The Ottawa Senators have always been clear in their expectations for their top prospect, Carter Yakemchuk – they needed him to round out his game. “He’s a raw talent still and I think there’s a great deal of potential with him,” said general manager Steve Staios after selecting him seventh overall at the 2024 NHL Draft. “You look at how he dominated play when he was on the ice, he just has a presence about him as well. We like the fact that we can build off of that potential.”
That messaging remained consistent after the Senators reassigned Yakemchuk to the Calgary Hitmen after a very promising training camp. “We had a healthy conversation with Carter this morning,” said Staios back in October. “And we expressed that we have a plan for his development that will allow him to thrive once he arrives in the NHL on a full-time basis.”
Yakemchuk took those words to heart. Although he hasn’t been as offensively dominant as he was last season, he’s been one of the Hitmen’s best players and a big reason why they are primed for a deep run in the Western Hockey League (WHL) Playoffs.
Yakemchuk Doesn’t Have to Be ‘The Guy’ Anymore
It’s easy to compare Yakemchuk to Zayne Parekh, who was selected two spots later by the Calgary Flames, as both were 30-goal defencemen last season. However, Parekh followed up his draft-year performance with 33 goals and 107 points with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Saginaw Spirit. Yakemchuk, however, managed just 17 goals and 49 points in 2024-25 after setting a Hitmen franchise record for the most goals from a defenceman.
However, Yakemchuk’s role on the Hitmen shifted this season, which changed how he approached the game. “Last year, we didn’t have a very great team and missed the playoffs, but this year, we have a chance to win the whole thing,” said Yakemchuk. “So I don’t have to create everything by myself at some points. We have such an amazing group, so many talented guys who contribute every night, and I’m trying to contribute the best I can.”
The Hitmen loaded up at the trade deadline, acquiring Tanner Howe, Kalem Parker, Sawyer Mynio, Daniel Hauser, and Carson Birnie, giving them a roster loaded with experience and talent. Both Howe and Mynio played for Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship, while Parker was a big part of the Moose Jaw Warriors’ 2024 WHL title. With Oliver Tulk, Carson Wetsch, and Benjamin Kindel already on the roster, Calgary could spread out who was driving the play. It no longer had to be Yakemchuk.
New and Improved Yakemchuk
With Yakemchuk no longer in the spotlight every night, he could focus on the parts of his game that needed work, and the improvements were drastic. Throughout the season, his skating improved, as did his playmaking. Last season, as the Hitmen’s primary puck carrier, he was inconsistent in his effectiveness. On one shift, he was the most dominant player on the ice, driving aggressively to the net and pulling off unbelievable moves to create a scoring chance, but on the next, he’d make a poorly-timed pinch and create a scoring chance for the opposing team.
Related: Ottawa Senators Prospect of the Week – Carter Yakemchuk
That’s not Yakemchuk this season. He remained on the Hitmen’s top defensive pairing, but with so many more play drivers on the team, he was taking his time and thinking through a play before acting. He hung back, watching the play, positioning himself on the blue line to catch a missed pass or loose puck. He wasn’t disengaged, but playing more of a shutdown role; if anyone snuck past Calgary’s forecheck, Yakemchuk was there, waiting for them, his long stick and quick feet ready. But if the opportunity presented itself to engage, he wasn’t afraid to jump in and make a big play. He could now just be more selective with when he drove to the net.
Screaming, crying, Yak-ing up🤮@WHLHitmen | @Senators | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedinghteFuture pic.twitter.com/ggIMNmqHfk
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) April 3, 2025
On top of playing on a better team, the Senators played a big role in Yakemchuk’s transformation. At Ottawa’s training camp, he noticed “just how competitive all the guys were there, in practice and obviously in the games,” he said following Calgary’s Game 3 win over the Saskatoon Blades. “I think I brought that back the whole season, being actually competitive in practice and trying to push guys to be the best they can and to strive to get better every single day. Just everything I learned from there, I brought back with me and it’s helped me a lot.”
Yakemchuk Ready for a Deep Playoff Run
Despite all the talent Calgary added, Yakemchuk’s emergence as a consistent two-way defensive force has transformed the Hitmen into a very difficult team to handle, especially in the playoffs, where the play is naturally grittier and more competitive. But with a player like Yakemchuk on the blue line in a shutdown role, Calgary can stick to the basics and smother opponents with smart, simple hockey.
Just look at how the Hitmen handled the Blades. After splitting the regular season series with Saskatoon, Calgary dominated them in the playoffs, ending their season in four games. The Blades were relentless, fighting for every inch, but they struggled to handle Calgary’s size and experience. “I thought we kept it simple, got pucks in behind them, and it worked out,” said Yakemchuk after their 4-1 victory in Game 3. “They’re a good team over there and they play hard and I think for us, it’s just keeping it simple, not overthinking plays, not making too risky plays, and that’s how we get success.”
That’s the kind of defenceman Yakemchuk has become. There’s no need to take everything onto his shoulders anymore; he can trust his teammates to handle the risky plays while he hangs back, ready to clean up anything that goes wrong with a clean, mistake-free game. He can shut down plays while also orchestrating a brilliant scoring chance, all while keeping his composure. It’s what Ottawa was hoping they’d get when they drafted him in 2024, and seeing his progression this season and in the WHL Playoffs must have the team excited about what the future holds.
