However, General Manager Pierre Dorion elected to keep the focus on the task at hand.
“Most of us were focused on the Entry Draft, especially a team like us. But as we move forward in the next few days, we’ll get into contract discussions more. We can’t talk to any free agents until Wednesday. So obviously, with our pro scouting staff we’ll look at that to see if we can fill a few holes that we have and then we’ll go from there,” the Senators GM said in his post-Draft Zoom availability.
The team did make a pair of deals Saturday, albeit of the Draft position variety. The Senators moved their 42nd overall pick to the Kings for 49 and 136. Then in turn swapped 136 and 170 to the Hurricanes for the 123rd overall selection.
In the end, the club opened the 2021 Entry Draft with six selections and concluded with six.
After the Senators made Tyler Boucher their top pick, 10th overall in the First Round Friday, the team drafted several players that shared some of the same traits as the physical, hard-working, right wing who has a nose for the net.
Day Two Selections
39 – Zack Ostapchuk LW Vancouver WHL – 6’3″ 198 lbs – 22 games 7 goals 9 assists 26 penalty minutes
Chief Amateur Scout Trent Mann – “Zack is a big six-foot-three centre who skates extremely well. He’s got good skill, plays hard in all three zones. He’s just scratching the surface here. He’s heading north on his game. We’re pretty excited about his all-around game for sure. His skating is very good for a big guy. He’s going to get better as he gets stronger. We feel confident about that. He has really good skill as well. He kind of his some underrated skill in our opinion. There’s definitely more upside there in the making. We think there’s tremendous upside there. He’s only going to continue to get better. By all accounts he’s a kid that’s very well liked in the dressing room and still no muss, no fuss – kind of mild-mannered, but on the ice he does his thing.”
Ostpachuk gained 20 pounds since the previous and was named the Giants most improved player.
49 – Ben Roger RD London OHL – 6′ 4″ 201 lbs – DNP – 2019-20 – 35 games 2 goals 4 assists 6 penalty minutes
Mann – “Roger is a big, mobile right-shot D that played two years ago. Unfortunately didn’t have a season in the OHL, but there’s a ton of upside there, high end athleticism in him as well. He’s a big kid that gets around the ice extremely well for a big man. He understands what his strengths are. He can win pucks and move pucks up ice. With the way the game is played now, that’s what we need.”
The Markham, ON born Roger, played his minor hockey in the Belleville area for the Quinte Red Devils and the Wellington Dukes in the OJHL. Under the guise of the Belleville Senators strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Benoit, Roger gained 35 pounds of muscle mass over the past year.
74 – Oliver Johansson C – Timra IK Allsvenskan – 6’0′ 183 lbs – 5 games three goals no assists no penalty minutes
Mann – “Oliver Johansson is a kid that started the season as an Under 20, but moved up to the Allsvenskan league. And eventually that team won the Allsvenskan league and moved up to the SHL. He’s an offensive player. He has good speed, good skill. There’s a little bit of flair in his game that we like. He’s already established that he can play at the pro level. “
Turning 18 Monday, Johansson is the youngest of the Senators selected this weekend. Johansson rose through the ranks with Timra this season, skating with the U18, U20 and the Swedish second division league, the Allsvenskan. Playing a total of 15 games, Johansson recorded eight goals, five assists.
Johansson’s Timra teammates included Senators 2019 fourth-rounder Viktor Lodin, former Senators prospect Jonathan Dahlen and Patrick Wiercioch who appeared in 218 games with over parts of five seasons with the club.
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123 – Carson Latimer RW – Edmonton WHL – 6’1″ 185 lbs – 22 games 5 goals 11 assists 10 penalty minutes
Mann – “Carson is a kid that we really liked. He’s one of those guys that we kept an eye on as the Draft went. And eventually, we thought we had to at least make an attempt to get this kid. We felt that the upside was there. He’s a right winger at the junior level right now, but he’s has played some centre in the past. He’s a versatile kid. He takes a lot of faceoffs on the righthand spot on the ice. But he does play right wing, He has really good speed. He plays hard and shows good hockey sense. He gets to areas on the ice where he gets good opportunities. Also has a good stick to steal pucks. His ice-time improved as the season went along. He coached by Brad Lauer who Sens fans know from the past.”
Latimer earned WHL Central Division Rookie of the Year honours.
202 – Chandler Romeo – LD – Brantford GOJHL/OJHL – 6’5″ 205 lbs – DNP – 2019-20 Totals 54 games 12 goals 14 assists 97 penalty minutes
Mann – “There’s a big kid that also skates well. He understands where his strengths are, good size, good reach and he has the ability to move pucks up ice. He’s kind of similar to Roger. He give us some size. He gives us some presence back there.”
Romeo did not play last season due to pandemic regulations in Ontario. The Cambridge area resident will play for the OHL Hamilton Bulldogs next season.
