What Should the Ottawa Senators Do With Their Draft Picks?

Because the Ottawa Senators haven’t been part of the NHL’s postseason restart, it’s easy to lose track of them. In fact, we haven’t done an update on the team here at NHL TradeTalk.com for quite a while. And, it’s about time.

The Senators general manager Pierre completed some wise trades before the trade deadline and, as a result, the Senators are set up nicely for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. In this post, I’ll try to help Senators fans keep up with news and rumors about what the team might do with its upcoming draft picks.

Related: Ottawa Senators News & Rumors: Pinto, Chabot, Hogberg, COVID-19 Positive Tests

Item One: It’s Time to Be Excited Given the Senators’ 2020 Draft Picks

There’s no doubt that Senators fans should look forward to the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. During the draft lottery, the Senators received the third and fifth choices of the draft. That prompted Senators general manager Pierre Dorion to note,

“When you look at all the players in the last three to five years that have gone in the Top 5, the Senators having the opportunity to take two of (similar caliber) is very exciting. These players have a chance to play as early as next year pending that their development is on the right path, but we are not going to rush these players. I think we are very excited about that and I think our fans should be very excited about that too.”

Obviously, for Senators fans that have lived through the team’s rebuild, it’s exciting. If the team drafts wisely – perhaps even if it doesn’t – the 2020 Draft could move the team a long way forward in its rebuilding plans. 

Item Two: Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk Says the Team Won’t Trade These Draft Picks

Ottawa owner Eugene Melnyk said that the Senators won’t move their third and fifth picks in the 2020 Draft. In fact, recent rumors were that there was chatter in the hockey world that the Senators would try to package these two picks and move them for the number one. However, Melnyk noted that such a move would be nonsense and the team wouldn’t entertain it.

Melnyk noted that the Senators were going to be able to draft two really good players at numbers three and five and that it didn’t make sense to the organization to consider moving up to number one (even if the Rangers would consider such a plan) just to select Alexis Lafreniere. 

As Melnyk noted, “The idea of trading our 3rd and 5th picks for the No. 1 pick is nonsensical. We’re very excited to welcome our many new Ottawa Senators that will come to us via the upcoming draft.” (from “The Ottawa Senators won’t be moving their No. 3 and No. 5 selections, Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Sun, 08/17/20)

Item Three: The Senators Officially Receive the New York Islanders #1 Draft Pick for 2020

When the Senators made the Jean-Gabriel Pageau trade with the New York Islanders just before the trade deadline, the team was to receive the Islanders’ first-round pick for the 2020 Draft. However, that pick was conditional if it were in the top-three draft picks. However, when the Islanders advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs by beating the Florida Panthers in their best-of-five play-in series, the condition is no longer in effect and the Senators officially received the first-round pick.

As a result of the #Islanders beating the Panthers and moving on to the playoffs, the Ottawa #Senators will now receive NY's 2020 1st RD pick as part of the J-G Pageau trade.

Sens now officially have 3 picks in the first RD of this years entry draft.https://t.co/uDE2RpiVJq pic.twitter.com/IvrwCv5bJp

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) August 7, 2020

The Senators also received the Islanders second round pick in 2020 as well as a conditional third rounder in 2021. That pick would turn into a 2020 pick if the Islanders win the Stanley Cup this season.

Related: Ottawa Senators’ Shane Pinto After a Great Season at the University of North Dakota

What’s Next for the Senators?

So, in a nutshell, the Senators have landed the third and the fifth draft picks in this year’s 2020 Entry Draft. Part of it was that the Islanders really valued Pageau and, for those who care, Pageau has had a decent 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs this season scoring three goals and two assists in seven games.

Because the draft is seen to be “deep,” with those picks the Senators will likely be able to draft two very good players – perhaps even NHL ready. Already, the Senators are a team with a number of really strong young prospects in the system.

Perhaps that’s a reason why they are saying they aren’t interested in considering trading up for Alexis Lafreniere. Instead, the New York Rangers have that chance.