The Senators' 2025 development camp wrapped up this past Friday after three days of on and off-ice sessions.
The first two days of camp provided the public and local media with their first opportunity to observe many of the draft picks from the past few years, as well as the organization's latest selections from the 2025 NHL Draft.
There were a few noted absentees. Lucas Ellinas (104th, 2024, shoulder) and Tyson Dyck (206th, 2022, undisclosed) were missing because of their situations, while the two Russians the Senators selected in this year's draft -- Dmitri Isayev (149th, LW) and Andrei Trofimov (213th, G) -- remained at home.
The camp still featured 29 skaters, 20 of whom were drafted by the Senators.
The majority of the first two days were spent with the group split, with half working on hockey drills on one pad of the Bell Sensplex and the other half sharing a separate pad with skating consultant Shelley Kettles.
One of the most obvious observations from camp was the sheer size of the blue liners.
Tomas Hamara, a left-shot puck-moving defenceman who will graduate to the AHL this season in Belleville after three seasons in the OHL, is listed at 6'0". The other nine defencemen listed on the development camp roster were all 6'2" or taller.
Their pipeline of defensive prospects is comprised of redwoods, aligning it with recent trends within the league. No defenceman shorter than 6'0" was taken at the 2025 NHL Draft.
"If you look at all the teams that have won over the last handful of years, the back ends are big and long and can play physical," player development coach Andrew Gordon outlined while explaining why the Senators have so many tall defencemen. "(They) can move the puck, but they all have similar characteristics.
"If you look league-wide, there was not a single (defenceman) drafted this year under six feet. So, it's not just us. The (way the) draft went last year, it was kind of funny, but it wasn't by design. We knew the type of player we wanted to get, but we just picked the next best player in line.
"It's not exactly like we're looking for a guy above six four every time, but that's the way it fell on our list. So we'll take it, because in the long run, if you want to compete with teams like Florida, Vegas and Colorado, which have been winning lately, those are the teams that have the big back ends."
It is a tall collection of talent, but in watching the drills, many of the defencemen can skate at a high level.
Throughout the week, Logan Hensler, the 23rd overall selection in this year's draft, put his four-way skating ability on full display in the drills.
Hensler's talent extends beyond his skating, however.
"When you throw puck in the corner, he's able to handle himself against big boys," stated Gordon while detailing what impressed him about Hensler's camp. " He's able to make plays out of the corners in tight spaces.
"When I saw him in the winter, that was one of the things I liked. He could take the puck in the corner in his (defensive) zone, and he could do what he wanted with it. It is just a matter of time. He can put a guy on his back and make a play. He's got the vision and the skill set to do it. What I saw (in camp) was an extension of what we believed he was. He's going to be a good player."
Prognosticators have been quick to point out that the Senators' system has depth at several positions but lacks a lot of safely projectable high-end skill.
What separated last year's seventh overall selection, Carter Yakemchuk, from his peers in camp was the noticeable leap in skill.
The only thing that stood out more than Yakemchuk's skill on the back end was Gabriel Eliasson's thirst for violence. Even in a friendly environment, the 6'7" Swede, asserted himself physically and tried to impose his size on his competitors. Eventually, on the second day, it culminated in a skirmish with undrafted free agent invitee Owen Pilling.
Getting back to Yakemchuk's unique combination of size, skating, and offensive aptitude, his talent almost earned him the opportunity to start the season in Ottawa, but those same traits were on full display in his on-ice sessions.
Yakemchuk's standout skill would have been dulled by a display of skill from the Senators' collection of forwards, but much like their defensive counterparts, their forwards are characterized by their size and skating ability.
Some skill was on display, however. In the first day's cycle drills, Bruno Idzan, the Senators' sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, showed an ability to navigate tight spaces with some solid handles. Cameron O'Neill, a fifth-rounder from the 2022 NHL Draft who is playing out of UMass, had some nice moments as well.
Fresh off his Memorial Cup victory with the London Knights, Blake Montgomery's blend of size and speed was entertaining to watch firsthand (see above video). He already looks like a projectable top-nine player for the Senators in the future, but if his processing and hands can approach his quickness, perhaps there is a chance he can be more.
"Mainly just using my speed with my size better," said Montgomery when describing what he wants to improve this season. "I feel like at a lot of points, I could skate around fast. But, (I want to) feel good about using my frame as much as I can. I just want to fill (my body) out and be better at that."
Oskar Pettersson looked more polished than many of the forwards, but at 21 years of age and having played parts of two seasons in Belleville, that should not come as a surprise. He consistently finished plays throughout his two days, which was intriguing because he has not produced a ton at the AHL level yet.
In 67 games in Belleville last season, Pettersson only tallied nine goals and 15 points. The AHL can be a tough league for young players experiencing their first full season of professional hockey in North America, but in speaking with a Belleville source, Pettersson also spent a majority of the season learning a new position, centre, on the team's third line.
Pettersson was awarded the Jonathan Pitre Award as the camp's hardest-working player, but his progress will be worth monitoring this season. If he ascends the lineup and takes on a larger offensive role playing with more skilled players, he could have an opportunity to play games with the Senators this season.
Finally, the size and athleticism of the Senators' goaltenders were notable. Newcomers like Lucas Beckman (4th rd, 2025) and the recently signed Jackson Parsons were impressive, but Vladimir Nikitin shone with some remarkable saves.
Many organizations have put a premium on drafting tall goalies. Filling a net and giving shooters little room to take a shot can be crucial, but technical skill and athleticism remain vital to any goaltender's success. Although the sample size was small, it is encouraging to see the Senators strike a balance with the goaltending talent they have on the ice. Although it will always feel odd to hear players like Beckman refer to themselves as small when they stand at 6'2".
Coming up tomorrow: Sam Gagner, the Senators' new Director of Player Development, offered some thoughtful perspectives on hockey IQ during development camp. Stay tuned for a closer look at his approach.
By Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News/Ottawa
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