Ottawa Senators Prospect of the Week: Cole Reinhardt

Next season went much better for Reinhardt. He doubled his offensive production, scoring 15 goals and tallying 30 points over 70 games, but his point-per-game (PPG) rate stayed roughly the same, increasing from 0.37 PPG to 0.43 PPG. Still, he was proving to be a valuable depth player and complemented Sokolov well, so, following a slough of injuries and illnesses, the Senators called him up for his NHL debut on April 7, 2022. He played eight-and-a-half minutes, threw two hits, and had one penalty, but overall looked nervous and overwhelmed, which was not surprising.

What was surprising was that Reinhardt didn’t get a single game over the next two seasons. His AHL production remained consistent with back-to-back seasons of roughly half a PPG and a goal about one every six games. It seemed as though he’d found his niche as an effective bottom-six AHL forward with a solid defensive game. Senators general manager Steve Staios reinforced that belief when he signed him to a one-year, two-way extension over the 2024 offseason, saying, “Cole continues to showcase very good skating ability. In combination with his size, he’s become an important penalty killer. He’s a good defensive player and one we expect to take another step forward in his overall development in 2024-25.”

Setting the Bar High in the Preseason

Staios’ belief in Reinhardt’s development was well placed. In the preseason, the 6-foot-1 forward put up two goals on six shots and two assists in five games, and his four points tied Jenik and Noah Gregor’s production. But Reinhardt took his game a step further, winning three of his four faceoffs, throwing six hits, drawing two penalties, and completing two takeaways. He also finished his five games with a 2.94 expected goals against and was better defensively than Thomas Chabot and Gregor.

There were a few minor issues that kept him out of the Senators’ lineup once the preseason concluded, but Reinhardt took it all in stride. In his first game in the AHL, he had a goal and an assist on two shots, and although he was held off the scoresheet in his second game, he stormed back in his third. Just 10 minutes into the game, Reinhardt already had a goal and two assists, and although he didn’t get back onto the scoresheet, he finished the game plus-2, which earned him the first star of the night. No other player has been more impactful for Belleville this season, and Ottawa recognized his efforts by calling up for their game against the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday, Oct 22. Although he didn’t play and was sent down right after, it was a clear statement – keep doing what you’re doing, and more chances will come.

Honourable Mentions & Updates

Several prospects got off to hot starts with Belleville. Ostapchuk matched Reinhardt’s production, putting up a goal and two assists, but did so over two games and racked up 13 shots. He now sits tied for second in team scoring alongside captain Garrett Pilon, who led the team with 47 points last season. However, his best skill is shutting down opponents’ top lines, which he did effectively at the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championship. After a strong preseason, there was a good argument that he could have made the team, and should a spot open up on the bottom six up due to injury or trade, he’ll likely be one of the first names called.

Sticking in the AHL, Mads Sogaard had a great start to his season, posting a .964 save percentage and a 0.92 goals against average, prompting a call-up to the NHL to fill in for the injured Linus Ullmark. However, his lone appearance saw him allow four goals on 17 shots, resulting in a change of goaltenders midway through the game. He was returned to Belleville on Sunday, Oct. 20, and started that night’s game against the Syracuse Crunch, turning away 13 of 15 shots against, but a third period scramble left the 6-foot-7 goalie with a lower body injury. With Leevi Merilainen now serving as Ullmark’s replacement set to return to the crease this week, Sogaard is expected to return to the crease sometime this week.

Last week’s Prospect of the Week, Eerik Wallenius, was a bit slower last week, posting just one assist in his last two games in Finland’s U20 league, SM-sarja. He’s still having a great season for a defenceman with three goals and 10 points in 13 games, but he might be sliding into a more sustainable pace. Yakemchuk, our first Prospect of the Week, is ramping up with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. After one goal in his first two games, he scored two goals and three assists in his next two, making him the highest-scoring defender on the team despite playing half the number of games. He was always expected to have a dominant season, but he may already be surpassing expectations.

Tune in next week to see which prospect stood above the rest!