Ottawa Senators Prospect of the Week – Stephen Halliday

Halliday was back at it as Bellville hosted the Manitoba Moose for a back-to-back series on Feb. 26 and 28. In the first game, with the score tied 1-1, Halliday picked up a pass from Filip Roos while on the power play and drove to the middle of the offensive zone. However, he couldn’t find a shooting lane, so he spun around to look for a passing option. The Moose began to pile on the pressure and almost forced him off the puck, but he kicked it ahead to maintain possession and finally found Reinhardt off on the right side, who sent it across to Garrett Pilon, who fired home the goal. Once again, although Halliday didn’t get the goal or even the primary assist, the whole sequence was orchestrated by the big center’s efforts.

Unfortunately, Belleville lost their first matchup against the Moose in overtime, so retribution was on the team’s mind in their second matchup. However, the Senators once again gave up the first goal, putting them at an early disadvantage. Yet that seems to be Halliday’s specialty, and midway through the second period, Halliday squared up in front of the net to screen the Moose’s goalie. He got a good pass from Jeremy Davies, but instead of shooting, he just popped the puck in front of him while maintaining the screen, allowing Philippe Daoust to snipe an easy goal to tie the game. Belleville went on to win 5-3, and while Halliday didn’t get back on the scoresheet, his play showed a high level of creativity and selflessness to create a scoring opportunity.

Finally, on March 1, the Senators took on the Laval Rocket, one of the best teams in the AHL this season. The game went off the rails early, and Belleville went down 4-0 by the end of the second. But when the puck was coughed up into the corner in the Rocket’s zone, Halliday was there, fighting for possession. Just like against Cleveland, he won the battle and whipped it out to centre ice where Jorian Donovan caught it and fired it by the goalie for his first AHL goal.

In each instance, Halliday wasn’t the star of the play, but his efforts were instrumental in creating the scoring chance. He used his size and strength to protect the puck and maintain control, which also gave him time to survey for where his teammates were. That’s when his playmaking instincts kicked in, and he found the perfect angles to send the puck for the best chance at scoring. If he can keep that up, he’ll be a very effective NHL player. Not bad for a fourth-round pick.

Senators Honourable Mentions & Check-Ins

Dorion wasn’t the only rookie to get his first AHL goal. In the previous game, Djibril Toure scored his first goal. The big defenceman joined the Senators as a free agent ahead of the 2023-24 season, but after turning pro, he was sent to the ECHL’s Orlando Sun Bears. He didn’t make his AHL debut until after Christmas, but in his first game, he put up two assists and has remained with Belleville for most of their games since. The points haven’t come as easy since then, but he’s been a solid addition to the bottom pair and is making strides every game.

Although he might not be considered a prospect anymore, Lassi Thomson had a big game last week, scoring a hat trick on Feb. 25. The Senators’ 2019 first-round pick struggled to find his place with the organization, and after three seasons of bouncing up and down and showing little progress, he signed in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with the Malmo Redhawks. He’s looked much more confident since his departure and has 16 goals and 28 points in 46 games. Since Ottawa still owns his rights, the 24-year-old right-shot defenceman could return to the NHL in the future, especially if he continues to thrive offensively.

To round out this group of defencemen, Matthew Andonovski had another strong week, putting up a goal and three points in three games. After scoring 32 points in 65 games last season, the Kitchener Rangers’ captain hasn’t had as strong of an offensive season and is on pace to finish with just 20 points. It doesn’t help that his former defensive partner Hunter Brzustewicz left for the AHL this season and was replaced with the far less offensive Carson Campbell, but the two have become a solid shutdown pair and are utilized in all situations. That’s better for Andonovski’s overall development, anyway, and combined with his leadership abilities and physicality, he is on track to becoming a reliable third-pairing NHL defender.

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