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Ottawa Senators Goalie Prospect Mads Søgaard Gaining Experience in Medicine Hat

Where does goalie Mads Søgaard rank on the Senators depth chart?

You wouldn’t call Mads Søgaard’s 2019-20 season with the Medicine Hat Tigers spectacular. But that doesn’t mean he’s still not one of the Ottawa Senators top goaltending prospects. Fortunately, because the Senators also have a strong organizational depth chart, there will be time to give this 6-foot-7, 200-pound 19-year-old a chance to ripen into his body.

The Senators Traded Up to Draft Søgaard

During the 2019 NHL Draft, the Senators traded up to 37th overall in the second-round and surprised hockey people by choosing this tall goalie from Denmark after he enjoyed a great season with the Tigers in the WHL.

Obviously the organization saw something in the young Dane and chose him as the second goalie in the entire draft. During the 2018-19 season, his first season in the WHL, Søgaard had a great 0.921 save percentage and a goals-against-average of 2.64. People expected that to continue.

Related: Is the Ottawa Senators Rebuild About to Come to a Screeching Halt?

A Poorer Second Season in Medicine Hat

However, after that strong first season, he was the starting goalie but struggled during the World Juniors Tournament on a Team Denmark that was quite weak. But the same could not be said about his Medicine Hat team, and expectations for Søgaard were high. or much of the season, he simply didn’t live up to the hype.

For the entire season, Søgaard finished with a 0.908 save percentage and goals-against-average of 2.53. He also recorded 21 victories. However, something changed and he improved as the season progressed. By season’s end, he sported a 6-2-0 record, a 0.949 save percentage with a goals-against-average of 1.38. I’m sure he would have loved a chance in the playoffs, but sadly they were canceled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Makes Søgaard Such a Strong Prospect?

Søgaard’s size is a huge asset, and his net coverage is excellent because of his height. However, he’s still a bit thin and could add more muscle to flesh out his frame.

His reputation is that he has good in-net positioning. When he’s on his game, he absorbs shots like he’s a large black hole.

As Tony Ferrari of Dobber Prospects sees it, although he’s not yet the most athletic goalie, he tracks the puck well and allows his size to help him make saves other goalies simply cannot touch. His pads seal the goal well.

In short, Søgaard remains a high-level goaltending prospect. He might be one of those goalies who needs time to develop and mature, but when he fills out his tall frame he could be amazing.

Related: Can the Ottawa Senators Win the 2020 NHL Entry Draft Lottery?

The Skinny on Søgaard

The Senators have a number of great goalie prospects in their organization, and right now it’s hard to tell where Søgaard ranks. Certainly one of these prospects – and they include Filip Gustavsson, Joey Daccord, and Marcus Hogberg who’s already played a season in Ottawa – should be able to come through one day soon.

As it stands right now, the Senators look to be set in goal for quite a while.

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