Unlike previous drafts, the 2024 NHL Draft will comprise several elite defensemen who are likely to hear their names within the top ten teams. This is a complete flip of the script as last year in Nashville or, as most call it, Music City, only two defensemen were taken, one of which was Dmitri Simashev, Utah Hockey Club’s top prospect, and David Reinbacher of the Montreal Canadiens. Now, flash forward to the 2024 NHL Draft; things will be headlined by Boston Terrier Macklin Celebrini. After that, it’s anticipated Artyom Levshunov will be drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks, who will add much-needed support to their blue line, but that’s not a slam dunk.
After Levshunov, the skid of defensemen could start with names such as Anton Silayev, Zayne Parekh, and Zeev Buium. With the Anaheim Ducks following the Blackhawks, some mock drafts have them taking Russian winger Ivan Demidov or London Knights defenseman Sam Dickinson; no one has a grasp on how things will pan out after Chicago drafts, and all these mock drafts imply that.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide
Realizing that no one knows what Utah will do either, especially considering general manager Bill Armstrong has always seemed to work in the shadows. So who could be their “off the board pick” at six come June 28 in Las Vegas? Many are projecting this player to go between 12-20 as someone who still has a lot of question marks in their game, and that’s none other than Carter Yakemchuk.
Yakemchuk is a lengthy right-shot defenseman standing at 6-foot-3, which fits the mold of what Armstrong typically looks for when drafting: height. The Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, native could hear his name at six, and while it would surprise most, he has the attributes of a top-pairing defenseman.
Yakemchuk Has a Motor in the Offensive Zone
Yakemchuk enters the 2024 NHL Draft as one of the older players, mere days too young to enter the 2023 NHL Draft, and in hindsight, that’s probably a good thing, considering his success this season. While he was likely going to be a late first-round pick to an early second-rounder last year, this season propelled him into talks of going within the top ten and, in this situation, six to Utah.
Playing for the Calgary Hitman of the Western Hockey League (WHL), they struggled big-time to generate offense, often leaning on Yakemchuk. The 2023-24 campaign saw him register 30 goals and 71 points in 66 games, slightly over a point per game. His 30 goals also led the WHL in goals from defensemen, which is more than Denton Mateychuk, Tanner Molendyk, and Luca Cagnoni. Of all the attributes, his goal-scoring and shot will be atop, and to no denial, those are his biggest strengths, but his puck-handling ability often gets overlooked.
Yakemchuk’s puck handling is exceptional, and he could have the best hands in the entire draft, not just for defensemen. While he’s not the best skater in the world, being average at best, his physicality makes up for it most of the time. He knows how to use his size, and while that sometimes gets him into penalty trouble, there’s no doubt he knows how to use his big frame.
“Yakemchuk has really started to take strides, and his game continues to round itself out. Yakemchuk has a nice blend of size, skill, and aggressiveness that allow him to be a force all over the ice. His instincts are great, and he joins the rush when he feels he can contribute to the play. He holds his own in the defensive zone with his size and ability to separate puck carriers from the puck to quick start offense the other way for his side.” – Ben Jordan, Smaht Scouting
While there are some areas to brush out in the defensive zone, like most young defensemen, his skills in the offensive zone are simply out of this world.
Where Do Scouts Predict Yakemchuk Will Go?
The Hockey Writers’ own Logan Horn has Yakemchuk ranked at number nine on his draft board, which is higher than most. On the flip side, Peter Baracchini has him ranked at 20, where many scouts and analysts feel he could be drafted. On the national stage, he’s ranked by Elite Prospects at 17, Craig Button at 11, and McKeen’s Hockey at 10. It’s a toss-up where Yakemchuk could be drafted right now, as there seems to be a divide where most think he’ll be headed.
It’s doubtful it’ll happen, but the Ducks and general manager Pat Verbeek could take Yakemchuk as early as third overall. It’s extremely unlikely, but the sense was that Adam Fantilli was heading there during the 2023 NHL Draft, and they opted to take Swedish center Leo Carlsson.
If Utah selects Yakemchuk sixth overall, it won’t be the biggest surprise. Scouts’ opinions will vary, as do the fans’ on the 6-foot-3 defenseman, which would make for some mixed feelings on the potential pick. Some could have him as high as three, and another team could have him not even ranked as a first-round prospect; it’s a toss-up as of now.
Armstrong Known for Taking Off-the-Board Prospects
For the people who have followed Armstrong since he took over for John Chayka as GM, he’s not so easy to track when it comes to drafting. For the most part, his first draft in 2021 was pretty straightforward, and Dylan Guenther looks like a gem at ninth overall. Add Josh Doan and J.J. Moser to that list; that draft class is already successful. Having the third overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, questions arose on who would make their way to the desert.
Once Juraj Slafkovksy and Simon Nemec were taken, Shane Wright, the projected first-overall pick, remained on the board. Instead of taking Wright, they took the American in Logan Cooley, and while he wasn’t necessarily an off-the-board pick since he was likely going in the top five, it was still a shock to the Montreal crowd.
Of course, last year at the 2023 NHL Draft, he took Simashev and Daniil But sixth and 12th overall. With Matvei Michkov on the board and several others, Simashev and But were likely the two last names people expected to hear. Armstrong could do the same this year, drafting Yakemchuk at sixth overall, which would undoubtedly make for a dramatic night at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Yakemchuk Could Be This Draft’s Biggest Wild Card
Yakemchuk is an excellent example of one of the boom or bust prospects in the 2024 NHL Draft. It’s no easy feat leading the WHL in scoring among defensemen, but there are also areas to improve upon in the defensive zone, which could be an area of concern. Despite that, he is a highly coveted right-shot defenseman, which doesn’t come around often nowadays and has a toolkit that isn’t seen all too much in the NHL. Yakemchuk could also be a good pairing for fellow Utah prospect Simashev, but they won’t need to think that far until that bridge is crossed.