OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators’ 2024 NHL Draft class signaled a sizable shift in strategy.
Of the six players selected by Ottawa, all are at least 6-foot-2. And even then, defenseman Gabriel Eliasson, chosen in the second round (No. 39), towers over those fellow prospects.
At 6-7, 201 pounds, the 17-year-old is no gentle giant. He prides himself on being hard to play against.
“My strengths are in the physical play, obviously,” Eliasson said during Senators development camp this month. “Also, I have some good reach and I have a good mindset. I always put my team first. I want to win the game and win the battles out there. I love to make some big hits and stuff like that, too, being pretty mean out there.”
What sticks out statistically for the native of Kungsbacka, Sweden, is the mean stuff. Eliasson had 103 penalty minutes in 36 games last season with HV71’s team in Sweden’s junior league. Where he knows he must improve is on offense; he had six points (one goal, five assists).
“I’ve got to work on my puck skills, my first pass, stuff like that,” he said. “I mean, I’m looking three to five years in the future and we will see how much I develop. Maybe it goes faster, and maybe it goes slower. We will see. I just want to be in a good spot now and develop and get better every day.”
Ottawa player development coach Shean Donovan struck a slightly more optimistic tone when discussing Eliasson’s potential.
“It’s incredible that at that big, that young, that he’s as put together as he is,” Donovan said. “And he’s going to grow. Obviously, he’s going to get stronger, he’s going to get more coordinated. It’s pretty incredible how he’s able to move out there at that size and that young.
“He speaks such good English and he was fun to work with. And he’s physical. Every drill he was into it, even though we weren’t doing a lot of physical drills. He loves physicality. It’s fun to work with a guy like that.”
The Senators' other selections in the 2024 draft were defensemen Carter Yakemchuk (6-3, 201; No. 7) and Eerik Wallenius (6-4, 212; fifth round, No. 136), and forwards Lucas Ellinas (6-2, 198; fourth round, No. 104), Javon Moore (6-3, 190; fourth round, No. 112) and Blake Montgomery (6-3, 180; fourth round, No. 117).
Donovan said it was no coincidence that the organization prioritized size at the draft.
“I think if you watch hockey in June, I think the teams are pretty big and the [defensemen] are pretty big,” Donovan said. “Obviously, we’re drafting big. It’s a good thing. Lots of good kids, and they can play, also. Not only are they big, but they can play.
“People should be pretty excited about the future here.”
Fittingly, Eliasson was a Zdeno Chara fan growing up. Chara, a defenseman who at 6-9 was the tallest player in NHL history, played four of his 24 NHL seasons with Ottawa (2001-06).
“Right now, I watch Nicolas Hague (Vegas Golden Knights; 6-6), Nikita Zadorov (Boston Bruins; 6-6) and Erik Cernak (Tampa Bay Lightning; 6-3),” Eliasson said. “I like their physical play and I also like that they can play with the puck. Simple, shutdown defensemen. They can create some good things when they are in bad situations.”
