Only two months remain in the NHL season, and the Ottawa Senators are starting to shift their focus from the playoffs to evaluating their prospects. Last month, Max Guenette made his highly-anticipated Senators debut, and already in March, Ottawa has recalled Jiri Smejkal, Rourke Chartier, Matthew Highmore, and Zack MacEwen from the American Hockey League (AHL).
While external circumstances – namely a two-game suspension to Parker Kelly and Josh Norris being placed on long-term injury reserve – prompted the recalls, it seems too convenient that all of these players are on one-year deals that expire at the end of 2023-24. The Senators seem to be closely evaluating their depth to see if any are worth bringing back next season. It won’t be easy to secure a spot, either; several prospects have seen continued success in the junior and college ranks, meaning every spot will be hard-fought. Here are the prospects that have stuck out in February and the first week of March.
Ostapchuk (Finally) Makes his NHL Debut
Since Tyler Kleven’s debut at the end of last season, there was arguably no more anticipated prospect than Zack Ostapchuk. The 2021 second-round pick became one of Ottawa’s top prospects after he helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2023 World Juniors, and he played a big part in the Winnipeg Ice’s pursuit of the Western Hockey League (WHL) Championship. He was never going to be an All-Star, but his gritty, passionate play earned him more than a few fans in Ottawa.
Related: Senators Should Think Twice Before Trading Jakob Chychrun
Ostapchuk made his professional debut with the AHL’s Belleville Senators this season, and despite being a rookie, he became one of the team’s best players. In 56 games, he put up 13 goals and 22 points, good for fourth and sixth on the team, respectively. However, he never got the call to take the three-hour trip to Ottawa, with the Senators choosing to let him continue to develop in the minors. That all changed on March 12, when he finally got his chance to suit up for an NHL game.
It was a special moment for Ostapchuk – not only did he make his debut on home ice, but he got to do so in front of his mom, who flew…
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