chicago Blackhawks)

After establishing himself as a elite level grinder and pest with a goal-scoring touch for the Blackhawks, winning two cups in the process, Shaw wound up in Montreal as a cap casualty, where he would often be front and centre in battles with the rival Senators. Shaw is a solid two-way player but his offence hasn't quite reached the level it looked like it might, as his 20 goal 2013-14 season still stands as his career high, despite being only his third one in the league. This season, Shaw found himself back in Chicago but has battled injuries and his future production may be due to take a dive. That said, he was a very nice player for 8 seasons and a major part of the 2015 Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, and his grit replaces some of what the team lost by taking Gaudreau instead of Pageau one round earlier.

6th Round, 156th Overall

Actual Pick: Darren Kramer - LW

One of the only two picks from this Sens' class not to make it to the NHL, Kramer was a player from a bygone era. Playing for the Spokane Chiefs in 2010-11, Kramer amassed a whopping 306(!) PIM in 68 games. He kept that pace up in the pros, topping out at 284 PIM in 2014-15 with Binghamton. Unfortunately for Kramer while he once scored 22 goals in junior, he never reached double digits at any pro level and is now playing in senior leagues.

Updated Pick: Josh Manson - D (160th Overall, Anaheim Ducks)

The actual 2011 draft saw the Sens take 5 forwards with the first 5 picks, we go one step further waiting until the 7th pick to finally take a defenceman. Manson was a force on the blueline with the BCHL's Salmon Arm Silverbacks, scoring 12 goals and earning 80 PIM in 57 games during his draft season. He hasn't changed much since his debut in the 2014-15 season. For his career he's scored 21 goals and been given 348 PIM in 385 games, all with Anaheim. While he may not be the most skilled or even most effective player, Manson gives Ottawa a pillar on the blueline with the ability to chip in a handful of goals a year.

6th Round, 171st Overall

Actual Pick: Max McCormick - LW

It's hard to call a player with 10 points in 71 career games a steal, but Max McCormick provides the Sens with plenty of bang for their buck in the late rounds. Much like Darren Kramer, McCormick had triple digit PIM in his draft year, with 102 for the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers. Unlike Kramer, however, backed that up with continued offensive success. Over three seasons at Ohio State, McCormick averaged nearly a point per game while still being physical and a thorn in the side of the opposition. McCormick continued to play with a mean streak in Binghamton, notching triple digit PIM and double digit goals in all of his three full seasons with the B-Sens. While he was never able to transfer his offensive abilities to the NHL, he played the role of pest beautifully in parts of 4 seasons with Ottawa before being shipped to Colorado for prospect JC Beaudin in 2019.

Updated Pick: Dylan DeMelo - D (179th Overall, San Jose Sharks)

The man, the myth, the legend himself. Dylan DeMelo became a fan favourite in parts of two seasons with the Senators, not just for his steady presence but also for his legendary acting chops on social media. Now, the team is able to get him seven years earlier without having to lose Erik Karlsson in the process. Much like Manson, DeMelo gives the Sens a defensive force on the blueline, although DeMelo is a more skill-based defender while Manson's strength is physicality. DeMelo may not be able to do much offensively, with only 7 goals in 269 career games, but on a blueline that already has Erik Karlsson and with 2010 pick John Klingberg waiting in the wings, a calm and cautious player fits the bill perfectly.

7th Round, 186th Overall

Actual Pick: Jordan Fransoo - D

The other player, along with Darren Kramer, from this year's Sens' class not to make the NHL, Fransoo was a physical defensive defenceman out of the WHL. Fransoo never did end up signing with Ottawa, and instead attended the University of Saskatchewan for four years before playing in small leagues in Western Canada.

Updated Pick: Ondrej Palat - LW (208th Overall, Tampa Bay)

A stand-out 39 goal performance in his final year of draft eligibility was enough for Tampa to take the 20-year old with one of the draft's last picks. He burst onto the scene soon after with a 23 goal rookie season in 2013-14 followed up by a 63 point sophomore campaign the following year. While he's cooled off a bit since, sitting around the 40 point mark and just under 20 goals most seasons, he's been an integral part to the dominant squads the Lightning have put together in recent years and would have been a steal for Ottawa in the seventh round.

7th Round, 204th Overall

Actual (and Updated) Pick: Ryan Dzingel - C

At the time, Dzingel was playing in the still mostly unheralded USHL for the Lincoln Stars, but was putting up solid offensive numbers. Nothing in his subsequent years at Ohio State, Binghamton, or even Ottawa would have particularly suggested that he would one day be a 20 goal scorer. But his skill eventually blossomed as he was a key piece to the 2016-17 Sens before breaking out with 23 and 26 goals in 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively on lesser teams. He was sent to Columbus ahead of the 2019 trade deadline and has not been especially productive for Carolina this season, but for a player taken after 203 others, he's carved himself out a nice career.


The Sens 2011 draft played a major part in shaping the successes the team would have during the 2010s. Despite the stellar draft, I was able to find 9 better picks as the team ends up with Sean Couturier, Brandon Saad, William Karlsson, Vincent Trocheck, Johnny Gaudreau, Andrew Shaw, Josh Manson, Dylan DeMelo, and Ondrej Palat, with only Ryan Dzingel remaining. If there's a lesson in this it's probably that while there are often better players available, picking a cohort of solid NHL players like the Sens did in 2011 is no small feat. Does this mean I should stop this exercise given that there's no real benefit? Of course not! In 2012, the only NHLers the team drafted were Cody Ceci and Chris Driedger. With 7 picks and the benefit of full hindsight, we should be able to improve this team even more next time!