When the Senators make the 32nd overall pick at the NHL Draft in Buffalo on June 26, they’ll likely be selecting a player they believe should have gone earlier.
Speaking recently on TSN 1200, Senators head scout Don Boyd said there will likely be a tier of about eight players on their list that could realistically be in play when their turn arrives at the end of the first round.
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They think five of their higher-ranked players might drop to 32, and they also have three players ranked 33-35 that they’d be happy with, too. So the Sens are probably confident they’ll end up with one of eight or nine specific players.
Since we don’t have access to the Sens’ ranked list of 32, and we don’t know who other teams will pick, any reference to this tier of eight players is just speaking in generalities.
However, The Hockey News Draft Preview provides an interesting glimpse at the prospects we project to go in the range Boyd mentioned. To round things out, we even expanded the list to ten players.
So, using our Draft Preview issue rankings from 26 through 35, here’s a look at some of the names who could be in play when the Senators are on the clock.
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#26 Marcus Nordmark, LW — Djurgårdens IF Jr. (Sweden)
Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 180 pounds
2025-26 Stats: 25 GP, 14 G, 24 A, 38 PTS (Djurgården Jr.)
It’s hard not to be intrigued by a player who thrives in a best-on-best. Nordmark led Sweden in scoring at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but he’s probably one of the most polarizing players in this range. His supporters see a skilled winger with top-six NHL potential thanks to his offensive creativity, but critics wonder why a player with his talent doesn’t dominate more consistently. His father, Robert, was a defenseman in the NHL in the late 1980s.
#27 Maddox Dagenais, C — Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 195 pounds
2025-26 Stats: 62 GP, 30 G, 32 A, 62 PTS
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Another player with NHL bloodlines, Maddox is the son of former Montreal Canadiens winger Pierre Dagenais. Maddox enjoyed a breakout season, scoring at a point per game clip and winning the QMJHL award for best pro prospect. Scouts love his shot and saw some games where he was a legitimate power forward. But being that player more consistently will be the challenge next season.
#28 Tobias Trejbal, G — Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 188 pounds
2025-26 Stats: 30-9-3, 2.12 GAA, .916 SV%
The Czech goalie was named the top goaltender in the USHL after posting a .916 save percentage. Scouts praise his athleticism, size and calm presence in the crease. He’s headed for UMass in 2027 and will be a target in this month’s CHL import draft.
#29 Ryan Roobroeck, C — Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 215 pounds
2025-26 Stats: 49 GP, 30 G, 28 A, 58 PTS
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A year before being draft eligible, Roobroeck scored 41 goals in the OHL last season. Between that and his impressive size, it had people thinking he might be a lottery pick this year. His stats dipped this season due to a season-ending lower-body injury in February. Some scouts see a future power forward with a pro-calibre shot, while others want to see him use his size more and become harder to play against. He’s already played three seasons for Niagara and has been able to produce despite that team’s ongoing struggles on and off the ice.
#30 Niklas Aaram-Olsen, LW — Örebro Jr. (Sweden)
Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 183 pounds
2025-26 Stats: 29 GP, 20 G, 20 A, 40 PTS
The Norwegian winger impressed scouts at the Under-18 World Championship and already has experience in Sweden’s top professional league, playing 16 games this season. Evaluators praise his skating, hockey sense and shot. Many see him as one of the safer prospects in this range because he plays a mature, well-rounded game.
#31 Markus Ruck, C — Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) *
Height: 6-foot-0 Weight: 167 pounds
2025-26 Stats: 68 GP, 21 G, 87 A, 108 PTS
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At this point in the draft, it’s going to be awfully hard to turn down a player in his draft year who just won the WHL scoring title with 108 points. According to one scout, NHL analytics departments are particularly fond of his game. Skeptics wonder how much of his production was helped by playing with his twin brother, Liam, on a loaded Medicine Hat roster, but few question his hockey IQ.
#32 Juho Piiparinen, RD — Tappara (Liiga)
Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 201 pounds
2025-26 Stats: 29 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3 PTS
Piiparinen played the entire season in the Finnish men’s league, which is certainly a feather in his cap. The biggest question revolves around his offensive ceiling, and a first-round selection needs to be able to deliver at least some of that. But many believe he has the tools to become a reliable NHL defenseman,
#33 Jaxon Cover, LW — London Knights (OHL) *
Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 185 pounds
2025-26 Stats: 67 GP, 20 G, 32 A, 52 PTS
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Cover only began playing organized hockey five years ago after first excelling in roller hockey. Scouts rave about his athleticism, creativity, and his snap shot is off the charts. Because he is still relatively new to elite-level hockey, many believe he has a lot more room to improve than almost anyone in the draft. And he’s already pretty darn good.
#34 Brady Knowling, G — U.S. National Team Development Program
Height: 6-foot-5 Weight: 202 pounds
2025-26 Stats: 12-10-0, 3.73 GAA, .880 SV%
The Boston University commit was chosen to play for Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky and the World Juniors. At 6-foot-5, he has all the physical attributes teams look for in a modern NHL goaltender. Scouts have seen him dominate games against top competition and praise his athleticism and competitive level. The concern, as it is for most teenagers at this range, is consistency.
#35 Yegor Shilov, C — Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 180 pounds
2025-26 Stats: 63 GP, 32 G, 50 A, 82 PTS
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Shilov might be the highest-risk, highest-reward player in this group. Scouts praise his offensive instincts, puck skills and ability to create scoring chances. However, concerns about his compete level and play away from the puck appear repeatedly in scouting reports. One evaluator described him as a classic boom-or-bust prospect whose talent could make him a first-round bargain or a disappointment.
* Predictions? Granted, I’m no draft guru by any stretch, but I do like to read up and watch player highlights. If they’re still there, it’s hard not to like Jaxon Cover (pronounced like clover) or Markus Ruck.
Wearing Sidney Crosby’s number 87, Cover’s puck skill, fierce snap shot, and fearlessness at the net are pretty crazy, especially for a young man with only five years of organized hockey. The Sens won with Shane Pinto, who didn’t play competitive hockey until he was 15.
As for Ruck, again, it’s tough to turn down a player in his draft year who just won the WHL scoring title with 108 points.
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Of course, the Senators only need two teams ahead of them to see these players the same way.
No matter how it plays out, Boyd says the Senators have identified an eight-player tier they’d be comfortable selecting from, so they’ll have plenty of intriguing choices available when their turn arrives in Buffalo.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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