Checking in on Senators Top Prospect Carter Yakemchuk

As we head toward the start of December, now is as good a time as any to check in on the seventh overall pick from the most recent NHL draft, Carter Yakemchuk. First of all, how nice is it to actually have a top prospect again? After two years without a first round pick, having a top ten pick to follow as the season goes along is a nice side story to what’s happening with the Ottawa Senators. Let’s dive into the details on Yakemchuk.

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Solid Statistical Start

There have been rare cases, like with Tyler Boucher, when a top ten pick really struggles to produce post draft. There have also been cases like with Logan Brown, where injuries get in the way in post draft seasons. Typically, though, these highly regarded prospects will put up impressive numbers after being drafted. There’s a reason they were drafted so high in the first place. Whether the Senators had selected Sam Dickinson, Zayne Parekh, Zeev Buium, or a few other guys that went in the same range as Yakemchuk, there would be plenty of optimism. I suppose that’s my way of saying, don’t overdo it with the praise so soon after the draft. We all remember the Curtis Lazar hype.

Nonetheless, Yakemchuk’s been performing as well as you could hope for the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL. Here are his numbers so far:

• 17 games, 8 goals, 12 assists, 20 points, 27 penalty minutes

Yakemchuk missed his team’s first five games, as he was still with the Ottawa Senators at that point. The Hitmen went 2-3 in those games. Since then, they’ve gone 9-4-4. They currently sit sixth out of the 11 teams in the Eastern Conference. In the 17 games that Yakemchuk has played, his team has scored 65 goals. That means he’s been in on around 30% of his teams goals, an impressive amount for a defenseman.

He’s been at his best this season on the power play. He has six goals and 13 points on the power play. That power play goal leads all WHL defensemen. If you’ve seen any Yakemchuk highlights this season, it most likely involved him ripping a puck into the net with the extra man. His 64 shots rank ninth for all WHL defensemen. Of course, all the players ahead of him have played three to seven more games than him.

A huge part of Yakemchuk’s game is his physicality. That’s been on display as well. He’s up to 27 penalty minutes which includes his first fighting major of the season two games ago.

What’s Next for Yakemchuk

In the immediate future, Yakemchuk is hoping to make Canada’s World Junior Team. Given his skill level and productivity, he certainly should make the team. If he’s on that team, it’ll give Senators fans a great chance to watch him up close with the tournament taking place in Ottawa, starting in late December.

From there, it looks as though the Calgary Hitmen have decided to go for it this season. They recently traded for Tanner Howe, former captain of the Regina Pats. They also added veteran defenseman Kalem Parker in a trade with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Right now, the Hitmen are middle of the pack team, but they’ve played well with Yakemchuk in the lineup. In Yakemchuk’s first three seasons, they have missed the playoffs twice, and were knocked out in the first round the other season. It’s been several years since they’ve had any type of decent playoff run. With an Eastern Conference that seems pretty open, and with this being Yakemchuk’s last year in the WHL, it’s nice for the team and for Yakemchuk to try to make a playoff push.