Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Draft by Decade: Ottawa Senators

The Sens opened the decade with a boom!  In 2001 they took Jason Spezza 2nd, Tim Gleason 23, Ray Emery 99, Christoph Schubert 127, Brooks Laich 193 and Brandon Bochenski 223.

2002 was the antithesis of 2001.  Jakub Klepis at 2002 didn't pan out, but 2003s Patrick Eaves at 29 and Bryan Elliot at 291 were respectable picks.  Andrej Meszaros at 23 was a great selection next year, and Peter Regin at 87 is turning in to a full time NHLer. 

It was an up and down decade for Ottawa, the next season they took Brian Lee 9th.  He's with the big club now but 2005 was a decent draft.  I'm sure they wouldn't have minded taking Anze Kopitar who went only two picks later. 2006 turned up Nick Foligno at 28, 2007s first rounder Jim O'brien is coming in to his own now cracking the Sens roster this season.  2008 was a return to the form this franchise showed in 2001.  They took budding sensation Erik Karlsson 15th, Patrick Wiercioch at 42, Zack Smith at 79 is with the big club and Derek Grant at 119 is looking good in NCAA.  2009 was decent too as Jared Cowen looks ready to join Karlsson on a re-tooled Sens back end, and Robin Lehner was called up just after the WJC on emergency basis after, surprise, an injury to Pascal Leclaire.

All in all the Sens have picked it up of late, and you can't discredit that amazing 2001 draft, for  that they manage a C+.

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