Picks 3 and 5: Who should the Sens draft?

It was announced in late June the Ottawa Senators will be picking 3rd and 5th at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The Senators had the best chance at receiving the first overall pick, but shortly fell to 3rd, after it was revealed that an unknown team will be getting the first pick, likely to be Alexis Lafreniere. 

With Lafreniere surely off the Senators radar, we can begin to determine what will be left at pick 3 and 5. Who Ottawa will take with the third overall selection is truly anyone’s guess. Towards the start of the season, the majority of TSN analysts had Quinton Byfield as the general consensus for pick #2. After a less than perfect world junior champion, it seemed as if Byfield started to blend in with more of the soon to be first round picks. This left many analyst such as Bob Mackenzie begin to list Tim Stutzle, as the #2 pick. 

Third Overall Pick: Stutzle or Byfield

Without question, either Stutzle or Byfield will fall to third, leaving the Sens with a tough, but still pretty easy decision on who to draft. The Los Angeles Kings, big winners at the lottery moving up from fourth to second, will most likely take either Byfield or Stutzle and leave the other for the Sens to scoop up. Right now, it seems as if Stutzle will be chosen by LA. If this is the case, Byfield would be a great addition as a young player to the core of the lineup. Although he may be a little less developed than his counterpart, Byfield shows unmatched potential that can leave the Sens with a solid first liner within the next 5 years. This would suit them great, as they would greatly benefit from Byfield’s combination of offense, size, and skating. Not to mention, Byfield is the better center at the draft, which is key to a versatile player.

Fifth Overall Pick: Drysdale, Holtz, Rossi, Raymond

Now that we've assumed Lafreniere, Byfield and Stutzle will go 1, 2, and 3 in the draft, we can begin to assess who might fall to fifth pick in the draft. If the Sens do end up with Byfield, they should be aiming for a winger to compliment him. With Lafreniere and Stutzle being picked up already, this leaves them with the option of either Holtz or Raymond. Holtz is most likely the better option when it comes to this. 

However, if the sens get Stutzle, it may be better to look for a center. This leaves Cole Perfetti and Marco Rossi available, among others. Since the Red Wings appear to be eyeing a center, this might leave the Sens with an easy decision choosing the other. In my opinion, Rossi has more potential to become a stud in the league. With 120 points in the OHL last season, Rossi has already proven himself to be impactful at the junior level, which most likely could crossover to the NHL in the near future. 

Who do you think the Senators will draft in the first round? If you want to be part of the conversation, make sure to give us a follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@OttSportsBlog).