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Blake Vanek, Calgary Hitmen (photo credit: Rick Elvin)

Ottawa Senators Prospect Spotlight: Blake Vanek

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Dayton Reimer | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 10:55 AM ET

Although there will be no Ottawa Senators hockey for over two weeks, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any Senators to watch. Apart from the six players competing at the Olympic hockey tournament in Milan, the team’s prospects will still be hard at work, trying to secure playoff spots and make their mark in their junior leagues.

So, with the roster freeze in effect and no Senators’ games until the 24th, let’s take a look at some of the team’s top prospects, starting with the organization’s lone prospect in the Western Hockey League (WHL), Blake Vanek.

It’s been an interesting season for the Senators’ 2026 third-round pick. After leaving the United States Hockey League (USHL), he joined the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild and was later traded to the Calgary Hitmen in January. So far this season, he has 23 points in 52 games, which isn’t near the same pace he was on when he was in high school. But in the Hitmen’s recent stop in Saskatoon, I got to see firsthand why the Senators were so excited about this prospect.

Vanek’s Career So Far

Vanek rose to prominence last season while playing with Stillwater High in Minnesota. Unranked on Central Scouting’s Midterm List, he jumped up to 146th on the Final Ranking after putting up 22 goals and 53 points in 29 games and finishing as runners-up for the state title. Combined with his impressive 6-foot-3, 209-pound frame and his NHL All-Star father, Thomas Vanek, he had the makings of a home-run draft pick. The Senators agreed, selecting him higher than expected in the third round of the 2026 Draft.

Although Vanek played nine games in the USHL with the Chicago Steel and six with the U.S. National Team, he decided to travel west to join the Wenatchee Wild of the WHL. Initially drafted by the Vancouver Giants, his rights were acquired at the 2025 WHL Trade Deadline for veteran Kenta Isogai. “He was a player we wanted to have in our organization due to his innate athleticism, game sense, and ability to produce offensively,” said Wild director of scouting Leigh Mendelson.

Unfortunately, the Wild were one of the weakest teams in the WHL, making Vanek’s first foray into the more competitive league more challenging. In his first 12 games, he had just three assists, but as he gained more confidence, his offensive side began to show up more regularly. By January, he had eight goals and 18 points in 37 games.

Given his size and skill, the Hitmen decided to bring Vanek into their organization while they pushed for first place in the Eastern Conference. “Blake is a talented offensive player that matches our style of play. He possesses size, skill and speed and we are excited to add him to our forward group,” said Hitmen General Manager Garry Davidson. In Calgary, he’s primarily been deployed on the third line and has five goals in 15 games.

Vanek’s Strengths

Vanek is a prototypical power forward who uses his size and strength to create space and find scoring opportunities. When the Hitmen were on the attack, he made a beeline to the front of the net, looking to create screens and pounce on rebounds. He possesses good vision and tracking and was constantly looking to jump on a loose puck to create a scoring opportunity. Blades goalie Evan Gardner doesn’t give up many juicy rebounds, but Vanek was ready for any hint of weakness, and he had the speed to get to the puck before any of the Blades’ defenders.

Vanek’s skating makes him especially effective in the offensive zone. He hustled to get into the zone and block the goalie as soon as possible, and when a puck did jump out, he was the first to grab it and carry it into the corner or behind the net. That put him against some big defencemen, but he showed surprising strength and balance when pushed. Once he planted his feet, he wasn’t going anywhere.

Vanek has a good shot, too, although he didn’t get too many chances to use it against the Blades. “I try to be as much of a power forward as I can,” he said at Senators development camp in July. “I want to say my shots better than him, but (that) might be a little cocky.”

Blake’s father was more of a pure sniper, which helped him become the highest scorer in Sioux Falls Stampede history and finish his NHL career with 373 goals in 1029 games. Vanek’s more physical, in-your-face style likely won’t lead to those same accolades, but if he continues to add aspects of his father’s game to his, he has the potential to become an incredibly dangerous forward.

Improvements to Make

Throughout the game against the Blades, Vanek wasn’t as physical as one would expect of someone his size. He didn’t shy away from contact, but he also didn’t look for opportunities to throw a big hit in the corner to try to regain puck possession. I found myself wishing he were a bit more aggressive when pursuing the puck and in the defensive end, especially when facing the Blades’ aggressive 18-year-old, Zach Olsen.

Vanek has admitted that he needs to work on the physical side of the game. “I think as you keep going up the ranks from high school to junior to pros, it keeps getting more physical. So just adding that physicality to my game will help out.”

Throughout the game, Vanek showed off some great puck protection skills and stickhandling, but he rarely carried the puck into the offensive zone. The few times I saw him get the puck first were followed almost immediately by a short pass to a teammate. He seemed entirely focused on his role as a net-front presence, which limited his effectiveness in transition. There were also a few times when he was caught flat-footed in transition, which put him behind the play.

Both issues are likely connected to confidence and comfort. Vanek has already matured significantly since arriving in the WHL; in Wenatchee, he often focused more on highlight-reel plays, but has been more than happy to make simple plays if they created better scoring chances in Calgary. Despite being 18 years old, he’s still a rookie, leaving plenty of time to work on his overall game.

Vanek’s Future with Ottawa

Right now, Vanek looks like a potential bottom-six energy player who can contribute to the score sheet and jump into the power play. He’s a very intelligent player and adept at finding open areas on the ice that he can exploit, and if he can add another physical element to his game, he could be the next Shane Pinto, who emerged as a highly-effective, 45-point third-line centre after being projected as a depth player. That would be ideal for the Senators, who could use some more wingers in their system who can make things happen. That’s where Vanek is headed.