The Ottawa Senators have made a number of controversial draft decisions, some of which continue to haunt the franchise. Here are five of the most notable blunders:
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The 2021 Draft Class: Ottawa’s selections in 2021, especially their decision to pick Tyler Boucher 10th overall, sparked backlash. Despite defending the choice publicly, the results have been poor, with Boucher struggling in the AHL and other picks, like Ben Roger and Oliver Johansson, failing to make an impact.
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Trading the 16th Overall Pick in 2010: The Senators traded this pick to the St. Louis Blues for David Rundblad, hoping to bolster their defense. However, the Blues used it to select Vladimir Tarasenko, who went on to become a star, while Rundblad played only a handful of games for Ottawa before being traded again.
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Not Picking Tuukka Rask in 2005: In the 2005 draft, Ottawa passed on selecting goalie Tuukka Rask, who went on to have an illustrious career with the Boston Bruins, instead picking another goalie, Ray Emery, who never reached Rask’s level of success.
These missteps highlight how difficult it can be to predict success in the draft, but also show how important it is to make the right decisions when given the opportunity.