Ottawa's NHL franchise has had its share of lottery picks over the years, but some of the most beloved Senators in franchise history weren't taken in the first round — or even close to it. As the 2026 NHL Draft approaches and the Senators continue building their young core, it's worth looking back at the late-round gems that helped define what it means to wear the red and black.
Chris Neil — 6th Round, 161st Overall (1998)
If there's one name that defines gritty late-round value in Senators history, it's Chris Neil. Taken 161st overall in 1998, Neil went on to play 1,026 games in an Ottawa uniform — the most in franchise history. He wasn't flashy, but the eastern Ontario native was beloved by fans at Canadian Tire Centre for his physical play, his penalty minutes, and his unshakeable commitment to his teammates. You simply don't find that kind of loyalty and longevity from a sixth-round pick very often.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau — 4th Round, 96th Overall (2011)
JG Pageau was supposed to be a depth forward. Instead, he became a playoff hero. Ottawa fans still talk about his back-to-back hat tricks against the Rangers in the 2017 playoffs — a moment that lit up the whole city. Taken 96th overall out of Gatineau, Pageau's evolution into a legitimate top-six centre (and eventually a $30-million man with the Islanders) is one of the great late-round development stories in Senators history.
Antoine Vermette — 3rd Round, 55th Overall (2000)
Vermette never quite became a star in Ottawa, but he was a reliable two-way centre drafted well outside the lottery. He developed into a useful NHLer who went on to win a Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2015 — not bad for a third-round pick from the early 2000s rebuild era.
Marc Methot — 6th Round, 168th Overall (2003)
Methot is a textbook example of the kind of player you can find if your organization is patient and development-focused. Taken 168th overall, he eventually blossomed into one of the best shutdown defencemen in the NHL, forming a formidable pairing with Erik Karlsson in Ottawa during the team's most competitive recent seasons. The fact that the Sens identified and developed a 6th-round pick into an All-Star calibre blueliner says a lot about the work done behind the scenes.
Mike Fisher — 2nd Round, 44th Overall (1998)
Okay, the second round isn't exactly the deep end of the pool, but 44th overall is far enough down the board that Fisher counts as a genuine value pick. He played nearly 700 games for Ottawa, was a fan favourite on and off the ice, and brought the kind of character and leadership that money can't buy. He was also famously married to country superstar Carrie Underwood, which made him arguably the most famous Senator of his era for reasons that had nothing to do with hockey.
What It Means for Today's Sens
With Ottawa's current young core — Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson — built largely through top picks, it's easy to forget the franchise's knack for finding value in the middle and late rounds. As general manager Steve Staios looks to add depth ahead of what many hope will be a playoff push, the lesson from this list is clear: the right late-round pick, developed properly, can become a franchise pillar.
Source: The Hockey Writers via Google News
