Senators trade-time draft capital turns into two round-one wingers: Jonas Lagerberg Hoen and Jaxon Cover

The Ottawa Senators entered Friday’s NHL Draft with added flexibility, and they turned that flexibility into immediate prospect commitments in the first round. After the Senators traded Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers last Sunday, they reportedly gained a substantial package of draft capital. In Round One, Ottawa directed that value toward “future mode,” selecting two offensively skilled wingers, Jonas Lagerberg Hoen and Jaxon Cover.

Both selections fit the blueprint of a team attempting to restock its forward group with higher-end upside. The Yahoo Sports account framed the Senators’ approach as one of building toward the future rather than simply optimizing for the short term, and the choice of wingers indicates an emphasis on scoring chances from the perimeter and in transition. In modern NHL roster construction, adding wingers who can create offense helps reduce pressure on a team’s centers and top-line playmakers as prospects develop into heavier minutes.

What makes the timing notable is that the Senators’ draft position and approach were directly influenced by the Tkachuk trade, which supplied the “pile of draft capital” Ottawa could deploy at the draft. That matters because draft capital is not interchangeable. Teams typically use it to accelerate a rebuild when their window is unclear, especially when they see multiple prospects in the same tier of upside. Ottawa’s Round One decisions suggest it valued having more than one swing at offensive talent rather than concentrating everything into a single player.

Jonas Lagerberg Hoen and Jaxon Cover were both presented as offensively skilled wingers in the first round, which implies the Senators were looking for more than just size or two-way fundamentals. Offensive winger profiles, in particular, tend to be evaluated through shot volume, chance creation, and the ability to impact play away from the puck. The Senators’ willingness to use first-round picks on that type of prospect also suggests Ottawa expects meaningful offensive responsibility from its next wave of players, even if that responsibility arrives progressively.

While the selections are the headline, the real question for Ottawa is how quickly these prospects can translate their offensive traits into NHL readiness. In player development, the transition from prospect leagues to the NHL is rarely linear. Most offensive players must refine their decision-making, timing, and defensive engagement as the speed and structure of NHL defenses tighten. For Ottawa, that development path will likely be shaped by how the organization builds its lineup around young forwards, including how it manages minutes and roles once the prospects are ready to contribute.

There is also a strategic layer to drafting two wingers early. Even without additional specifics, selecting multiple offensive forwards in the first round can be a way to avoid the common problem of having a surplus at one position type while another area stays thin. For a rebuilding team, depth on the wings can be more valuable than it looks on paper, because injuries and matchup needs force roster adjustments across a season.

Looking ahead, the most important next step is the organization’s plan for onboarding and progression. Ottawa’s fanbase will be watching how the club integrates new prospects into its development pipeline and whether these first-round wingers can follow a track toward higher-zone usage and consistent finishing at the highest level. Friday’s draft is an inflection point, but it is only the start of measuring whether the acquired draft capital converts into sustained offensive impact.