Sens drafting, development paying off big dividends

Understandably, the focus of the Ottawa Senators has been on catching the playoff pack.

Whether they get there or not over the next four weeks, a step back from the pursuit reveals a good news story that could last long beyond the 2015 wild card chase.

It can’t be emphasized enough that the Senators program of drafting and developing players is paying serious dividends. Consider, as a recent example, the Ottawa goal scorers from Thursday’s inspired, come-frombehind, 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

Defenceman and captain Erik Karlsson, the Senators’ first-round pick in 2008 and established as a world-class player, scored two of the five goals. Erik Condra, a seventh-round pick in 2006, scored that huge tying goal near the end of period two (after J.G. Pageau, a 2011 fourth-round pick did all the heavy lifting). It was a career-high ninth goal for Condra, who was a healthy scratch 12 times early in the season, his rise from the ashes being just another twist in this crazy campaign.

Mark Stone, a sixth-round Ottawa pick in 2010 (hey, you kids out there, it doesn’t matter what round you’re drafted in ...), scored his 17th of the season.

And the final goal went to Marc Methot, a former Ottawa Sting defenceman drafted by Columbus but brought home to the Nation’s Capital by Senators general manager Bryan Murray, part of his program of tapping local produce.

Murray’s other emphasis, and he has said it often this season, is “going young.” Boy, is that ever on. And partly by accident. The organization didn’t arrange for a handful of veterans to get injured so the youth of the team could gain precious experience, it just worked out that way.

Minus veteran forwards Clarke MacArthur, Chris Neil and Zack Smith, plus defenceman Chris Phillips and goaltenders Craig Anderson (now back) and Robin Lehner, all out with injuries, a slew of prospects have flourished in expanded roles.

Goaltender Andrew Hammond and Pageau spent the first half or more of the season in AHL Binghamton. Today, could anyone imagine the late season push without these two?

Stone, who had an OK first half, is merely the NHL’s hottest rookie scorer in the calendar year, with nine goals between Jan.4March 12.

Centre Mika Zibanejad, another young player with career-high numbers, has similarly shone since early December.

Curtis Lazar and Matt Puempel both scored career-first NHL goals this season. And the third line of Pageau, Condra and Lazar has symbolized the energetic push of the Senators from Feb. 10 on (11-2-2).

In fact, virtually all of Ottawa’s current offence is generated by 20-somethings. Heading into Friday night’s game on Long Island, four of the top five Senators point-producers were 25 and under.

Karlsson, 25, led all Senators in points with 53.

Bobby Ryan, the old man of the bunch at 27 (28 on St. Patrick’s Day), was next with 49.

Kyle Turris, 25, had 45 points. Stone, 22, was next at 44. Mike Hoffman, 25, but an NHL rookie, had 42 points.

It’s the same story with the snipers. Five of Ottawa’s top six goal-scorers are 25 or younger. Hoffman led with 24 goals, prior to the Islanders game. Karlsson was up to 18, ahead of Ryan, Zibanejad and Stone, all with 17. Turris had 16.

These are the players, along with the aforementioned checkers, who have been driving the bus on this ride.

On the blueline, the Senators don’t have a single defenceman on their current active roster that has hit 30 years of age, an astounding development considering the tried-and-true NHL formula of mixing veterans with younger defenceman. Methot turns 30 in the summer. The other six healthy D-men are all 26 or younger, from Eric Gryba (26), to Karlsson, Cody Ceci (21), Jared Cowen (24), Mark Borowiecki (25) and Patrick Wiercioch (24).

Of course, the goaltender who has made all of this happy talk possible is a 27-year-old rookie named Andrew Hammond.

The play of Hammond (8-0-1) combined with the support of his mostly younger cast has rescued what had been a very disappointing season through to the NHL All-Star break.

The subsequent months have not only put a different spin on the season, it has made for some interesting decisions to be made by Murray and his management team.

The Senators have several veteran players on injured reserve — and a few more that are active — with contracts extending through next season. Who stays and who goes? Murray is not likely to buy out any veteran contracts, but would look to make a trade or two if he could tie them to an interesting piece coming this way.

Will there be a goaltending trade because of the surprising play of Hammond?

There is sure to be a lot on the table whenever this season ends.

In the meantime there are meaningful games on the horizon, including Sunday’s at home against the Philadelphia Flyers.