The Ottawa Senators fan base is stoked for this upcoming season. Next week, they have the opportunity to enjoy watching the Senators prospects at this year’s World Juniors tournament. After some massive off-season acquisitions, landing the likes of Cam Talbot, Alex DeBrincat, and Claude Giroux, they have every right to be excited. As the summer begins to shift into preparation mode, hockey fans will be treated to some fast and fun hockey to get them ready. If the roster moves for the Senators weren’t enough, the fans can get hyped about what the future holds as the spotlight hits Edmonton, Alberta.
Top Ottawa Senators Prospects at the 2022 World Juniors
To begin our look at the Ottawa Senators World Juniors prospects, start with none other than the home side Team Canada. A pair of Senator prospects will wear the red and white, in Zack Ostapchuk and Ridly Greig. First of all, Ostapchuk is a strong presence down low and should provide some toughness for this Canadian lineup up front. Look for him to establish the cycle, and provide Canada with some depth scoring.
In addition, Sens fans will be pumped with a chance to watch Greig. He is an example for this tournament of a player eligible based on the ‘grandfathered’ rule. He was a part of the original 2022 tournament back in December 2021. He’s a 2020 first-round pick (28th overall) who scored 76 goals throughout his WHL career with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
🇨🇦 Ridly Greig
🇨🇦 Zack Ostapchuk
🇫🇮 Roby Järventie
🇫🇮 Leevi Meriläinen
🇨🇿 Tomáš Hamara
🇺🇸 Tyler KlevenLots of Sens prospects to take in at the upcoming WJC in Edmonton — looking forward to some summer hockey! 👀 pic.twitter.com/GmqFFs9sws
— Sens Prospects (@SensProspects) August 1, 2022
The Senators Finnish Contingent
Another country with a couple of Ottawa Senators world junior prospects looking to make an impact in Finland. First of all, Leevi Merilainen will be Finland’s starting goalie. He played in a couple of games in the original December tourney, which will give him the leg up. He is coming off a big season with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL, which saw him compile 31 wins.
In addition, the second team Finland player to watch for is Ottawa’s 2020 draft selection, 33rd overall, left winger Roby Jarventie. He’s coming off a 33-point campaign in his first full season in North America playing for the big club affiliate, the Belleville Senators. Furthermore, he has familiarity with Nashville Predators prospect Joakim Kemell, as they have been on a line previously for Finland. Jarvientie looks to make the case with a strong tournament for earning himself a call-up to the nation’s capital at some point this season.
The Best of the US and Czechia
The Senators have two more players to watch, one with team USA and one with Czechia. First for team USA, Tyler Kleven, a 20-year-old, going into his junior season at UND. He wants to have a big showing in a defensive role. He is a member of the University of North Dakota (UND). The Senators have three other alumni looking to make an impact on their roster. The other three are Shane Pinto, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Jake Sanderson. On the other hand, Tyler Boucher almost made it another but was a late cut by Team USA.
Last, but not least, for Czechia, the 87th overall pick in this year’s entry draft, of the Tappara Tampere, Tomas Hamara. Czechia has some strong pieces on the blueline, including the 6th overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets, David Jiricek. For Hamara, he has the confidence of a big U18 tournament under his belt. In that tourney, he led all D in assists with eight in six games. He parlayed that performance into a tournament all-star team selection. He played 24 games in Finland’s top division, SM-Liiga, so is well prepared for the challenge of a high-paced tournament.
Senators Prospects Set to Succeed At World Juniors
These players at the World Juniors have the opportunity to begin to make the next step for the big club. For starters, Ridly Greig is looking to catapult off a big performance in this tournament. If he can do so, he will find himself comfortably in Ottawa’s bottom-six forwards come the fall. On the other hand, Ostapchuk is a member of the Summer Development Camp for the 2023 Junior team. That is to say, he does still need some seasoning. He looks to grow into a successful role player with the Sens within a couple of years.
Merilainen, who, along with goaltender, Mads Sogaard, are one-two in terms of Ottawa Senators prospects in net. The duo is a big part of the reason why Filip Gustavsson was expendable this off-season. One final note is on Tyler Kleven. If the big defender can play well against top matchups, it might go a long way in the Senators finding a spot into 2023 on the known logjam on the left side.
This year’s world junior tournament will be a fun time for hockey fans everywhere. Thusly, the Senators fan base is no exception. With six players participating, there will be lots to look forward to for the players, fans, and scouting staff alike. Most notably Greig, but any of these six, if they can have a big tournament, and then a strong showing at training camp, the sky is the limit for their potential impact throughout the 2022-23 NHL season.
