Senators keep No. 25 pick to roll the dice on Swedish winger Jonas Lagerberg Hoen

Image of hockey player Jonas Lagerberg Hoen from the X account of the NHL. Jonas Lagerberg Hoen was drafted 25th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the NHL draft on June 26, 2026. Photo by National Hockey League

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The Ottawa Senators chose the future over the present on Friday night.

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After sending captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for the No. 9 and No. 25 selections in the first round of the National Hockey League draft in Buffalo on Friday, along with a second-rounder in 2027 and a 2028 first-round pick, the Senators opted to hold onto some draft capital.

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While the Senators already had dealt the No. 9 pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for skilled forward William Eklund on Tuesday, Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, opted to use the No. 25 pick Ottawa received from the Panthers.

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The Senators selected winger Jonas Lagerberg Hoen from Leksand IF Jr. He started the season, but suffered a devastating knee injury that required him to have ACL surgery. He was ranked No. 19 among European skaters by the Central Scouting Bureau.

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The 6-foot-2, 178-pound Lagerberg Hoen scored nine goals and 16 points in nine games with the Leksands IF under-20 team. He was ranked No. 45 by Sportlogiq. He will play in the Swedish second league next season.

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“We really liked him. He’s a goal-scorer,” said European scout Anders Ostberg, who is based in Sweden. “He can really skate, he can score from everywhere, and he’s a competitive guy.

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“We had great interviews with him; he was great in the gym, and he checks all the boxes.”

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The decision to draft Lagerberg Hoen won’t go over well with many who follow the Senators, but we have to be honest that nobody would have known him if he had been higher on the list of Central Scouting and the other respected draft lists that we see through the course of the season.

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The Senators went into the week hoping to use that No. 25 overall pick to get another tangible asset that can help right away in return.

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We’re told the club had serious discussions with the Anaheim Ducks about forward Mason McTavish, but weren’t able to get the deal across the finish line. He was dealt to the St. Louis Blues for the No. 15 and No. 29 selections in the draft.

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Yes, Staios made four deals this week, but with the exception of sending Tkachuk to the Panthers and acquiring Eklund from the Sharks, the other two were hardly blockbusters.

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The club acquired the rights to goalie Samuel Ersson from Toronto and winger Andre Burakovsky from Chicago, which didn’t move the needle for the faithful. The sense is the Senators still need another top-six forward, but after signing Jordan Spence to a four-year deal, it feels like the defence is set.

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Honestly, fans of the Senators were hoping for more than what this day produced for the franchise. There is still Day 2 of the NHL draft on Saturday and the opening of free agency on July 1.

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