2026-27 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Ottawa Senators’ Top 10

Aug 3, 2026, 10:30 EDT

2026-27 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Ottawa Senators’ Top 10

Credit: Steven Ellis

Welcome back.

It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses, and so much more.

Here are the criteria for being labeled a prospect: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside the NHL than in it last year. Players over 23 years old are not included. Goaltenders are a bit more subjective, but they must be 25 or under and have played fewer than 20 games in the past season or fewer than 30 games over their career.

Today, we’re breaking down the Ottawa Senators.

I’ve made it clear that I didn’t like the Senators’ draft in June.

I know a bunch of the top players selected ended up on this list, giving the team a pretty solid boost to its pipeline. But it felt like with many of their picks, they were leaving higher-end talent off the table to bet a bit higher on some guys than I would. I’m willing to give the team’s scouting department a bit of slack here because I do appreciate that they’ve gone for upside more than certainty. I do wonder, given the team’s competitive situation, if maybe they should have gone for talent who could help the team a bit more sooner.

I wouldn’t call this an entirely deep pipeline, but it’s definitely the best it’s been in a few years. If they can find some gems with some other lower-end prospects, Ottawa could come out looking like geniuses. I still think the Stephen Halliday pick was a solid decision that’s going to pay off in the long run, and I’m glad to see that he has already made an impact in the NHL.

Maybe, just maybe, they’ll find some other hidden gems along the way.

Biggest Strength

Right-handed defenders can be hard to come by, but the Sens have quite the stockpile. The top two players on this list – Carter Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler – both fit the mold, and I feel quite confident in the pair becoming useful NHLers. Hoyt Stanley is another with a potential track to the NHL, more likely in a No. 6-8 role. I wouldn’t give up on Christian Kyrou either. He was once one of the Dallas Stars’ top prospects, and while he hasn’t panned out yet, I could see him becoming a depth call-up option down the line.

Biggest Weakness

This team lacks talent down the middle. Oscar Holmertz is the only middleman in the top 10, and Brandon Svoboda might be the only other center in the system who’ll come close to tasting NHL action. Centers aren’t typically hard to find at the draft, and I assume that’s something they’ll address down the line. Right now, though, there’s a huge gaping hole down the middle.

Fast Facts:

NHL GM: Steve Staios
Head Scout: Don Boyd
Dir. of Player Development: Sam Gagner
AHL Affiliate: Belleville Senators
ECHL Affiliate: Allen Americans
Recent NHL Graduates: Leevi Meriläinen, G; Stephen Halliday, C

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Carter Yakemchuk (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

1. Carter Yakemchuk, RHD, 20 (Ottawa Senators)

Acquired: Drafted seventh overall, first round in 2024

Yakemchuk is a big, mean dude who makes himself impossible to play against at times. When you watched him play in the OHL, it was clear that he could physically dominate opponents while being excellent with the puck. But with so-so defensive acumen and subpar skating, there were questions about how he’d be able to translate to the pro game. Instead, he was outstanding in the AHL, scoring 10 goals and 40 points while being physically dominant against older competition. He also impressed in his short run with the Senators to close out the regular season, which makes you think he’s ready for full-time NHL action this year. I think he could still be a bit more active in his own zone, but I don’t feel like his skating has really slowed him down too much. I think he’s strong enough with the puck that he could force his way into power-play time sooner rather than later, too.

2. Logan Hensler, RHD, 19 (University of Wisconsin, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 23rd overall, first round in 2025

Hensler is a 6-foot-3 defenseman who won’t wow you with his puck game, but will be defensively reliable. He has gotten more comfortable shooting the puck recently, but I don’t expect that to be a real sticking point of his game. Instead, it’s how he kills plays in transition, forces opponents to the outside, and gives shooters little room to exploit open ice. Hensler’s season ended in January due to injury but it would have been nice to see if he could have really flourished down the stretch because he played some of his best hockey after the World Juniors. He can be a bit overly aggressive at times but for the most part I feel like he’s a guy who could top out as a solid second-pair defenseman but might feel safer on the third pair instead.

3. Kasper Halttunen, RW, 21 (Belleville Senators, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by San Jose Sharks in 2026

*Kasper Halttunen (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

Halttunen was a personal favorite of mine in 2023 because it felt like he had a psycho gene in his game. Nothing ever seemed to scare him, and he had one of the hardest shots I had ever seen in person. He showed that quite frequently in his draft plus one year, and he even impressed in his short AHL duty the year after that. I do wonder if he’s a bit too one-dimensional, because he’s not a great skater and doesn’t do a lot defensively at this point. On the power play, I think Halttunen could be an absolute force, especially for the muscle he puts behind it with his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame. I do wonder if he’s going to be more of a Vasily Podkolzin-type player – someone who could score a lot at lower levels, but might need to be a bit more physically involved to be effective in the NHL.

4. Jaxon Cover, RW, 18 (London Knights, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 32nd overall, first round in 2026

Cover quickly established himself as one of London’s most intriguing forwards last year, finishing the regular season with 20 goals and 52 points. Cover is one of the rawest prospects from the 2026 draft, having only started playing ice hockey at the age of 13. So the fact that he has been so productive with the puck and so dangerous without it has really excited scouts. He’s so quick, using his speed to force turnovers and break into scoring lanes. He’s creative, and as long as he continues to work on the smaller details in his game, he’ll be a solid prospect.

5. Jonas Lagerberg Hoen, RW, 18 (Leksands, Allsvenskan)

Acquired: Drafted 25th overall, first round in 2026

Some scouts think JLH would have been a 2026 first-round pick, but he missed most of the season due to an injury back in October. But scouts really believe in him because the raw fundamentals are there. JLH is a good shooter who skates well and has a big 6-foot-3 frame. He was one that I questioned due to the lack of actual playing time, but scouts really got me interested in the Swede in the latter stages of the season after pointing out just how often he dominated shifts in various ways. I think his hockey sense is iffy – there were some weird passes early on that made you wonder what he was trying to do, and it happened quite frequently. But the raw talent is still very intriguing. I believe he’ll fly up these rankings next year, but I’m being a bit tepid to start.

6. Lucas Beckman, G, 18 (Cape Breton Eagles, QMJHL)

Acquired: Drafted 97th overall, fourth round in 2025

*Lucas Beckman (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Beckman has been one of the QMJHL’s top goaltenders for a few years now. He had 31 wins for Baie-Comeau Drakkar in 2024-25 before following that up with a 13-1-0 run with four shutouts and a .940 save percentage in Chicoutimi last year. That was enough to help lead the Saguenéens to the Memorial Cup, and while the team ultimately fizzled out, Beckman was one of the team’s brightest stars. Now set to join the Eagles, Beckman is definitely one of the more fascinating young goalies in the CHL. He’s strong positionally and seems to play better when he’s busier. He has stolen his fair share of games over the past few years, and I can’t wait to watch him challenge for one of the backup spots on Canada’s World Junior team this winter.

7. Blake Montgomery, LW, 21 (Belleville Senators, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 117th overall, fourth round in 2024

Montgomery was one of the first big names to bolt the USHL for the OHL after the NCAA ruling came into effect, and he impressed with 23 goals and 50 points in 51 games with London. Last year, though, he had just nine goals and 17 points in 39 games with Wisconsin before turning pro. I was a bit surprised to see him jump ship to Belleville so quickly, but I know the Sens really like him. The 6-foot-4 winger has obvious size, but I wish he’d use his frame a bit more. I think the pro game will allow him to focus on that, because he has a good shot and quite a bit of skill to boot. Montgomery is a fourth-liner at best, but one who can slot up higher in the lineup if needed.

8. Oscar Holmertz, C, 18 (Linköping HC, SHL)

Acquired: Drafted 87th overall, third round in 2026

Holmetz played at just about every level possible in Sweden last season, including the SHL. He didn’t get much ice time with the big club, but it felt like playing against pros forced him to add another level of urgency to his game whenever he was sent back to junior. He posted strong numbers with Linköping’s U-20 squad and has been a reliable two-way threat internationally. I think he’s most impactful as a support guy you can depend on to kill plays in the D-zone, but I’m not sure he’s skilled enough to have a profound role at the next level. There’s third-line center potential here, though, and I think we’ll see him feature prominently with Sweden’s U-20 team over the next two years thanks to his speed and shot.

9. Adam Nemec, LW, 18 (Sudbury Wolves, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 72nd overall, third round in 2026

*Adam Nemec (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

I’m still not sure what to think about Nemec. On one hand, he’s a solid two-way forward who started to find his game in the latter stages of the season. Sudbury was swept in four games during the playoffs, but Nemec was easily the team’s top player. On the other hand, I’m not sure what type of player he’ll be in the NHL. He could be used in defensive roles, and he has some obvious hockey sense. I’m not sure that he’s great at anything, though, and that could hold him back. Still, I think he could be a decent pickup for the Sens, who could work with him closely to mold him into a specific archetype they desire.

10. Hoyt Stanley, RHD, 21 (Belleville Senators, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 108th overall, fourth round in 2023

The Sens bet high on Stanley out of the BCHL in 2023, and it looks like he’ll play a sizeable role in the AHL this coming year. The former Victoria Grizzlies star spent three years with Cornell University, putting up a career-high 15 points in 34 games. Offense isn’t the name of the game here, though. Stanley is defensively sound while rarely making a mistake under pressure. He already seems quite refined for his age, which led to Cornell relying on him heavily down the stretch last year. I like his mobility, his big, strong frame and his willingness to join in on the rush, even if he’s not the most skilled puck-mover. I think we’re talking about a depth option at best, but that’s all you can ask for out of a fourth-round pick.

Other Prospects: Lucas Ellinas, LW (20), Oskar Pettersson, RW (22), Xavier Bourgault, LW (23), Tyler Boucher, RW (23), Louis Felix Bourque, RW (18), Blake Vanek, RW (18), Dmitri Isayev, LW (19), Bruno Idzan, LW (20), Javon Moore, LW (20), Owen Beckner, C (21), Nicholas Vantassell, RW (22), Brandon Svoboda, C (21), Tyson Dyck, C (22), Cameron O’Neill, RW (22), Theo Wallberg, LHD (22), Eerik Wallenius, LHD (20), Alexander Grunin, LHD (18), Harris Pangretitsch, RHD (18), Matthew Andonovski, LHD (21), Gabriel Eliasson, LHD (19), Tomas Hamara, LHD (22), Jorian Donovan, LHD (22), Dijbril Toure, RHD (23), Christian Kyrou, RHD (22), Kevin Reidler, G (21), Jackson Parsons, G (21), Elliot Lennon, G (18), Andrei Trofimov, G (20), Vladimir Nikitin, G (21)

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