Ottawa Senators fans looking for the next big body to patrol the blue line should keep an eye on Gabriel Eliasson, the towering defenceman who just wrapped up his junior hockey career with a statement season — and a clear message that he's ready for what's next.
A Season to Remember
Eliasson closed out 2025-26 by leading the entire Ontario Hockey League in penalty minutes, a stat line that speaks to the physical, no-nonsense style he's built his game around. For a player the Senators drafted with an eye toward size and toughness on the back end, that kind of season is exactly the résumé boost the organization likes to see heading into the next stage of development.
"I want to take the next step," Eliasson said, making it clear junior hockey is officially in his rear-view mirror. It's the kind of confidence teams love to hear from a prospect who's spent years grinding through the OHL grind and is now eyeing a full-time professional job.
What's Next: Belleville in His Sights
Rather than returning for another junior season, Eliasson is aiming to crack the roster of the Belleville Senators, Ottawa's American Hockey League affiliate. Belleville has long served as the proving ground for Sens prospects looking to bridge the gap between junior and the NHL, and a physical, penalty-minute-leading rearguard like Eliasson fits the mould of players who've used that stepping stone before him.
For Ottawa fans, prospect pipelines like this one matter more than ever. With the Senators pushing to build a deeper, more competitive roster in recent years, having depth defencemen ready to step in from Belleville gives the organization options if injuries or trades create openings on the big club's blue line.
The Ottawa Angle
While Eliasson's junior career played out in OHL rinks across Ontario, his path forward runs directly through the Senators organization — and by extension, through Ottawa. Every prospect who cracks an NHL roster started with a strong training camp push, and a physical, penalty-minute leader like Eliasson is exactly the type of player Ottawa's scouting and development staff will be watching closely as camp approaches. If he earns that Belleville roster spot, he'll be one step away from suiting up at Canadian Tire Centre in Senators colours.
For a fanbase that's grown used to tracking prospects through the system, Eliasson is a name worth remembering. Big, physical defencemen who play with an edge don't always grab headlines in junior, but they're often the ones who carve out long, useful NHL careers — and Ottawa could use exactly that kind of depth on the back end.
Source: Ottawa Citizen
