The hockey season is effectively underway and the Ottawa Senators have gotten off to a stable begin, going 2-1-0 of their first three video games and seeing some large performances from their prime gamers. Lots of the crew’s prospects have additionally hit the bottom operating, but it surely’s honest to say that not many followers had their eye on defenceman Eerik Wallenius.
But the 6-foot-4, 212-pound defenceman has been among the finest junior gamers in Finland this season, and with a aim and an help in two video games, he’s your Senators’ Prospect of the Week for the week of Oct. 7-13.
Wallenius Dominant in Finland’s Junior League
When Wallenius was chosen within the fifth spherical of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, he was principally an unknown in lots of scouting circles. Those that did know him cited a robust defensive recreation, and the Senators’ European scout Mikko Ruutu talked about his spectacular growth throughout final season. “He took a giant step ahead this season,” mentioned Ruutu. “He began with the under-18 crew, then performed on the under-20 crew and completed the season with a professional crew. He’s an fascinating child, a giant boy.” (from “GOING BIG: The inside track on every Ottawa Senators decide in 2024 NHL Draft,” Ottawa Citizen – 29/06/2024).
Though the SM-sarja, Finland’s U20 league, isn’t recognized for it’s scoring, Wallenius carried out decently effectively for a 17-year-old defenceman final season, placing up three targets and eight factors in 14 video games. This season, he’s already handed that. In 10 video games, he already has three targets and 9 factors, two of which have been scored this previous week. On Oct. 11, he scored the sport winner in an 8-4 drubbing of KalPa, and on the next evening, he supplied the first help on the second aim in a 3-2 shootout loss to Jokerit. With these two factors, he now leads all U19 defenceman in scoring within the SM-sarja and leads all NHL prospects within the league.
Wallenius’ Sturdy Begin to the Season
This season might be a breakout one for Wallenius, who has been outperforming expectations since again in July, when he went toe-to-toe with Senators’ prime prospect Carter Yakemchuk in varied drills, showcasing some shocking pace and fast decision-making expertise. Then he went off to make his nationwide crew debut, taking part in 4 video games with Finland’s U20 crew earlier than making HPK’s Liiga roster to start out the season as their seventh defenceman. Up to now, solely 26 youngsters have suited up within the Liiga in 2024-25, making him one of many prime few prospects popping out of Finland this season.
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Wallenius’ solely Liiga recreation this season wasn’t all that spectacular – he performed simply 5:16 and didn’t register a degree – but it surely’s fascinating to check his influence to those that had comparable deployments. Kalle Kangas, a 19-year-old defender who was picked by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2023, performed roughly six minutes in HPK’s season opener but completed with a minus-2, and the crew’s assistant captain, Juuso Hietanen, completed with a minus-1 and only a minute and a half of ice time. Wallenius additionally travelled the shortest distance of any defender on HPK, in response to the official recreation sheet, implying that he spent most of his time within the defensive finish. Even with restricted ice time, to complete with an excellent ranking whereas taking part in principally in his personal finish in a 7-4 loss is critical.
Since then, Wallenius has been within the SM-sarja, however HPK is unquestionably watching him with curiosity. His offensive recreation is creating shortly and, when mixed together with his dimension and physicality, he may have the same rise to Alexander Nikishin, who all of a sudden emerged as among the finest offensive defencemen exterior the NHL in 2022-23. Few noticed his meteoric rise when he was chosen by the Carolina Hurricanes within the third spherical of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, as he appeared like simply one other large defender with some uncooked expertise who bounced between the professionals and juniors in Russia. Nevertheless, with that little additional time to develop, he turned a recreation breaker. Up to now, Wallenius’ profession has adopted the same path and it’s attainable he may comply with in Nikishin’s footsteps over the following few seasons.
Honourable Mentions
After being returned to the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Calgary Hitmen, Yakemchuk scored his first aim of the season in his first second recreation. He stays a participant to look at this season as he’ll have quite a lot of alternatives to be one among Calgary’s prime play drivers. Over within the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Lucas Ellinas has two factors in his final two video games with the Kitchener Rangers. He now sits only one aim away from the crew lead and is on tempo to hit a career-high 34 targets. Blake Montgomery, nevertheless, lead all Senators prospects final week, scoring three help in his final two video games and was named the third star on Oct. 12 for his position within the Lincoln Stars’ 3-0 win. He now has a degree in his final 4 video games.
Associated: Ottawa Senators Prospect of the Week: Carter Yakemchuk
Over within the American Hockey League (AHL), Cole Reinhardt has remained one of many crew’s most efficient forwards, sitting tied with Jan Jenik and Xavier Bourgault for the lead with a aim and an help in two video games. After his robust preseason, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get not less than just a few call-ups to Ottawa this season. Philippe Daoust has additionally appeared like his previous self after taking part in simply 13 video games over the previous two seasons, scoring a aim in his first recreation again this season. It’s been a robust begin for Belleville, who are actually 1-0-1 and sit third within the North Division.
It was one other robust week for the Senators’ prospects. Virtually the entire Senators prospects have performed not less than a few video games this season. We’re nonetheless ready for Djibril Toure, Tomas Hamara, Jake Chiasson, and Jorion Donovan to make their season debuts, and within the NCAA, solely Hoyt Stanley and Kevin Reidler have but to play a recreation. Other than a handful of AHLers, solely Matthew Andonovski, Filip Nordberg, and Cam O’Neill stay pointless to start out 2024-25, however all three ought to be anticipated to look on the scoresheet earlier than too lengthy. Tune in subsequent week to see which prospect stood above the remainder!
