The Senators have signed Carter Yakemchuk to a three-year entry-level contract.
Yakemchuk, 18, was the second defenseman picked in the 2024 draft. The Ottawa team selected him at No. 7, right after Artyom Levshunov went to the Blackhawks as the second overall pick. With his birthday on September 29, Yakemchuk has already played three seasons of junior hockey with the Calgary Hitmen in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Last season, he earned a spot on the WHL’s Central Division First All-Star Team and led all defensemen with 30 goals. He also had 41 assists for a total of 71 points in just 66 games, racking up an impressive 120 penalty minutes and a -6 rating.
Seventh overall was higher than many expected for this player. Standing at 6’3″ and weighing in at 203 lbs, Yakemchuk was ranked No. 13 by TSN’s Bob McKenzie in his end-of-season poll of NHL scouts . He was also listed as the sixth defenseman in those rankings. Interestingly, he was chosen ahead of Zeev Buium (No. 12), Sam Dickinson (No.11), Zayne Parekh (No.9), and Anton Silayev (No.10), all considered top-10 picks before draft day.
Training Camp Expectations:
Yakemchuk will be closely watched during training camp but is likely to return to the Hitmen for another year of junior hockey. This move would delay his entry-level contract start to the 2025-26 season .
Fans might think it’s smart to let him develop further before joining the big league full-time.
Since Yakemchuk was born in 2005, he can play full-time in AHL after one more junior season, unlike most Canadian Hockey League players who need two more years post-draft before going pro full-time.
What do you think about this strategy?
