The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects and has been condensed from two articles to one. The article will bring you: The highlighted team’s draft; insights into its off-season moves; looking at prospect risers, fallers and likely prospects to play NHL games; and of course, the writers’ top-20 prospects. Articles may be brought back when an important team update occurs, so check back because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!

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Read past 32 series stories here: https://dobberprospects.com/category/feature/32-in-32-series/

Make sure to check out the Ottawa Senators team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/ottawa-senators/

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The Ottawa Senators came off a relatively successful season where they went 44-27-11 and squeaked into the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Carolina Hurricanes made quick work of the Senators, with Ottawa amassing seven goals in those four games. To make matters worse, Brady Tkachuk could not break through to give the Sens a much needed offensive punch, ending the series with zero points. 

All of this led to a tumultuous off-season for the Senators, and to a trade of their captain to the villainous Florida Panthers, who added another stone to the gauntlet of “guys you hate to play against.” 

The team parlayed the ninth overall pick they got in return to land an NHL-ready impact player in William Eklund to replace the void Tkachuk left behind. 

Most times when a team trades its captain, the void is incredibly hard to fill, but Ottawa was able to replace most, if not all of the offensive production and have a new look team heading into the new season. Of course, Tkachuk brought a lot of intangible features Eklund does not have, most notably the grit and emotional leadership of Tkachuk. But a new look team for a squad that has looked outmatched in the first round in back to back season may not be a bad thing in the end. 

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2026 NHL Draft Recap

Round 1, Pick 25; Jonas Lagerberg Hoen, RW

The second first round pick that was acquired in the Tkachuk trade was used to take Lagerberg Hoen. While he missed significant time because of a knee injury, Lagerberg Hoen was still a name that was somewhat buried behind other prominent Swedes  He is still a skater with a quick release, but not much of a playmaking game. He had 27 goals and just three assists the year prior, so the Sens are betting on a pure goal scorer becoming just that. It does not hurt that he is 6-2 at just 18 years old.

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Round 1, Pick 32; Jaxon Cover, LW

Cover was selected with the Senators second pick of the round just seven picks after Lagerberg Hoen. Another boom-bust prospect, Cover is a natural goal scorer who has an incredible release and a knack for finding the soft areas of the ice to generate a scoring chance. The upside is not the greatest, but he still figures to be a potential top-six forward if he reaches his apex, but a middle to bottom six could be best case for him. 

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Round 3, Pick 72; Adam Nemec, C/LW

Nemec, the brother of Flames’ defender Simon, had a great back half of the season when he came to North America and played with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. He has incredible vision, and held his own against men in Slovakia’s top-tier. He is not flashy nor an offensive force, but a high-IQ bet for the Senators, and that is one trait you cannot teach. 

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Round 3, Pick 87; Oscar Holmertz, C

One of my personal favorites in the draft, Holmertz is smooth with and away from the puck. He is very slick in the way he skates and uses his edges to evade. His stick handling being caught up with his skating is an attribute few bigger players seem to have, so he is certainly ahead of the pack in that regard. 

Round 3, Pick 91; Louis-Felix Bourque, C

Up until this point in the draft, the Sens were betting on skill. Here, they are betting on size and grit with Bourque. He loves mucking it up around the edges and wins puck battles with his sheer size and domination. Of course, that does not always translate to the next level in the NHL, but he certainly has the talent, falling just short of the point-per-game mark in the Q last season. 

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Round 4, Pick 110; Elliott Lennon, G

Lennon is exactly what you want in a goaltender. Great vision in tracking pucks, technically sound between the pipes, and occasionally utilizes his paddle to break up plays in tight. The Senators just lost Mads Sogaard to free agency, and with Merilainen likely seeing NHL time, there is not as much left in the pipeline. In the fourth round, a goalie is always a good hedge to take. 

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Round 5, Pick 151; Harris Pangretitsch, RHD

A hulking defender, similar to what the Senators have drafted beyond the first round in recent years (a la Tyler Kleven), Pangretitsch brings a great shutdown defensive game with decent feet for a 6-4 18 year old. He plays a quiet game, and is not often noticed when he is out there, but in the best way possible. 

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Round 6, Pick 183; Alexander Grunin, LHD

Grunin reminds me a lot of Zdeno Chara. Not for the sheer size, but the incredible wingspan that often makes it hard for smaller forwards to blow past, making up for relatively slow foot speed compared to those players. Grunin is a 6-4 behemoth who makes his size known, similar to Pangretitsch.

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Off-Season Moves

Incoming (Years Remaining, AAV)

William Eklund – 3 Years, 5.6 Million

Andre Burakovsky – 1 Year, 5.5 Million

Samuel Ersson – 2 Years, 2.2 Million

Kasper Halttunen – 2 Years, 900k

Philip Tomasino – 1 Year, 900k

Ryan Suzuki – 1 Year, 850k

Christian Kyrou – 1 Year, 850k

Sammy Blais – 2 Years, 925k

Samuel Bolduc – 1 Year, 850k

Eskilde Bakke Olsen – 1 Year, 910k

Outgoing 

Brady Tkachuk

Lars Eller

Nick Jensen

Mads Sogaard

Dennis Gilbert

Lassi Thomson

Josh Rees

Re-Signed (Years Remaining, AAV)

Jordan Spence – 4 Years, 5 Million

Claude Giroux – 1 Year, 2 Million

Nick Cousins – 2 Years, 1.5875 Million (weird)

Leevi Merilainen – 1 Year, 1.1 Million

Stephen Halliday – 2 Years, 1.075 Million

Xavier Bourgault – 1 Year, 850k

Phillipe Daoust – 1 Year, 850k

Tyler Boucher – 1 Year, 850k

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In The System

Risers

Carter Yakemchuk, RHD

Yakemchuk made the jump to professional hockey in 2025-26, getting a cup of coffee with the Senators, but spent the majority of his season in Belleville. Reaching the ten-goal/40-point plateau, Yakemchuk passed his rookie season with flying colours. He looks more than ready to take on the challenge of being an every day player with the big club. 

Xavier Bourgault, C

Once a first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Bourgault has not lived up to the hype coming out of junior where he was a tremendous player who seemingly did not take another step. Prior to last season, he had an AHL career high of 34 points from his rookie season, and then capped out in the mid-20s for points. In his first season with AHL Belleville, Bourgault seemingly got back on track with a 25-goal campaign and 57 points. He earned a few games with the big club and is one to keep an eye on out of camp. He will likely never reach the first-line potential he had from junior, but he could still be an intriguing middle-six offensive player to help provide depth scoring for the Senators. 

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Fallers

Tyler Boucher, RW

There is nothing really new to add since he has continually frequented this list.

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Expected to Start in the NHL

Carter Yakemchuk

Stephen Halliday

Likely to See NHL Action

Kasper Halttunen

Leevi Merilainen

Ryan Suzuki

Christian Kyrou

Xavier Bourgault

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Top 20 Prospects

This section is intended to paint a picture of the Ottawa Senators prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.

1. Carter Yakemchuk
2. Logan Hensler
3. Kasper Halttunen
4. Jonas Lagerberg Hoen
5. Leevi Merilainen
6. Ryan Suzuki
7. Christian Kyrou
8. Stephen Halliday
9. Tomas Hamara
10. Xavier Bourgault
11. Jaxon Cover
12. Blake Montgomery
13. Luke Ellinas
14. Javon Moore
15. Tyler Boucher
16. Oskar Pettersson
17. Hoyt Stanley
18. Blake Vanek
19. Filip Nordberg
20. Elliott Lennon

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Make sure to check out the Ottawa Senators team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/ottawa-senators/

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Final Thoughts

The Senators are in a weird spot right now. After making the postseason in back to back years, the tides are rising around them in the Atlantic division. Everyone around them seemingly got better this off-season (except Detroit, sorry Mo-Town). But make no mistake, they changed their identity, maybe for the better. With William Eklund joining the squad, it feels more in tune with what they have sketched out with Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson and the new franchise cornerstones. And it certainly does not hurt having the veteran depth they have along with some decent contracts. It will be a battle to get back into the playoffs for a third straight year, but it is within reach… if their new identity is true to who they actually are. 

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Sean Crocker