Sens prospect earns blue-chip billing in Buffalo

Batherson’s breakout at world juniors prepares him for step up to NHL ranks

A big performance on a big stage can mean a lot to a junior hockey player’s career.

There was no shortage of talk about Drake Batherson’s threegoal effort for Canada in a 7-2 victory over the Czech Republic in Thursday’s world junior hockey championship semifinal, and the hope was the Ottawa Senators’ fourth-round pick in 2017 would be wearing a gold-medal smile on Saturday morning.

While Batherson, 19, had already turned some heads with his efforts in the tournament in Buffalo, he had also moved into the role of blue-chip prospect with seven goals for Canada going into Friday night’s final against Sweden.

A solid effort at the world junior championship can create a lot of confidence. For proof of that, look no further than Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot, who was a star for Canada in last year’s tournament in Toronto and Montreal.

“It does a lot,” Chabot said Friday before facing the San Jose Sharks in an National Hockey League game at Canadian Tire Centre. “When you step into that tournament, you’re always excited because you know it’s a big tournament and you always want to perform your best. Especially playing for Canada, it’s always more special.

“For the guys going back to their season, it’s going to be different after having a great tournament. He had a great season before even going to that tournament, so going back to (the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League), it’s going to help him be even more confident. He knows he’s a great player now. Coming here next year, it’s going to be good for him.”

Senators head coach Guy Boucher praised the work of chief scout Trent Mann and his staff for being able to get players such as Batherson and Alex Formenton (London of the Ontario Hockey League) in last year’s draft.

“It’s huge,” Boucher said. “I’ve lived it (in 2009 in Ottawa). We’ve won the gold. We’ve had (John) Tavares, (Jordan) Eberle and those guys go on to play in NHL. Those players all draw from having success under such pressure.

“Let’s not kid ourselves. Being Hockey Canada, people say it’s a lot of fun, but it’s pressure, pressure, pressure, and it’s great because that’s what makes you grow and it makes you learn how to deal with it. When you have success with it, it really puts you in the right frame of mind for the next step, which is the NHL and pro level.

“It gives you confidence that, at your age level, you’re one of the better players in the world. Your self-esteem, your confidence level is impacted, and it gives you a look at the next level because, when you play junior, it’s a certain level, but when you play the world juniors, it’s a big jump in calibre.”

According to TSN, Batherson likely won’t be returning to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles when the tournament is over.

It’s expected he’ll be dealt to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, where he’ll play for former NHLer Joel Bouchard.

SMITH GETTING INTEREST

The Senators were happy to get forward Zack Smith back from injury, but he’ll be a subject of interest before the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 26.

Seemingly all the talk has surrounded the future of winger Mike Hoffman, because the Senators have had lots of calls about the high-scoring winger. Make no mistake, though, Smith is a valuable commodity, too, and several teams have inquired about him.

With a cap hit of US$3.25 million through 2020-21, there are many teams looking for the type of grit Smith provides.

He isn’t afraid to play with an edge, and if the Senators do decide to retool, then he’s the type of player who could bring a prospect plus a draft pick in return.

There are teams in the Western Conference, including the Calgary Flames, who wouldn’t mind adding a guy like Smith.

THE LAST WORDS

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion, who attended the world junior championship before returning Friday, told TSN radio in Buffalo there were a number of issues with his struggling club, including goaltending. “It’s a bunch of things,” Dorion said. “Obviously, we’re not getting the level of goaltending we had last year, and that’s not just on the goalies. It’s the whole team sometimes giving up quality scoring chances. We’re not scoring as much as we were last year, and we seem to find a way to lose more, where last year we were finding ways to win.” … Hoffman will suit up for his 300th NHL game when the Senators face the Lightning on Saturday night … Giving up the first goal 21 times this season has made life difficult for the Senators. “First of all, it’s confidence,” Boucher said. “You have more of a tendency to be on the attack rather than be on your heels. You know, if you get scored on, you’re another goal away, and when it’s two, the mountain starts to get bigger. When you’re a confident team, you’re a lot stronger because you know you’ll get it back. Because it’s been tougher, that confidence you have to rebuild.”