In this edition of the Ottawa Senators News & Rumors, we look at some potential injury updates on goaltender Linus Ullmark, the status of Josh Norris as the preseason continues, as well as what the future holds for newly drafted defenseman Carter Yakemchuk.
Ullmark Dealing With Minor Injury
After a full summer of not worrying about the Senators’ goaltending for the first time in a very long time, some concerns are back for some of the fanbase who have been paying attention to the latest news out of the Senators’ morning skates, practices, and preseason lineups.
After not lacing up for the first preseason game, many were expecting goaltender Ullmark to play the second game and get his first 60 minutes under his best in the new uniform. The Senators acquired Ullmark in the offseason for Joonas Korpisalo, Mark Kastelic, and a draft pick, and he is looked at as the savior in the crease.
While it has been a long wait to see what Ullmark is capable of in Ottawa, the wait is getting just a touch longer as the goaltender did not participate in the morning skate ahead of the Sept. 24 preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Head coach Travis Green stated that Ullmark had missed a practice on Sept. 22 for a maintenance day, but is still missing from the group.
It isn’t time to worry yet. The beginning of preseason is when the quality veterans are getting accustomed to their role, and while Ullmark may be dealing with something, if it were a bigger issue, there would likely have been some transparency and an explanation from the club.
The more time he misses, the more worrisome many will get, but as it stands now, it isn’t something to lose sleep over.
Norris Still Not Ready
Though it is a very different situation than Ullmark, Norris is still not fully up to speed either. Norris has yet to be a full participant in all practices and hasn’t been mentioned for any line rushes or preseason lineups yet.
Norris did speak to the media just a few days ago, and reassured everyone that his shoulder is holding up and that he is in a much better place in his recovery than he was last offseason. As many remember vividly, Norris missed 32 games last season, and in the 50 games he did play, he wasn’t playing at the level he had been prior to the injury bug hitting him.
Norris’ third shoulder surgery causes some doubt about his long-term play, but with things already going better this year than last, there is optimism about him moving into this season.
Norris did spend some time on the ice in practice and looked comfortable. Clips of him playing physically made their rounds on X, coach Green talked about how he looked good and wasn’t shying away from anything, and was impressed with his play. Norris is one of the biggest factors in the hunt for the playoffs this season, and if he is still struggling or reaggravates the injury, things will be much different and more challenging for the club and player.
Carter Yakemchuk Shines in Preseason Debut
The preseason is always a time for players to shine and fans to get overzealous about their performances, but in the case of Yakemchuk, he truly did make an excellent first impression with the Senators.
Related: Ottawa Senators 2024 Training Camp Storylines to Watch
The expectation for Yakemchuk heading into preseason was to play a few preseason games to show the staff where his development was at, after just one game, some are speculating that he may earn himself a nine-game trial in the NHL before heading back to the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
With 23 minutes of ice time playing alongside Thomas Chabot, Yakemchuk fit in very well against the Maple Leafs’ top players in the preseason opener. After being drafted, the consensus agreement was that Yakemchuk didn’t have too much to work on offensively, but his defending was pretty raw.
Starting with the offensive part, Yakemchuk certainly didn’t shy away from showing that off in his preseason debut, scoring a marvelous overtime-winning goal. After carrying the puck up the ice, Yakemchuk weaved around both Jake McCabe and Mitch Marner to break free into the Leafs’ end and beat Matt Murray with a cross-crease move. It was a highlight-reel goal that should be celebrated.
🔴 CARTER YAKEMCHUK ⚫️
— NHL (@NHL) September 23, 2024
A brilliant move by the young defenseman to win the game in overtime! pic.twitter.com/oLWEQEKkw4
As for the defensive side everyone says he needs to work on, he still looked quite competent. Yakemchuk was making smart defensive-zone reads, as well as playing strong against the opposition’s rush. There is no doubt that he will still need to develop that defensive side more, and a one-game sample isn’t truly enough, but in those 23 minutes, he showed a lot of promise.
A nine-game trial before heading back to the WHL is looking more realistic than before, and after a few more preseason games, he could earn that.
The NHL season is in full swing now, and with high hopes for the Senators, there will be a microscope on every detail. Be sure to come back for all of the latest Senators news and rumors.
