PROSPECTS MAKING GOOD IMPRESSION
While rookie tournament important test, training camp will tell more about players
The Ottawa Senators had some pretty strong talent sitting in the stands Monday night at the CAA Arena.
As the three-team rookie tourney wrapped up with a second game against the Winnipeg Jets, top prospects Logan Brown, Drake Batherson, Vitaly Abramov and Erik Brannstrom — four players who could play a big role for Ottawa in the future — were all given the night off as they prepare for the opening of Senators’ training camp Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre.
While they suited up for an 8-1 victory over the Jets on Friday and a 4-2 win Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens rookies, general manager Pierre Dorion and the rest of the hockey staff didn’t see any sense risking setbacks with injuries because all four have an opportunity to push for jobs in Ottawa this season.
“This tournament is a good starting point and then they can build up going into (the main) camp,” said Senators chief amateur scout Trent Mann while taking in Monday’s optional morning skate. “Now that this is done, they’ve got to pick it up and take it to another level.”
The Senators were pleased with the way their younger prospects performed during this tourney and that bodes well for the organization when the battle for jobs begins in earnest with Friday’s first on-ice session.
In the two games, Abramov, Brown, Batherson and Erik Brannstrom all had flashes of brilliance to make a difference.
The reality is they should shine at a rookie tourney, but it gives them confidence they can compete at this level going into camp as well.
“They’re young kids, so there’s parts of their games where you’re always looking for them to take another step but they’re not perfect and that’s why they’re here,”
When you watch the game, it’s obvious they’re at another level, and that’s how it should be …
said Mann. “But, for the most part, look at guys like Brown and Batherson, as far as the teams that were here, they’re two of the best players here and they’re knocking on the door to play in the NHL.
“When you watch the game, it’s obvious they’re at another level, and that’s how it should be because when you play in the American Hockey League, you have to work your way through it. Brannstrom is kind of the same position as Brown and Batherson, he’s knocking on the door, and then we’ll see what the other guys do in main camp.
“As far as high-end guys, it was pretty clear in this tournament they’re ready to compete for
NHL jobs.”
And that’s what the Senators wanted to see they arrived here. This is a tourney where your best players have to be your best players and you want them to separate themselves from the rest of the group. That was the case with this group.
“They should be leading the way and if they weren’t, maybe you’d walk away from here a little bit disappointed,” Mann said. “But that’s not the case here. We won those two games with those guys and they were some of the best players on the ice for the most part. Now, they’ll move on and get going on Thursday and, hopefully, push. That’s what we’ve talked about before, (they want players) to keep pushing from underneath to see if they can take jobs from the guys above them.”
This will be Brown’s best opportunity to make the team, but he won’t be kept if it’s as the fourth-line centre because it will hamper his development.
“I find that Logan’s skating has improved over the last 12 months, his tracking coming back is better. He has NHL skills and I think he’s grown as a player,” said Mann. “He’s a big body and that’s the part where we have to be patient and he has to be patient as well. He’s six-foot-six and those kids take a little time to be able to get their body to a point where they want it to be. I see growth in his game and he’s going to push for a job in Ottawa.”
As for Batherson, he has the chance to try to play on the top two lines on the right side.
“He’ll have to show right away (in camp) that he can score with whoever he’s playing with and he has to push to be one of those guys where they coaches are saying we can’t afford to send this guy down to the minors, he’s got to stay here and be an offensive guy for us,” Mann said.
“He’s close, he has the skill, there’s no doubt about that, on the right side somebody has to pick up the offence and Drake has the ability and now it’s can he play the whole game where the coach will be able to trust him for those minutes?”
Now, that the rookie tourney is over, the kids need to show they deserve a chance at the next level during training camp.