Ottawa Senators’ 2025 Draft Class: Reaction & Analysis

It’s also fair to say that Hensler was the best player on the board. TSN’s Bob McKenzie ranked him 15th on his final ranking, and Staios admitted that he didn’t go into the draft seeking a right-shot defenceman; it just sort of happened. “You watch your draft list unfold, but this was a really good player sitting there with Hensler at our pick,” said the Senators GM. “I guess if it’s a toss-up between maybe a winger and a right-shot defenceman, you’d probably lean towards that just because of the value and how hard it is to find.”

As for Hensler’s game, he models it after a player very familiar to the Senators. “Funny enough, Jake Sanderson,” he said following the selection. “I think we have very good skating. I (try) to take how simple and efficient he is. Overall, he’s an elite defenceman. That’s a goal I’m chasing. I think I can reach it.”

The Senators weren’t the only ones happy with their pick. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler was also a fan, leading him to label Ottawa as one of his winners for Day 1 of the draft. Here’s what he had to say about the selection:

“Hensler, once viewed as a potential top-10 prospect in this class, has the skating, talent and tools as a 6-foot-2/3 right-shot D to develop into a top-four defenseman in the NHL and was my top-ranked D on the board when the Sens took him — after moving back and adding draft capital in the process. He needs to play firmer and commanding on both sides of the puck at times, but that’s a mental thing that the Senators likely believe he can grow into. I’ve comped him to the Damon Severson/Brady Skjei profile of a player who can give you 30-40 points, play in the top four on their teams and can contribute on both special teams but have never elevated to true PP1/PK1/first-pairing studs and are paid accordingly…I expect Hensler to take charge more next season and Wisconsin and take a step, and like the pick.”

Scott Wheeler (from “Winners and losers from 2025 NHL Draft first round: Islanders get an impressive haul,” The Athletic – 27/06/2025)

So, although it wasn’t my first choice, Hensler is by no means a bad pick and should look very good in a Senators uniform in the near future.

Round 3, 96th Overall – Blake Vanek, RW, Chicago Steel (USHL)

The Senators added an additional third-round pick after moving down to select Hensler, but they didn’t use that to select a player; instead, they sent it to the Los Angeles Kings along with a 2026 third-round pick for right-shot defenceman Jordan Spence. With their remaining third-round pick, they sent it to the Washington Capitals to move up three spots to grab forward Blake Vanek, the son of former NHLer Thomas Vanek. While he wasn’t ranked higher than the sixth round, the Senators felt that he was an asset worth trading up for.

“There’s a lot to like about him,” said scout Dan Boeser. “He’s a young kid, he’s got an August birthday close to next year’s draft. There is a lot of runway with him. He comes from a hockey family with his dad. That’s a piece that we like. He’s been around the game, he knows the game, and he’s a big body – 6-foot-2 and a half – that still has a lot of room in that frame. He had a really unique experience of making a deep run in the Minnesota high school tournament, which is a really important experience for those kids in that area, and then dipped his toes into the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he was impressive. It’s not easy to step into that league, especially at the end of the year. He’s a powerful kid. Gonna be a big man when he’s all done. He competes, he can shoot the puck, he scores in the dirty areas, so there’s a lot to like about him.”

“I’m totally pumped to be an Ottawa Senator,” Vanek said. “It’s a dream come true to be drafted in the NHL. I’m a bigger-framed guy, and I try to become a power forward as much as I can. I try to use my shot as much as I can as well” (from “A look at who the Ottawa Senators selected in the 2025 NHL draft,” Ottawa Citizen – 28/06/2025).

All of that sounds a lot like Blake Montgomery last year, who left the USHL to join the London Knights this season, where he put up 50 points in 51 games before helping the Knights claim a Memorial Cup. Vanek won’t wait to join the major junior ranks, though, as he’s already set to play for the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Wenatchee Wild. That should serve the burgeoning power forward well, as the WHL is known for its tough play.

Round 4, 97th Overall – Lucas Beckman, G, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)

Head scout Don Boyd mentioned before the draft that it was likely that the Senators selected a goalie this year, and they ended up with two. The first came in the fourth round with Lucas Beckman out of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He was a goalie I targeted to help address their goaltending depth in the later rounds. His .914 save percentage (SV%) ranked seventh in the QMJHL and led the league with 31 wins in 52 starts.

Recruit goaltending scout Daniel Tiffany was another big fan of the Quebec-based goalie, writing, “Beckman is very fluid in the net. His movements are calculated, smooth, and he doesn’t seem to ever overplay situations. He reacts well to first shots and has the footwork to make quick recoveries to get into position for second saves. Beckman kind of resembles the typical Canadian goaltender for me at this point. Technically sound, very methodical, not super reliant on athleticism, but makes the saves needed to help his team.”

Beckman will return to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for 2025-26, where he’ll look to start another 50-plus games.

Round 5, 149th Overall – Dmitri Isayev, LW, Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)

Seemingly responding to criticisms that the Senators only take big guys, the team rolled the dice on their fifth-round pick, grabbing 5-foot-9 Dmitri Isayev from Russia’s junior league (MHL), making him the first Russian drafted by the Senators since 2005. While not a well-known prospect heading into the draft, the diminutive winger caught a few eyes as a high-risk/high-reward player. The Hockey Writers‘ Alessandro Seren Rosso wrote in his draft profile, “A very gifted player with strong acceleration and excellent skating, Isayev excels with the puck on his blade and plenty of space in front of himself. That is pretty much his strong and weak point together: as flashy as he can be in the offensive zone, especially on quick counterattacks, there isn’t really too much else in his game, mostly due to his tiny build.”

In the MHL, Isayev put up 22 goals and 45 points in 44 games, the third-highest total among U18 players in the league, just behind Montreal Canadiens’ second-rounder Alexander Zharovsky and 2026 draft-eligible Nikita Koltsov. He also snuck into some Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) games this season, just one of eight U18 players to do so, playing three games with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. He only averaged about two minutes per game, but saw some time on the power play. Those totals aren’t that dissimilar from Nikita Kucherov or Artemi Panarin at the same age, and if Ottawa has the patience to let him develop in Russia or convinces him to join a major junior team, he could end up being a real steal.

Round 6, 181st Overall – Bruno Idzan, LW, Lincoln Stars (USHL)

After taking their first Russian in 20 years, the Senators selected the first Croatian to ever be taken in the NHL Draft in Bruno Idzan, a second-year eligible winger. He began the season in his home country, but left to join the USHL’s Lincoln Stars in December. Over the next 36 games, he was one of the Stars’ most productive players, scoring 22 goals and putting up 44 points, then led the team with three goals in six playoff games. He’s off to join Hensler, Montgomery, and 2022 seventh-round pick Tyson Dyck at Wisconsin next season.

Dobber Prospects’ Luke Sweeney wrote that Idzan’s best attribute is that “…he thinks the game at a high level. As a trailer, he’ll drift into the zone lackadaisically, only to arrive in the perfect time and space to receive a pass. He’s adept at disappearing into coverage and at getting to his spots. He might not be the flashiest or most exciting, but after another year of development with the University of Wisconsin and some time with an NHL development team, he could become a super effective bottom-six option.”

Round 7, 213th Overall – Andrei Trofimov, G, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)

The Senators used their final pick to select overage Russian goalie Andrei Trofimov. A positionally strong goalie, he put up a .929 SV% and three shutouts in the MHL over 26 starts, which was higher than the Carolina Hurricanes’ second-round pick, Semyon Frolov. There were members of the Senators’ scouting staff who were big fans of his, and with him still on the board in the seventh round, they took their chance.

Although not as well known as Frolov or Pyotr Andreyanov, Trofimov has a lot of the same characteristics as those other two netminders, and those who had seen him play were vocal about his upside. Gabriel Foley of Recruit Scouting wrote in his midterm ranking, “Trofimov is a very technically sound goaltender. All of his movements are correct. His angles are great. He makes saves confidently and doesn’t allow rebounds. And he’s generally pretty athletic, though he’s not overwhelmingly quick. That’s really his biggest knock. He’s missing an overwhelming ability to pull together a very well-rounded package. But that’s not an inherent flaw in goalies – and Trofimov seems to have every ounce of sharp mental, smooth athletics, and genuine size to fill a strong role in net. He has a ton of upside, and I imagine would be a very exciting player for one of the league’s top goalie rooms to get a chance to develop.”

Trofimov could be a hidden gem along the lines of Vladimir Nikitin and Leevi Merilainen, who had strong junior numbers before coming to North America and are two of the best goalie prospects in the Senators’ system. Trofimov will remain in Russia for the time being, and while there’s no guarantee he comes to Ottawa, he’s one to keep an eye on.

A Well-Rounded Draft Class

The Senators entered the draft with a weaker prospect pool, and according to some, they may not have moved the needle that much in terms of top-line potential, but what they did get was a group of players that addresses every area. They added two intriguing goalies, three talented scorers who play with speed and skill, and a competent, two-way defenceman who may be closer to playing in the NHL than projected. The picks are arguably riskier, but there’s always a chance that a boom-or-bust prospect hits. That’s what the Senators are banking on with their 2025 class.

But maybe the biggest takeaway from this class was the Senators’ willingness to break routine. After criticism that they targeted big players, they added the 5-foot-9 Isayev and two goalies considered smaller (somehow, 6-foot-2 is a small goalie, but I digress). They also went with Russians for the first time in years, plus a Croatian who spent most of his career in a nation with little support for hockey. “Draft the player, not the passport,” Staios said of the selections. That should tell us that the Senators were truly looking at who they thought was the best player available and not sticking with safe selections. There should be no question that Staios has assembled a good team of scouts that will support his team as they push for a playoff spot next season.