The Ottawa Senators made a push for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. Acquiring Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes at the NHL trade deadline certainly signaled as much. However, the team fell short of their goal of playoff hockey.

The Senators have had an interesting offseason, to say the least. Ottawa lost star forward Alex DeBrincat, trading him to their Atlantic Division rival Detroit Red Wings. They replaced him with their relatively recent signing of veteran sniper Vladimir Tarasenko.

Ottawa also splashed the cash a bit in NHL Free Agency. Veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo signed a five-year contract to play in Canada's capital city. Korpisalo recently played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings.

Ottawa made its intentions for the upcoming season very clear. However, the team may still rely on some of their younger players. So here are three Ottawa Senators prospects that fans should keep their eyes on this fall.

3) Jacob Bernard-Docker

Bernard-Docker reached the NHL last season, skating in 19 games for the Senators. However, he spent most of his season with the AHL's Belleville Senators. In all, the 23-year-old scored two goals and six points in 41 AHL games.

Defensemen should not be judged on their point total. For Bernard-Docker specifically, he is a defensive defenseman. He thrives in playing a game in which the better he plays, the less you hear his name during the game.

Despite not being the most offensively-inclined blueliner, the 23-year-old still provides some value in that department. He is also a right-shot defenseman, something that teams often covet.

Bernard-Docker will compete for a third-pairing role this season in the NHL. Ottawa re-signed veteran Travis Hamonic this summer. However, a big-time training camp performance from Bernard-Docker could make the Senators reconsider where Hamonic stands.

2) Ridly Greig

Greig also played in the NHL with Ottawa this past season. The 21-year-old scored two goals and nine points in 20 games with the Senators. Like Bernard-Docker, Greig also spent most of his time in the AHL.

Greig provides value to the Senators through positional versatility. He can play down the middle as a center, and that's probably where he plays best. However, the 21-year-old also plays well down the left on the wing.

The Senators have a lot of uncertainty in their bottom six. Tarasenko's signing slides trade acquisition Dominik Kubalik down the lineup a bit, but questions still remain for Ottawa.

Greig faces an uphill battle to make the roster at his natural center position. Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris are the clear-cut top-six options down the middle. And Shane Pinto, despite currently being unsigned, is almost certainly locked in as the third-line center.

On the left wing, however, there's a much better opportunity for Greig. Kubalik can play on the right side, leaving the left side open for the taking. It's up to the 21-year-old Greig to seize that opportunity.

1) Tyler Boucher

There may not be a more scrutinized prospect in the NHL than Tyler Boucher. The Senators made the Scottsdale, Arizona native the 10th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft. However, things have just not worked out thus far.

Boucher played 17 games in college for Boston University before electing to play in the Ontario Hockey League. Over the course of two seasons, the 20-year-old played just 45 games for the Ottawa 67s. He scored 17 goals and 31 points for the team during that time.

Boucher likely begins his pro hockey career in the AHL with Belleville. The reason to watch Boucher doesn't have much to do with his immediate NHL future. It's his long-term future that makes him one to keep eyes on.

This feels like a bit of a make-or-break season for the former first-round pick. If he can remain healthy, he can provide hope that he can still make the NHL sometime down the line. Rewriting the narratives around him begins with putting in a good performance in training camp this fall.