Here are my thoughts having watched all 3 games
Leevi Merilainen
-the best player in an Ottawa jersey. His athleticism is just off the charts. Only reason today's game was competitive at all
Ridly Greig
-really strong in his one game. Physical, made plays, good details in all three zones. The best positional player for the Sens by far
-really like how he attacks the middle of the ice
-based on what I've seen from him at the AHL/NHL I think he has more offensive upside than Pinto, certainly on the playmaking side
-still a little concerned he's too reckless for his frame.
Tyler Kleven
-his combination of mobility and reach is going to make him a valuable defender
-skills are decent, but I don't think he's suited to a PP role as a pro like they experimented with here
-a little surprised the hitting hasn't shown up yet, both here and in his NHL stint last season. That was his calling card in college
Zack Ostapchuk
-coaches are going to love him for his details
-there was one shift late in the NJ game during garbage time when he tracked back to break up what would have been an easy tap-in
-will need to see him in some AHL games to get a better read on his skills
-kinda reminds me of Derek Grant
Roby Jarventie
-given that he's played 2 years in the AHL, I'd imagine he was sent to this in hopes he would dominate. Didn't happen
-he's a PP specialist at the AHL level, he was a PP specialist at the WJC, and it was no different here
-he stands out for having no motor whatsoever, which is really against type for how the Sens have drafted lately
-only gets engaged when he has the chance to launch one-timers from the right side on the PP
-scored a goal coming out the box after serving 2 minutes for a lazy stick infraction
-passable against NJ, but really struggled in the Pens game when he didn't have Greig with him anymore
Tarun Fizer
-he loves to launch it from everywhere, and to his credit he gets it away quick and hard
-did a decent job on the PK
-was disruptive on the forecheck forcing some turnovers
-had some issues with in-zone defensive positioning and ended up taking a few stick penalties because of it
-worth giving him a shot on an AHL deal and seeing where it goes
Tomas Hamara
-i just don't get it with this guy
-to me he's nowhere near talented enough to be as turnover prone and as poor defensively as he is
-he's ok in transition when he has time and space to skate
-loses lots of battles on the walls and sends lots of pizzas up the middle
Matthew Andonovski
-not bad actually, considering he was a late round pick in the 2023 draft
-has good defensive instincts and some snarl to go with it
-skating looked ok, but probably could work on his pivots so he can defend the rush better
-easy to see why he took minutes from Hamara last year in Kitchener
-has some promise
Jorian Donovan
-was used a lot and was mostly good
-thought he was forcing things offensively, and didn't really generate much
-like his athleticism, size and skill combo
Invites
-I thought Bourash, Huchette, Rolofs, Walinski, Mancini and Ride stood out in a bad way. All looked way out of their depth here.
-Thomas Stewart and Simon Motew each played one game and were used pretty sparingly sparingly so not much to say
-Schenkel struggled in net against the Pens, but he didn't get much help
-MacKenzie didn't play at all
-Clattenburg has a motor and is physical but not much else going on
-Thorpe is huge and sniped a nice goal against the Pens. Looks a little awkward but wasn't terrible
-Mitch Martin had ups and downs. Good on the PK, scored a goal. Puck handling and distribution not great. Could have potential.
-Jackson Stewart was mixing it up, but he's really small to be a fighter/agitator as a pro. Not much ability here either.