Danny McCloskey
With the Senators off tonight, now makes as good a time as any to take a look at the world of Senators prospects. Today’s focus will be on one prospect in particular. He’s their best prospect, in fact. Let’s dive into the details on what’s been going on with Carter Yakemchuk.
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The Basics About Carter Yakemchuk
Yakemchuk is a 6’3″, 219 lb, right shot defenseman. The Senators drafted him 7th overall in the 2024 NHL draft. Yakemchuk played four straight seasons for the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL before making the jump to the AHL this year.
Here were my pre-draft notes on Yakemchuk, which more or less remain my thoughts on him now:
Pros: Stats jump off the page- 30 goals, 71 points, 120 PIMS, 275 shots. Very physical, plays a mean, nasty game. Willing to fight. Great shot. Fantastic hands- can legitimately dangle.
Cons: First few strides are slow. Questionable defensive play- sometimes seems to lack urgency in his own zone, sometimes tries to do too much with the puck or make the special play.
Bottom Line: Playing on such a bad team, they asked him to do everything, so I’m choosing to believe that some of his defensive lapses are because of that. He’s massive, he’s mean, he has great hands. He fits what any team would want for their blueline, so long as he can figure out the defensive-side.
Carter Yakemchuk By the Numbers
Here are Yakemchuk’s stats this season with the Belleville Senators:
- 47 games, 9 goals, 35 points, 26 PIMs
Yakemchuk was recently named the AHL Player of the Week. He registered six assists in two games. The game before that, he scored a goal and added an assist as well.
Among AHL defensemen, Yakemchuk ranks ninth in both goals and points. Among AHL rookies, he’s tied for seventh in points. On the downside, his -29 is the worst in the AHL.
Final Thoughts
When you see how Yakemchuk registers his points, this is not a player picking up quiet, secondary assists. He’s had his share of fantastic plays to set up his teammates. From a shooting perspective, he can absolutely wire the puck. Early on in the year, his production was mainly on the powerplay- through his first 27 games, he scored 18 points. 12 of those were with the extra man. He has since scored 17 points in his last 20 games. Only three of those have come on the power play.
I don’t doubt his ability to hold up physically, given his size and style of play. I’m sure more toughness at the pro level will come as he grows more comfortable. The question remains, can he skate and defend well enough at the next level? It’s unlikely that Yakemchuk receives his NHL opportunity this season. Next season, though, there is a good chance that Nick Jensen is no longer with the team. That opens up a spot on the right side. It’ll be up to Yakemchuk to not only finish this season strongly, but to prove that he’s an improved skater and defensive player early on next year to earn his chance as a full-time NHL player.
Patience was always going to be necessary with Yakemchuk. What a luxury it is for the Senators to not have to rush their top prospect into the NHL, given how solid their defensive depth is at the moment. Brent Burns makes for a good comparable. It wasn’t until Burns was 22 that he became a top four d-man. Yakemchuk is still just 20 years old.
