Senators Draft Jaxon Cover 32nd Overall – Hockey Writers – Ottawa Senators

With the 32nd pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators selected Jaxon Cover from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

About the cover

The cover story is unique among all other draft prospects. A successful roller hockey player from the Cayman Islands, he played his first competitive ice hockey game at the age of 13.

However, with the OHL’s London Knights, Cover burst onto the scene this season. In 67 games, he had 20 goals and 32 assists. He was second in points to 2025 Pittsburgh Penguins starting defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz.

“Every game this year, he’s made you notice him,” scouting director Dan Marr said. “He does the little things, the little things that make scouts notice him. So he might have been a hidden secret during the season. He’s gone now.”

The cover is a total boom or Senators choice. However, considering his rise to this point and his attitude, he has time on his side. He has good puck handling skills with good puck vision and a good scoring touch, playing like Tyler Toffoli. However, his raw skills will take time to mature and mold him into an NHLer.

Excerpt from THW’s profile

A few skills have translated very well from his time as a center fielder to his role as a full-time OHLer, including his sticky grip and puck-handing. Given time and space, Cover has the hands to make a defender look silly and can make dynamic plays with the puck in his possession to get down the ice or create more space on the offensive end. Another aspect of his game that has translated well has been his “natural” ability to score goals. He has the shooting and accuracy to be a real threat with the puck in his possession from multiple spots on the ice as a shooter. He plays a big role on the Knights’ power play and has shown the release and accuracy to be a power play player (five power play goals).

Away from the puck, Cover has no problem going to the corners or in front of the net to make plays and battles really well. He sees the ice well and can position himself offensively to be an option. Defensively, he analyzes the play around him and positions himself as a responsible player in his own end. With a strong frame and willingness to play physical, he has gotten better at recognizing how and when to use his body and will only get better as he continues to mature. He doesn’t see a ton of ice time with the Knights, but when he is on the ice, he makes it count on both ends.

Overall, Cover’s upside is very high, and he has all the tools to be an impact player in the NHL at some point. One area where he needs a little work is his decision-making, where he often forces a play or fails to see another option. This is another area of ​​his game that will continue to improve as he gets more ice time and matures his all-around game.

How This Affects Senators

The Senators need wings after trading Brady Tkachuk. They did well to get William Eklund, and Jonas Lagerberg Hoen brings scoring pop. However, Cover must provide second-highest scoring and playmaking performance if he becomes an NHL player.

I could see him becoming the second striker to go along with Dylan Cozens, the leading scorer and Drake Batherson. Cover is a raw player, but he is also a junior in the class, so the hope is that he can improve significantly in the NCAA at Penn State.