After scoring a goal and adding two assists in just two games, Javon Moore is the Ottawa Senators Prospect of the Week for Dec. 2-8. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, he was one of the Senators’ biggest swings. He was dominant in his draft season, and when he was on, he looked like an NHL forward. However, this was against high school competition in Minnesota. Would those skills translate to the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) Sioux Falls Stampede? So far, it looks like it; with 13 points in 19 games, he is well on his way to becoming an impactful forward.
From High School to the USHL
There were concerns about whether Moore could handle himself against tougher competition. Last season, he was one of the most dynamic players in high school hockey. In 28 games with Minnetonka High, he scored 26 goals and 53 points, leading his team in goals and finishing third in points, bringing a deadly combination of speed and skill that paired well with an intimidating 6-foot-4 frame. However, high school is significantly less competitive than junior hockey, and scouts doubted whether his skill would translate to a league where players were much closer to his height.
Initially, things went spectacularly for Moore. He moved to the Stampede for 2024-25, and in his first three games, he put up a goal, two assists, and eight shots, one of the highest totals on the team. By his seventh game, he already had six points and was playing on Sioux Falls’ top line, but three games later, he was back down to the third. While his defensive game was strong, his offensive game couldn’t keep up.
Over the next 10 games, the Stampede tried everything to help Moore get back on track. They put him on the third line with various centres and tried him on the fourth, second, and back to the first line. The rookie left-winger was even scratched for three games for undisclosed reasons and moved to the right wing for three games after. Throughout that stretch, he only managed four points, all assists, yet still only put up one negative rating.
Finally, on Dec. 6, Moore found the back of the net again, scoring the Stampede’s first goal against the Omaha Lancers and providing the primary assist on the next. That opened the floodgates for Sioux Falls, and after going down 2-0 early in the first, they came back and won it in overtime, 4-3. The following night, Moore was back at it, scoring the first goal of the game en route to a 5-2 victory over the Tri-City Storm.
JAVON MOORE PUTS US ON THE BOARD
— Sioux Falls Stampede (@sfstampede) December 7, 2024
🚨: @Javon_Moore22
🍎: Ben Wilmott pic.twitter.com/H7aNczKhPk
Moore still has a lot of growing to do before he heads off to the University of Minnesota next season, but he’s proving that his high school season was no fluke. With a great mind for shutting down plays and using his size to separate opponents from the puck, he’s become a much more well-rounded player this season. Now, all he has to do is rekindle his scoring touch from last season, and he could become a hidden gem for the Senators.
Senators Prospects Honourable Mentions & Check-Ins
Last week’s Prospect of the Week winner, Blake Montgomery, kept pace with a goal and an assist in two games with the London Knights. Selected five picks after Moore, both players offer similar upsides thanks to their size and skill, and both have adapted incredibly well in their rookie seasons. But Montgomery’s decision to move to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has bumped him up the Senators’ depth chart, and his recent streak has helped the Knights soar to a league-leading 23 wins.
Related: Ottawa Senators Prospect of the Week – Blake Montgomery
Staying in the OHL, Lucas Ellinas has continued to add to his ridiculous stat line, scoring another goal in two games last week with the Kitchener Rangers, bringing his totals to 14 goals and six assists, two of which he added this past week, in 29 games. His scoring prowess is reminiscent of Kirill Marchenko, who finished his rookie season with the Columbus Blue Jackets with a record-setting 21 goals and four assists.
Despite the World Junior Championship snub, Carter Yakemchuk has remained as productive as ever. Last week, he scored another goal and added two assists, giving him 26 points in 20 games this season. He now leads Calgary Hitmen defenders by a margin of 16 points and is the 10th highest-scoring defenceman in the Western Hockey League (WHL). However, his 10 goals are the second-highest total in the league and just two behind 18-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers blueliner Bryce Pickford.
Two players with the Belleville Senators stood out this week. American Hockey League (AHL) veteran Wyatt Bongiovanni didn’t play a game until November this season, but since then, he’s been a solid producer, putting up eight points in nine games. Last week, he had one of his most productive outings, scoring a goal and two assists in two contests against the Manitoba Moose. He now has five points in his last four games. Leevi Merilainen has also been strong after missing most of November, adding another win in his lone start last week, giving him a 6-1-4 record and a .910 save percentage. He also recorded his first shutout of the season after not playing for 22 days. He’s been remarkably consistent despite his lack of playing time.
Tune in next week to see which prospect stood above the rest.
