CHL Prospect Pipeline highlights those who played in 2021-22, who were born in 2001 or later, and are signed by or on the reserve list of an NHL club.
Tyler Boucher
Joining the Senators following his 10th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, Boucher is a physical specimen who uses his size and strength to create scoring opportunities. In a way familiarizing himself with the local market, Boucher joined the Ottawa 67’s midway through the most recent campaign and had immediate success as he posted 14 points in 24 outings. A 19-year-old New Jersey native, the budding right-wing signed his entry-level contract with the Senators in December.
Philippe Daoust
Returning to the junior ranks midway through the 2021-22 season, Daoust ultimately suited up in 38 contests with the Saint John Sea Dogs, racking up 47 points as part of a memorable campaign that ended by hoisting the Memorial Cup. A 20-year-old native hailing from Barrie, Ont., Daoust was selected by the Senators in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft and signed his first contract with the club in March.
Jorian Donovan
The son of longtime Ottawa Senators forward Shean Donovan, the younger is following in his father’s footsteps in joining the NHL club after his fifth-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft. A budding blue-liner, Donovan suited up in 64 games last season with the Hamilton Bulldogs and proved to be a solid secondary scoring option from the back end as he posted three goals with 19 assists and was a key piece in helping the club claim the J. Ross Robertson Cup. The sixth-overall pick from the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, the 18-year-old Richmond, Ont., native will continue to build both sides of his game next season with the Bulldogs.
Ridly Greig
A high-energy centre, Greig is involved in all areas of the ice, whether in disrupting the opposition or in using his dynamic toolbox to find the scoresheet. Making 39 appearances with the Brandon Wheat Kings last season, the first-year captain backed up his play offensively as he finished third in team scoring with 63 points to earn a place on the WHL’s Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team. Originally chosen eighth overall in the 2017 WHL Draft, Greig’s time with the Wheat Kings has witnessed him collect 191 points in 183 career contests. A 20-year-old from Lethbridge, Alta., Greig has also been frequent participant on the national stage, most recently joining Team Canada at the summer World Juniors. Chosen by the Senators late in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Greig then signed his first contract with the team that December.
Carson Latimer
Splitting last season between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Prince Albert Raiders, the talented right-wing found his offensive stride in his new home as he collected 12 goals and 20 assists through 40 outings, bringing his season total to 40 points in 62 appearances. Pressuring opponents with his smarts and physicality, the 19-year-old Surrey, B.C., native drew himself to the Senators as he was selected by the club in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Leevi Merilainen
An athletic netminder, Merilainen brings big-league size in the blue paint and uses his impressive gifts to turn aside the opposition. Playing his first season in North America, the Finnish import needed little time for adjustment as through 53 appearances with the Kingston Frontenacs he found the win column on 31 occasions while coming away with a 3.29 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. Merilainen, 20, was chosen by the Senators in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft and subsequently signed his first contract last June.
Zack Ostapchuk
Seeing an offensive breakout in 2021-22, the Vancouver Giants captain terrorized the opposition with his lethal shot, finding the back of the 26 times and adding 17 assists through 60 appearances. Originally chosen 12th overall in the 2018 WHL Draft, the talented left-wing has played 132 career contests in the junior circuit, collecting 67 points. A 19-year-old native of St. Albert, Alta., Ostapchuk’s offseason was highlighted by a stint with Team Canada at the World Juniors. A 2021 second-round selection by the Senators, Ostapchuk inked his first contract with the club last September.
Ben Roger
Splitting the 2021-22 campaign between the London Knights and Kingston Frontenacs, Roger totaled 55 appearances between the two clubs, giving the hulking blue-liner plenty of time to showcase his terrific reach and shutdown abilities while also chipping in a combined 13 points. A 19-year-old from Brighton, Ont., Roger was chosen by Ottawa in round two of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Chandler Romeo
A physical beast on the back end, Romeo made 67 appearances last season split between the Hamilton Bulldogs and Sarnia Sting in which he registered two goals with 16 assists. A 19-year-old Cambridge, Ont., native, Romeo heard his name called by the Senators late in the 2021 NHL Draft.
