Ottawa Senators 2025-26 Prospect Awards – Hockey Writers – Ottawa Senators
Since his arrival in 2023-24, general manager Steve Staios has made a major effort to revamp the Ottawa Senators’ prospect pool. By the end of the 2025-26 season, the team had signed four of the six picks in 2024 and seen significant improvements in the other two. The Belleville Senators also took a big step forward. Although they did not qualify for the American Hockey League (AHL) Playoffs, almost every player improved. For youngsters like Blake Montgomery and Hoyt Stanley who joined the team at the end of the season, it bodes well for their future in Ottawa.
After handing out the End of Season Awards, let’s switch focus to expectations and celebrate some of the best songs on the Ottawa farm circuit.
MVP and Best Defensive Player: Carter Yakemchuk
Carter Yakemchuk’s first professional season couldn’t have gone much better than it did. His 10 goals and 40 points in 54 games not only made him the top-scoring defenseman in the AHL, but of the 13 AHL rookies he surpassed, only three were younger than him. His total set a record as the youngest defenseman to score 40 points and ranks among the top 50 by a 20-year-old in league history along with Roman Josi, Mike Green, and Sergey Gonchar.
The Senators appeared intent on allowing Yakemchuk to pitch a full season in the minors, but the team was plagued by injuries late in the season, which led to Yakemchuk starting on March 24, 2026. Despite the poor conditions of his first game, Yakemchuk scored a goal and recorded an assist, earning the game’s first star. That led to three more games and a playoff game with Ottawa. “It wasn’t an easy situation to be in,” said veteran Lars Eller, “and I think he handled it incredibly well. I’m sure he’ll have a great career ahead of him.”
Best Striker: Stephen Halliday
Stephen Halliday is one of the most interesting prospects the Senators have ever had in their program, in that he somehow manages to live up to expectations. This season was no different. What began as a temporary replacement for Ridley Greig in November turned into a 30-game stint for the 23-year-old, where he became one of the Senators’ best players. His 56.9 goals Corsi For Percentage (CF%) and 1.8 goals against per 60 minutes (GA/60) were two of the best averages on the team, while his four goals and seven assists put him on pace to score 30 points in a full season.
Halliday now has a full NHL deal for next season after the Senators signed him to a two-year extension in early May, and he should be a good replacement for Eller in the bottom six. It will be his biggest test yet, but if we have learned anything, it is that he will do well.
Honorable Mention: Arthur Kaliyev had an impressive season in Belleville, becoming the first player in franchise history to score 40 goals, earning him the AHL’s Willie Marshall Award as the league’s leading scorer and Belleville’s MVP. He’s not a prospect, but he’s been treated like one and should have gotten more than two games with the Senators this season.
Best Goaltender and Playoff MVP: Lucas Beckman
Lucas Beckman has been amazing this season. He started with Baie-Comeau Drakkar, where he was last season, and posted a .905 save percentage (SV%) over 23 games despite recording just four wins. Then at the trade deadline, he was acquired by the Chicoutimi Saguenees, who were all in on the championship game. Finally, with a competitive team, Beckman thrived. Over the next 15 games, he posted a 13-1-0 record, four shutouts, and a league-leading .940 SV%.
Then, in the playoffs, Beckman went two rounds without recording a loss and led the league with a 1.98 goals-against average and three shutouts. It was just what the Sanguenees needed to claim their first Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) title since 1994, and earn their goaltender his first NHL contract. In an organization struggling with goals, Beckman now looks like the Senators’ next goalie of the future, and with his artistic background, his kit could be one of the best looking, too.
Honorable Mentions: Despite a solid NHL career, Leevi Merilainen is still the Senators’ next best goaltender, and his continued success in the AHL proves he needs more time to develop. As for playoff MVPs, Eerik Wallenius doubled his point-per-game pace in the playoffs with the Moncton Wildcats and finished with nearly as many points as he put up in the regular season.
Most Improved: Tyler Boucher
At this point, most people have written off or completely forgotten about Tyler Boucher, the Senators’ disappointing 10th overall pick in the 2021 draft. Of the 32 players selected in that first round, he’s one of four who haven’t played their NHL game yet, and after two tough AHL seasons, you wouldn’t be alone in thinking he wouldn’t.
However Boucher had a strong 2025-26 season. Offensively, he was better than ever, scoring 12 goals and putting up 26 points, double his previous career high despite playing the same amount of games last season. He also doubled his penalty minutes and recorded the first positive plus/minus total of his career, finishing with a plus-7, the second-highest in Belleville. Injuries are still a concern, but with his contract expiring in July, he may have done enough to earn a second chance.
Honorable Mention: Jorian Donovan nearly doubled his scoring total from last season and played an even better defensive game, earning himself a two-game recall for the Senators while dealing with injuries. He was also named Belleville’s Man of the Year for his community service and charitable involvement.
Big Surprise: Philippe Daoust
Although he’s not technically the Senators, Philippe Daoust deserves credit for a big bounce-back season. A sixth-round pick in 2020, he joined the Senators organization in 2022, but missed most of the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons with a major injury. Upon his return, he put up a respectable 22 points in 52 games, especially considering the time he missed, but with his contract expiring, it wasn’t enough to secure another deal with the Senators.
Instead of leaving the team, Daoust decided to stick around, signing a one-year AHL contract with Belleville. That little extra time was all he needed. Over 63 games this season, he scored a career-high 14 goals and 50 points, third highest on the team, and was given the Coaches’ Choice Award for his leadership, work ethic, and consistent production. “Phil has been a driver for our team all season,” said interim coach Andrew Campbell. “He brought competitiveness and efficiency to the rink every day and made everyone around him better.” After being cleared, Daoust may have played his way back to another NHL contract.
Honorable Mention: Graeme Clark had a great run with Belleville after joining the team in March, putting up 19 points in 15 games, and after the season ended, he said, “It felt like I played my best hockey of the season in those 15 games.” Hopefully he can keep it up for the entire season in 2026-27.
The Senators Farm team is improving
There have been some truly impressive performances from the Senators top prospects this season. Yakemchuk and Halliday are solidifying themselves as the next wave, but several others have shown strong improvement in their overall games and are moving closer to becoming NHL players.
But the Senators still have a lot of work to do. Hockey Writers Logan Horn ranked them 26th among the NHL’s best farm programs in January. The team is in the hunt right now, but if they want to stay competitive, they must groom the next wave of talent. That’s why Staios has spent so much time and effort working on Ottawa’s farm team and prospect pool. It’s a lot better than it was, but it still needs some work to become a championship-level organization.
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