There is an old hockey adage that it is always wise to invest little time or energy analyzing line combinations and defensive pairings during the early portions of training camp and the preseason. In saying that, the more time passes, the more difficult it becomes to ignore Carter Yakemchuk’s minutes, partners, and production.
Like the rest of the Senators’ prospects, the seventh overall selection arrived in camp following a nondescript rookie tournament in Buffalo. He was immediately paired with the Senators’ longest-tenured player, Thomas Chabot.
Yakemchuk has pedigree, but it felt like a prominent spot for the young defenceman entering his first NHL training camp. It certainly had felt like the organization was doing the rookie a solid and using the talented veteran defenceman as a mentor for the first few days of camp.
A reasonable expectation for Yakemchuk was to dress for a few games, experience his first taste of professional hockey at the game’s highest level and then return to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.
The story has not played out as anticipated.
All Yakemchuk has done through his first three preseason games is exceed expectations. Through three preseason games, Yakemchuk’s been on the ice for five goals for and four against. The 19-year-old was tied for the preseason in defensive scoring with two goals and five points. The longer he sticks around, the more likely he will open the season in Ottawa.
It was a goal that Yakemchuk set upon his arrival.
“My goal is to make the team,” he told reporters yesterday. “I wanted to come to camp and make the best impression I could and try to get better every single day, and I think I’ve been doing that so far.
“I just want to go out every night, play the best I can, try and leave an impact on the game and just stay here as long as I can.”
When asked whether he has given any thought to the customary nine regular season games many top prospects receive before their respective organizations decided whether or not to return them to junior, Yakemchuk emphasized a focus on living in the moment.
“I just want to be here until they send me home,” he explained. “That’s my goal, to stick around as long as I can. When I get sent home, that will be the day it comes. Right now, I’m just trying to look forward to every day and stay as long as I can.”
“I’m just trying to play my best. It’s been a hard camp, but I think I’ve played pretty well so far, and I’m happy to see all the success I’ve had.”
One noticeable transformation in Yakemchuk since his first day of camp is how much more comfortable he appears off the ice. It is likely a byproduct of his on-ice play – a recognition he deserves to be here and can hang with this level of competition.
That first preseason game was instrumental in instilling self-belief in Yakemchuk.
“I thought I played really well,” he said. “It was obviously a tough lineup they had. Just after that first game, I realized I can play with these guys and I can stick around here.”
Yakemchuk’s phone blew up with messages and calls from friends after the defenceman scored a sensational overtime winner that went viral.
That positive reinforcement has only helped fuel his self-confidence.
“I think my confidence got a lot higher,” Yakemchuk explained. “Offensively with the puck, I feel a lot confident. Defensively, it’s still a work in progress. The game’s a lot faster. The guys make better plays. (I’m) just trying to continue to work on my defence every day.”
One of the things that Yakemchuk has going for him is that if he is going to make this roster as a third-pairing defenceman, the bar he has to clear is not set particularly high.
Jacob Bernard-Docker is coming off his first full season as an NHL regular. He produced a modest four goals and 14 points in 72 games while providing sub-replacement level value. The 2018 first-round pick has some pedigree and has spent years developing in the Senators’ system, but at 24-years-old, it may be unrealistic to expect much more growth from him. This version of Bernard-Docker may be all he is.
The other alternative is Travis Hamonic, who is coming off a knee surgery. Injuries can help explain why last year was his worst statistical defensive season in the NHL, but Evolving-Hockey’s ‘wins above replacement’ (WAR) metric shows that Hamonic has not created positive value for a team since the 2018-19 campaign in Calgary.
If these two defensive defencemen struggle to create positive defensive value, perhaps there is a chance that Yakemchuk can be an upgrade there. That is before considering how much his offensive aptitude separates him from his peers.
The Senators could certainly use an impactful defenceman with a threatening shot on the power play. His ability to transition the puck up the ice on the counterattack would be welcomed, too.
With only two games left in the preseason, Yakemchuk skated on the third pairing with Tyler Kleven this morning, and Hamonic and Bernard-Docker took turns skating with Cale Addison.
It is encouraging that Yakemchuk will seemingly be given a chance to make this club, but all that matters is that he is working hard and his play warrants that consideration.
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