Well, the Ottawa Senators took a different approach in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, betting on a long-term upside by selecting two very skilled right-wingers with their late first-round picks.
With the 25th overall selection, the Senators chose Swedish forward Jonas Lagerberg Hoen before using the 32nd overall pick on Jaxon Cover, a Cayman Islands-born (GTA-raised) winger whose unconventional path to elite hockey has made him one of the draft’s most intriguing prospects.
Both selections came after a VERY busy week for Ottawa’s front office. The 25th overall pick was acquired from the Florida Panthers as part of the blockbuster Brady Tkachuk trade, while the 32nd pick belonged to the Senators. Earlier in the week, Ottawa also dealt the ninth overall selection—also acquired from Florida—to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for young forwards William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda, signalling the club is looking to compete now while continuing to build for the future.
Rather than drafting players not really expected to challenge for NHL jobs immediately, the Senators targeted two prospects with offensive upside who are expected to require some development before making the jump to the league.
“We had a plan going into this thing to get some skill in our lineup, so it fell into place that way,” Senators head scout Don Boyd said following the opening round.
Jonas Lagerberg Hoen
Lagerberg Hoen, 18, hails from Mora, Sweden, and developed through the Leksands IF system.
Last season he emerged as one of Sweden’s most dangerous young goal scorers, finishing second on Leksands IF’s Under-20 team with 27 goals in 38 games before earning time with the club’s professional squad. Scouts have praised the 6-foot-2 winger for his shot, offensive instincts and scoring touch, traits Ottawa hopes will eventually translate into a top-six NHL role.
Given his age and development path, Lagerberg Hoen is expected to spend at least another season or two in Sweden before competing for a spot in North America. A realistic NHL arrival would likely come in two to three years, depending on his progress.
Jaxon Cover
Ottawa’s second first-round selection may also prove to be its most fascinating.
Born in the Cayman Islands, Cover didn’t begin playing actual ice hockey until he was 13 after moving to Canada. Before that he picked up some hockey skills playing hockey on in-line skates. Despite the late start, his athleticism and rapid development quickly caught the attention of scouts.
Cover most recently played for St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, just north of Toronto, where his combination of speed, skill and size made him one of the fastest-rising prospects in the draft. His remarkable hockey journey—from roller hockey in the Caribbean to the first round of the NHL Draft—has made him one of this year’s best stories.
Like Lagerberg Hoen, Cover is considered a long-term project rather than an NHL-ready player. The expectation is that he will continue developing over the next two or three seasons before challenging for a roster spot in Ottawa.
Building for Today… and Tomorrow
While some fans hoped Ottawa would use its first-round picks on players closer to NHL-ready, the Senators clearly prioritized long-term offensive upside.
But this does not mean the Sens are sitting on their hands in terms of the ‘now’ and they plan to continue to fine-tune a team coming into its own but still addressing a few holes.
The club’s current core—including Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Linus Ullmark and newly acquired William Eklund—means there is no immediate pressure for either prospect to make the NHL next season.
Instead, Ottawa can afford to be patient.
If their development stays on track, Lagerberg Hoen and Cover could arrive just as the Senators’ current core reaches absolute prime, giving the organization another powerful wave of young offensive talent to complement an already promising roster.
Time will ultimately determine whether Ottawa’s gamble pays off, but the Senators made one thing clear on draft night: they were willing to bet on skill, patience and long-term potential.
lead photo collage from Ottawa Senators news release by © Richard Tenhove (Calgary Sports)
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