Looking at Carter Yakemchuk's path to making the Senators — and the hurdles ahead

New York Times

4 days ago

CALGARY — It's a Tuesday morning in mid-July. Most people of Carter Yakemchuk's age are probably sleeping in, having hung up their cowboy hats to recover from the Calgary Stampede festivities that ended two days ago.
Nearly 1.5 million partygoers spent the better part of two weeks revelling, Yakemchuk among them. But there was the 19-year-old Calgary native in a grey hockey jersey marked 'Find A Way or Make One,' skating alongside a mixture of professional players and prospects at the Flames' community rink in the southwestern part of the city.
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For Yakemchuk, a 6-foot-4 defenceman, this is all part of the work required to achieve his ultimate goal: making the Ottawa Senators' opening roster come Oct. 9, when the team begins its 2025-26 regular season on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning, no matter what potential pitfalls lie in front of him. After four seasons with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen, the 2024 first-round pick is old enough to play minor-league games this year, as he'll turn 20 before the end of the calendar. It's the NHL or AHL for him, now.
'I'm looking forward to it,' Yakemchuk said in July following the Senators' development camp. 'My goal is to make the opening roster. That's what I want to do. And I'm looking forward to putting in the work that it takes to make that.'
Every summer in Calgary, a group of players and coaches under CRASH Conditioning — self-proclaimed as the 'training destination of choice for elite players of all ages' — gather to prepare for the season ahead. Given the time of year, most participants were skating at half speed this morning. Some mistakes were apparent, like when Yakemchuk got caught on the wrong side of a one-on-two with another defender before being beaten by another opponent who cut into the middle of the offensive zone and scored.
'It's July 15,' said Seattle Kraken assistant Dave Lowry, one of the on-site coaches at the CRASH session. 'There's only so much you can give, right?'
But there were brighter spots for Yakemchuk, like when he fought to clear a puck and retrieved it after it bounced off an opposing player. He then led an offensive rush of his own before going forehand to backhand on a goaltender. Yakemchuk also chased a forward from behind and swiped the puck away, putting it between his legs before once again going on the counterattack. It wasn't all flash and offence for the teenager, either: Yakemchuk practiced penalty kills where he used his body positioning and stick to block shooting lanes.
'We all know the offensive side of the game is natural for him,' Lowry said. 'In order for him to play in the National Hockey League, he's gonna have to defend. He's going to have to be a hard defender.'
Yakemchuk turned heads during last year's preseason thanks to some solid performances and a highlight-reel goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs, saying that he felt he could play at the NHL level. But his maturity, age and defensive abilities kept him from being Sens-ready, leading him to suit up for one final year of junior hockey. It meant working with Hitmen defensive assistant David Liffiton on his positioning and gap control, among other defensive attributes.
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'I think his defensive game's come a long way from two years ago,' Liffiton said, also on-site at the CRASH camp. 'Positioning, stick details, the way he closes in the corner. I actually think he's better defensively than guys give him credit for. Down low, killing plays, breaking plays with his stick and his long reach.'
As a result, Yakemchuk's offensive numbers dipped. He scored 30 goals and 71 points in 66 games in 2023-24, only to fall to 17 goals and 49 points in 56 games this past season. Those weren't the only ups and downs through Yakemchuk's final WHL campaign: He was also among the many highly-touted prospects infamously left off Canada's World Juniors team last Christmas, leaving the Senators' front office surprised. An ankle injury temporarily slowed him in February, too. But he still helped the Hitmen make the playoffs and reach the second round.
'Point-wise, obviously, there was a bit of a drop-off,' Yakemchuk said. 'It was more (about) improving my game and getting ready to make the jump next season. So, overall, I think I played my best games in the playoffs. That's when it matters the most. I think that was, maybe, my best hockey.'
Carter Yakemchuk finally scores in his team's first round series against Saskatoon in the WHL playoffs and it's a nice one.
pic.twitter.com/0QRg8yXliR
— Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) April 3, 2025
The Senators seem to like Yakemchuk's progression as well, feeling he's grown mentally and physically.
'You know, contrary to some people's beliefs, he played a better defensive game. I don't have a problem with Carter's game,' head scout Don Boyd said after this year's NHL Draft. 'He's got so many avenues and so many ways that he can play, you know, he's big, he's, you know, he can handle the puck. He's got deception. He can shoot the puck. He thinks the game offensively.'
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Despite the decrease in numbers, the Sens do not doubt Yakemchuk's offensive ability and call his puck-handling abilities his 'biggest strength.' Hitmen defensive assistant David Liffiton described Yakemchuk's ability to fire the puck as an 'NHL shot' and praised his ability to help on a power play, whether from the blue line or the faceoff dot. During his draft season, Yakemchuk closely watched Evan Bouchard and the Edmonton Oilers defenceman's offensive game. But it's how those attributes translate to the professional level, in addition to whatever growth he shows at the defensive end, that will help make his case for a roster spot.
'We think he's more ready for that now than he was a year ago, but he's still a young guy, and learning defence in this league takes time,' Senators development coach Andrew Gordon said. 'So, we're not expecting him to be in the All-Star Game this year. But we just expect him to keep progressing. And when his time's right, we'll make sure he's in the right position.'
Yakemchuk showed promise last season, and it'll be on him to duplicate that success. Especially considering the state of the team's depth chart on the right side, and the questions surrounding where the current roster's players should be slotted.
Artem Zub spent most of last season as Jake Sanderson's partner on their top pairing. But with newly-acquired Jordan Spence in the fold, it's easy to wonder if Zub will stick in that top pairing spot or fall into the second pairing with Thomas Chabot.
Nick Jensen is recovering from hip surgery, and while the team has been positive about his recovery, it remains to be seen how effective he'll be once he returns to the ice. And when he does, will he return to that second pairing or does he get bumped down to a third pairing assignment with Tyler Kleven?
Nikolas Matinpalo filled in admirably when needed alongside Kleven, even in the playoffs, and when Team Finland's blueline was badly banged up entering the 4 Nations Face-Off, he earned a roster spot. But entering this season, Matinpalo could either be the team's No. 6 defenceman with Kleven or their No. 7, with limited offensive capability. The Senators have also brought back Lassi Thomson, a former first-round pick and right-shot defenceman, after achieving success in the Swedish Hockey League last season.
If Yakemchuk goes above and beyond during training camp, he could give himself a chance. But otherwise, he could be destined for AHL Belleville. It shouldn't be seen as a punishment if he does. You can expect him to be under the watchful eyes of director of player personnel Sam Gagner and new Belleville GM Matt Turek, both of whom joined the organization this summer.
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'My background is scouting, player development and management,' Turek told The Athletic. 'I'll be able to kind of lean on that a little bit just working with the different people in Belleville, whether it's Sam (Gagner) or (BSens head coach David Bell), with the coaching staff and trying to get these players to another level.'
All of those above questions need to be posed before Yakemchuk can be considered for NHL action. The Senators will watch closely and ask themselves constantly: 'Do we need him now?'
'That's the question,' Boyd said. 'Or is he better off served playing some time in the American League? Or is he ready to go now?
'You don't give him anything at this level. He's got to earn it.'