Senators 2025 Draft Primer – Staios and Boyd Talk Strategy

While not as skilled as Potter, Cootes still recorded 26 goals and 63 points with the Seattle Thunderbirds and captained Canada’s U18 team, where he led them in scoring with six goals and 12 points en route to a gold medal. He has good hands and strong two-way awareness, but his game is primarily built on competitiveness. Wheeler listed him as the fifth-most well-rounded player available.

Another good option outlined by THW’s Consensus Ranking is Bill Zonnon, who is also a highly-competitive forward who put up a lot of points with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, scoring 28 goals in 64 games. THW’s Peter Baracchini has been a big fan of him since the beginning of the season, and sees a player with “…a high-motor player with blazing speed and skill. He’s insanely competitive in 50-50 puck battles. He anticipates plays very well to force turnovers, does a great job of pushing defenders back and attacks quickly to open things up on the rush.” He’s also the biggest of the three players mentioned, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 190 pounds.

Malcolm Spence is another player who would fit the Senators. He’s another competitive forward, but is a better skater than Zonnon and Cootes, and he also plays a strong two-way game. McKenzie ranked 25th overall, which is a bit lower than average, but if he falls to 21st, THW’s Mark Scheig predicted will be the steal of the 2025 Draft. That’s a solid player to add to a developing core. Cole Reschny and Benjamin Kindel should also be available 21st overall, both of whom are regarded as some of the smartest players in the draft.

Others have focused on defencemen, looking at the 6-foot-4 two-way presence of Blake Fiddler, but with Carter Yakemchuk looking to turn pro and Lassi Thomson recently signed, it doesn’t seem likely that they would go for another blue liner. The same goes for Jack Nesbitt, a big center who Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala mocked to go 21st. However, with other, more skilled players and better skaters still likely available, Nesbitt would be an unnecessary reach.

Will the Senators Move Down?

A big question for Staios at the press conference was whether the Senators were looking to move their pick, which he said was a possibility. “As of right now, we felt more comfortable with the 21st pick that there was going to be a player that we liked,” he said. “We kind of feel like we have a grouping there. I don’t see any scenario where we’ll trade up, but we’ll have some discussions on some trade-back possibilities [if we can get another asset or two], but not going the other way.”

Although the Senators aren’t likely to draft a defenceman in the first round, it’s possible they could look to trade for one. With Nick Jensen out for an extended period, the team may feel they’re a bit thin on depth in that area. If another team offers a solid return for their pick, Staios could move the pick.

However, it all has to make sense. The Senators team has worked hard to find where the drop-offs happen in this class, which will dictate how far they’re comfortable moving down. The consensus among online scouts is that the group from about pick 20-40 is all fairly close, so the Senators could move back into the early second round (where they don’t have a pick) if the offer is right.

But Staios’ approach to both free agency and the draft is that it has to be the right fit at the right time. “We want to continue adding prospects to this group,” the Senators’ GM said. “I think, with the draft turning out the way that it is at the 21st pick, I think there’s going to be a good player there, and also some depth in that group where we’d consider a trade-back possibility.” That comes down to character, which he sees as one of the defining characteristics of this group. The team has been burned before by adding players who didn’t fit the team’s ideals, so targeting character comes before all other priorities.

Looking at the Rest of the Draft

Although not much was said regarding the Senators’ later picks, Boyd offered some insight on whether Ottawa would target a goalie. Last year, the team didn’t take one, but the team has generally taken one to two goalies each year. Positions don’t really matter to the scouting staff; Boyd commented that, “A general philosophy of mine would always be you draft the talent and trade the position.”

Going off Boyd’s comments, it seems unlikely they’ll end up with Joshua Ravensbergen and Jack Ivankovic, two netminders projected to be first-round picks. Other players fit what Ottawa is looking for much better. If they do want a goalie, they may look to Lucas Beckman, Alexei Medvedev, Semyon Frolov, and Michal Pradel. However, it will all come down to who is a fit for the team, and if no goalie looks like a future Senator, they may go another draft without one.

Whatever happens, the NHL Draft is always one of the best events of the year. Everyone is a Stanley Cup winner on the draft floor, selecting the future stars of their team. While only a few will make it, today is a day for optimism, and the Senators have shown in the past that they’ll add some great players over the draft weekend.