A Case Study on Handling Defence Prospects: Maxime Lajoie

Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty ImagesIt’s fairly straightforward to project the Ottawa Senators’ defence group for the start of the 2021 NHL season. They have six defencemen on one-way contracts, as well as top prospect Erik Brannstrom and KHL import Artem Zub hoping to force their way into a regular spot.

One player that you’d definitely consider to be a dark horse to make the team would be Maxime Lajoie. Considering how few fifth-round picks actually make the NHL, that’s not really a surprise. What’s interesting however, is that a few years ago, Lajoie was looking like a key player in the Senators’ rebuild. Now, we’re seeing the results of an instance of sub-optimal development by the…