Popular Former Ottawa Senator Off To The Best Start Of His Pro Career

In the lucrative 2020 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators drafted six times in the first two rounds. Four of their six selections are thriving today in Ottawa, but the other two were never able to crack the full-time NHL lineup and were both traded away this past summer.

Roby Jarventie went to Edmonton for Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson, and Egor Sokolov was dealt to Utah for forward Jan Jenik.

Sokolov was highly popular and a top-three scorer in AHL Belleville for all four seasons he played there. However, when it came time for promotions, his skating was always the concern. Sokolov is still striving to improve in that area. Meanwhile, his scoring ability is also on an upward trend. While Jenik is out for multiple months with a foot injury, Sokolov is off to the best start of his career.

With eight goals and 14 points in 10 games, the 24-year-old Russian is third in the overall AHL points race and leads the Tucson Roadrunners in goals (8), assists (6), points (14), power-play goals (3), and game-winners (3).

Sokolov said all the right things in an early meeting with the Tucson coaching staff, led by head coach Steve Potvin.

“I told them right off the hop, I don’t want it to take 20 or 30 games to start building trust in me,” Sokolov told Patrick Williams at TheAHL.com. “I told them I’m going to show right from opening weekend that I can be trusted, and it’s been great so far. They want me to reach my dream.”

Despite his departure from Ottawa, most Sens fans want that too.

Read more Ottawa Senators coverage at The Hockey News Ottawa.

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