The Ottawa Senators have had a dominant preseason, earning six wins in eight games. There have been plenty of players to stand out and challenge for a roster spot. Where luck is on the bubble players’ side is that the Senators are currently without Josh Norris and Shane Pinto. While injuries and contract disputes are rarely described as lucky, it is giving some youngsters a true opportunity to make the NHL.
No player has been more of a pleasant surprise than Roby Jarventie. The Senators made 10 picks in the 2020 Draft, and Jarventie is one of three who have yet to suit up in NHL action, and while he was cut from the NHL roster after the final preseason game, he will get his shot. Having him transition to centre in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Belleville Senators at the tail end of last season could be a huge boost to his development.
Jarventie’s Path of Development
Jarventie just turned 21 years old and already has 114 AHL games and another 53 games in the top Finnish league, the Liiga. Limited to just 40 games last season after a knee injury holding him out for 12 weeks, Jarventie had what may be his best year of development. His production jumped from 0.47 points per game in 2021-22 to 0.75 in his most recent season. On top of his offensive jump, the transition to centre and the growth of his two-way play have been crucial for him.
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Missing from his resume is an NHL debut, but he isn’t entirely at fault for that, and it isn’t indicative of his play or development. Jarventie likely would have suited up in the big league had he been healthy last year. During his rookie season in the AHL, it made sense for him to stick around down there. Last season, with the injuries at the NHL level, there were several AHL call-ups that Jarventie wasn’t part of.
Ridly Greig and Egor Sokolov were ahead of him for call-ups, but he likely would have gotten a chance ahead of Rourke Chartier and Jake Lucchini had he been healthy. After a four-goal showing in his five games of action, Jarventie was one of the best Senators in the preseason.
Jarventie Deserves an NHL Spot
The offensive output from Jarventie in the preseason was excellent. Out of all the players looking to join the roster, Jarventie has been one of, if not the most impressive. With the sudden urgency for quality centres in the absence of Pinto and Norris, his ability to shift between the wing and the middle could be valuable. As of now, of course, Tim Stutzle has taken hold of the number one centre job, and that isn’t going away any time soon, but Ridly Greig is slotting into the second-line center spot, which also makes sense.
For the bottom six, Mark Kastelic taking the reigns on the fourth line also makes sense, though he didn’t have a great preseason. Rourke Chartier looks like he will be the third-line centre to start the year, and choosing him over Jarventie is a questionable decision.
Don’t get me wrong, Chartier is a decent player and looked fine in his six-game stint with the Senators last year, but he is better suited in the AHL and Jarventie should be starting there.
This club is already short-handed, and as they hunt for a playoff spot, they need to be playing the best players available. This decision doesn’t seem to be living up to that standard. While sure, Jarventie’s lack of experience down the middle could be a factor, he has also shown that he deserves to be in the lineup over the likes of Josh Bailey, Zack MacEwen, and Parker Kelly, who all remain on the NHL roster.
Nothing is set in stone. Once the 23-man roster is submitted on Oct. 9 at 5 pm, the changes can still be made. Norris could hit long-term injury reserve, Bailey could be released from his tryout or other players could be sent down and Jarventie recalled. This isn’t necessarily the final plan, but Jarventie does deserve an NHL spot at some point.
