MONTREAL - After grabbing a shutdown defenceman in the first round of the NHL draft, the Ottawa Senators addressed their offence and goaltending Saturday.
Their Day 2 haul included a pair of Swedish prospects taken during the second round, winger Jakob Silfverberg and goalie Robin Lehner, following up on Friday's first round selection of hulking blue-liner Jared Cowen.
"Our European guys love the two Swedish guys we got in the second round," said assistant GM Tom Murray. "They thought they were first round talents."
The picks were made as general manager Bryan Murray saw no progress on the Dany Heatley trade front. Murray wasn't sure if the sniper's trade demand would be met prior to a scheduled US$4 million bonus payment due Wednesday.
"I think there will be a little further discussion, I don't know how much," Murray said. "I guess we'll attempt to accommodate him, if that's the right word."
Instead, the Senators worked to replenish their farm teams and Silfverberg, the 12th ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting, was taken with the 39th overall pick.
Senators scout Vaclav Burda described him as a high-end offensive talent who still needs to work on his defensive game. And even though he has decent size at six-foot-one, 187 pounds, he will need some time to adapt his game to the rigours of the NHL.
"He's an offensive player with great hands who can beat players 1-on-1 and he's very dangerous around the net," Burda said. "He'll need some time to adjust to physical hockey over here. But I don't see it as an issue."
Silfverberg is expected to play his first full season with Brynas of the Swedish Elite League after suiting up in 16 games this past season, and the Senators hope to bring him to North America for the 2010-11 season.
Lehner won't have to wait that long as the big Swedish goaltender will be playing major junior hockey in Canada this year. The top-ranked European goalie on the NHL Central Scouting list, he was the second netminder taken in the draft.
Sens Swedish scout Anders Forsberg said he loves Lehner's size at six-foot-three, 220 pounds and his competitiveness. Lehner's goaltender coach in Sweden also produced Rangers star Henrik Lundqvist, and Forsberg said the similarities between the two are clear.
"He's a very skilled goalie with great technique," Frosberg said. "He looks like and acts like Henrik Lundqvist. His mental side is more Canadian than Swedish. He's very competitive."
Other players the Senators selected Saturday were: American defenceman Chris Wideman in the fourth round, forward Mike Hoffman from the Drummondville Voltigeurs and American winger Jeff Costello in the fifth round, Ottawa 67s winger Corey Cowick in round six and two Americans in high school winger Brad Peltz and defenceman Michael Sdao in the seventh.
Now the focus for the Senators turns toward the start of free agency July 1 and Bryan Murray hopes to be able to add a top-six forward between now and Canada Day, either through a trade or on the free agent market.
Murray also said he held a meeting with impending free agent Chris Neil's agent Todd Reynolds in Montreal, and he hopes to speak with him again prior to Wednesday in the hopes of signing Neil to a new contract.
On a more positive note for the Senators, the team took hulking defenceman Jared Cowen of the Spokane Chiefs with the ninth overall pick in the draft.
Cowen, who stands six foot five and weighs 220 pounds, fills a desperate need for size on the blue-line, said Senators chief scout Pierre Dorion.
With those dimensions, Ottawa fans might be tempted to compare Cowen to former Senators defenceman Zdeno Chara, but Dorion says that wouldn't be fair.
"No one compares to Chara, not taking anything from Jared Cowen," Dorion said. "Jared Cowen will be a solid defensive-minded defencemen, he'll play in our top four in the future and log a lot of minutes for us."
The risk with Cowen is that he suffered a devastating knee injury in January and only got back on the ice for the first time last Wednesday.
Cowen, who was born in Allan, Sask., tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee and also suffered a partial tear of his meniscus, but Sens team doctor Don Chow examined the knee Thursday and gave the Senators the green light.
"I didn't really know what to expect, I didn't know if it would affect me too much," Cowen said of how the injury may have impacted his draft standing.
"I think it has a little bit but I'm definitely not disappointed right now. I'm happy to be going to Ottawa, so I think it was a blessing in disguise."
Ottawa Senators 2009 Draft selections:
Round 1, 9th pick: JARED COWEN, D, 6'5/220 Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
Round 2, 39th pick: JAKOB SILFVERBERG, LW/RW, 6'1/187 Brynas IF Gavle (Sweden)
Round 2, 46th pick: ROBIN LEHNER, G, 6'3/220 Frolunda Junior (Sweden)
Round 4, 100th pick CHRIS WIDEMAN, D, 5'10/170 Miami University (CCHA)
Round 5, 130th pick MIKE HOFFMAN, C/LW, 5'11/175 Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
Round 5, 146th pick JEFF COSTELLO, LW, 6'0/190 Cedar Rapids (USHL)
Round 6, 160th pick COREY COWICK, LW, 6'2/201 Ottawa 67s (OHL)
Round 7, 190th pick BRAD PELTZ, LW, 6'1/185 Avon Old Farms, Connecticut (U.S. High School)
Round 7, 191st pick MICHAEL SDAO, D, 6'4/221 Lincoln (USHL)
Cowick is a Glocuester native who was traded to the 67s from Oshawa in the summer of 2008.
Carp native selected by Islanders
There was also some local content among Friday's top draft picks. Carp's Calvin De Haan made his way to podium much earlier than expected as the New York Islanders traded up and grabbed him with the 12th overall pick.
The Oshawa Generals defenceman had been ranked 23rd.
Other picks with ties to eastern Ontario and the Outaouais:
New York Rangers 2nd Round (47) C Ethan Werek: Kingston (OHL)
San Jose Sharks 2nd Round (57) D Taylor Doherty: Kingston (OHL)
Vancouver Canucks 4th Round (113) D Jeremy Price: Nepean Raiders (CJHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins 4th Round (121) F Nick Peterson, Wakefield QC: Shawinigan (QMJHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins 5th Round (151) C Andy Bathgate: Belleville Bulls (OHL)
Anaheim Ducks 6th Round (166) D Scott Valentine, Metcalfe ON: Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Montreal Canadiens 6th Round (169) C Dustin Walsh: Kingston (OHL)
Chicago Blackhawks 6th Round (177) C David Pacan: Cumberland (CJHL)
Boston Bruins 7th Round (206) C Ben Sexton Nepean: (QMJHL)
With a report from CTV Ottawa