2024 7th OA : Carter Yakemchuk (RHD)

[Cosmix]

Any news or views on Yak in the WHL playoffs?

 

[Senator Stanley]

Any news or views on Yak in the WHL playoffs?

There's been discussion on him and his play in the Prospects Thread.

 

[BoardsofCanada]

Much has been made about his drop in production this past year. I just so happened to be looking at Bowen Byram's stats and noticed a comparable drop in his draft plus one season.

I know they are different players; Byram has speed and Carter is more physical and truculent. They are both gifted offensively.

Byram has faced a learning curve his first five years in the league but now seems to have arrived as a bonafide top 4 D on Buffalo's blueline.

I just mention it in passing.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Much has been made about his drop in production this past year. I just so happened to be looking at Bowen Byram's stats and noticed a comparable drop in his draft plus one season.

I know they are different players; Byram has speed and Carter is more physical and truculent. They are both gifted offensively.

Byram has faced a learning curve his first five years in the league but now seems to have arrived as a bonafide top 4 D on Buffalo's blueline.

I just mention it in passing.

During parts 2020-21 and 2021-22, his first two NHL seasons, Byram dealt with concussion issues and at points struggled to feel like himself both on and off the ice. He then was out nearly half of 2022-23 with a lower-body injury. In total, he missed 126 games to injury through his first three years with the Avalanche.

That slowed Byram's development down a lot.
Byram's skating (speed, power, edge work) is really elite.. even Dave Poulin would agree
He can be a one man break out kind of D man
High end vision
Thinks the game well

I don't think its a good comparable.