The 2019/20 Ottawa Senators are in a unique position, with virtually no expectations on them to compete for the post-season.
A ‘tank’ season is on the cards, which would give the team an opportunity to land the top pick in next year’s draft – with Alexis Lafreniere the big prize in 2020.
With that in mind, there is very little reason why the team should bulk up with veteran players when they could simply give their top prospects opportunities to play in the NHL – furthering their development.
A number of prospects in the Senators’ system have already had a taste of NHL action, with the likes of Drake Batherson, Rudolfs Balcers and Christian Wolanin all playing a few stretches this past season.