RD Carter Yakemchuk - Calgary Hitmen, WHL (2024, 7th, OTT)

[Gliff]

Plays, and almost looks, like Klingberg

Not sure where you got that from. Klingberg has no compete or physical aspect to his game.

 

[MS]

He's going to be one of the most polarizing players in this draft.

On one hand, he has the size/skills/mean streak that teams absolutely froth over while playing the most coveted position at RD. The guy is a unit.

On the other hand ... man. His IQ and processing of the game is going to take a lot of scrutiny and there will be more than a few scouts who will be thinking he falls into the Rasmus Ristolainen/Jack Johnson realm. Or whether his skating will be a bit limiting a la Bogosian.

I'd expect we're going to see the thing where some scouting services have him as high as 5th and others have him in the tail end of round 1.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

scored his 11th goal already
0,5 goals per game, 1.10 ppg

 

[TLEH]

I think the tools are worth the risk around 10-15 but once you get into that Top 7 picks I think there are too many questions to put him there.

I think its really hard to have a below average hockey IQ and not extremely good skating. You have to have one or the other.

If you have a slow hockey brain, your feet can make up for it. If you have an above average hockey brain, it can put you in correct positions so you don't have to skate as much. If you have neither you just struggle.

 

[landy92mack29]

Lindstrom is the one with IQ issues not Yakemchuk

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

More I see the less I have IQ concerns. More concerned about Levshunov in that area tbh.

Parekh is the top OFD in the class but Yakemchuk might deserve to be in that conversation aswell. Offensively he reads the play well, & everytime I watch Calgary he's making things happen.

Here's the first goal tonight, no assist but its him coming off the line that makes the play.

 

[TLEH]

Yakemchuk certainly isn't a rock for brains type player. My concerns are more about his skating combined with his age. He's about as old as you can get and playing CHL which isn't my favorite.

 

[Bubbles]

More I see the less I have IQ concerns. More concerned about Levshunov in that area tbh.

Parekh is the top OFD in the class but Yakemchuk might deserve to be in that conversation aswell. Offensively he reads the play well, & everytime I watch Calgary he's making things happen.

Here's the first goal tonight, no assist but its him coming off the line that makes the play.

The IQ concerns are way overblown. He was all over the ice tonight, making great reads when to pinch and when to fall back. Even when he made a mistake, his reach and size gets him out of dangerous situations.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

The IQ concerns are way overblown. He was all over the ice tonight, making great reads when to pinch and when to fall back. Even when he made a mistake, his reach and size gets him out of dangerous situations.

Agreed, and he's mean to play against. When there's a battle in the defensive zone he's full-on aggressive trying to win it.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

Another game, another brilliant play.

 

[Bubbles]

1G 2A tonight. League leading 13th goal for D-men in the DUB.

 

[clydesdale line]

He's my favorite defensive prospect in this draft. Only downside is he's a late birthday but that shouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Hinterland]

More I see the less I have IQ concerns. More concerned about Levshunov in that area tbh.

Parekh is the top OFD in the class but Yakemchuk might deserve to be in that conversation aswell. Offensively he reads the play well, & everytime I watch Calgary he's making things happen.

Here's the first goal tonight, no assist but its him coming off the line that makes the play.

Yakemchuk > Parekh

Unlike Parekh, Yakemchuk is also committed to playing actual defense and not just scoring points.

Also, unlike Parekh, Yakemchuk doesn't play on a loaded team. He has to create a lot of offense himself.

 

[Faceboner]

Kinda reminds me of ekblad

 

[Scintillating10]

I've been eyeing him with the Habs pick. Around 12th. We seen how rest of season goes

 

[Bubbles]

2A today. But check out his hands on this assist.

 

[rubenflamshep]

Heads and shoulders better than Elick when correcting point production for age.

He's looking like first round talent

Points production certainly in the right territory for that! What I like to see is that he's improved relative to his peers. Went from 78th percentile @ 16 to 97th in his draft year. If he can keep that going...

 

[landy92mack29]

Elick only averages 21 seconds of PP time which is basically just when the PP is about to end so no duh his numbers don't pop without the free points. Not that he'll be a PP guy in the nhl but he's being used in a defensive shutdown role and Mantei is getting most of the PP time with some to Shipley as PP2. Yakemchuk is the better player in my eyes but they'll be used in different roles

 

[Hinterland]

Elick only averages 21 seconds of PP time which is basically just when the PP is about to end so no duh his numbers don't pop without the free points. Not that he'll be a PP guy in the nhl but he's being used in a defensive shutdown role and Mantei is getting most of the PP time with some to Shipley as PP2. Yakemchuk is the better player in my eyes but they'll be used in different roles

That may be true but Brandon is a much better team than Calgary. As a defenseman it's not easy to be PPG playing for a bad team in your draft season. And I actually like Yakemchuk's defensive game as well.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

I'm usually a fan of the Bill Walsh method of only needing to watch a kid a few times if he blows me away each of those times. That was the case with Yakemchuk last year and again this year. Tough, mobile, and detail-oriented. Very smart player. Ranked him sixth as my first defenseman off the board and don't plan on moving him out of the top 10 until the draft. Silayev will jump him but that's it.

 

[ValeriKamensky]

Heard about his “low IQ” many times. But after watching his play can only disagree. He chooses the right position in D-zone, understand opposition plays really well. Also don’t see serious flaws with his skating abilities. He looks bigger than listed (6’2) and for his size he’s a very good skater.
In progress - his stickworking.

I have just one serious question about his game - decision making and shot selection on the PP.

So I can see 2nd/3rd D upside with 2PP time. Brett Pesce comes to mind as a comparison

 

[tnfrs]

Heard about his “low IQ” many times. But after watching his play can only disagree. He chooses the right position in D-zone, understand opposition plays really well. Also don’t see serious flaws with his skating abilities. He looks bigger than listed (6’2) and for his size he’s a very good skater.
In progress - his stickworking.

I have just one serious question about his game - decision making and shot selection on the PP.

So I can see 2nd/3rd D upside with 2PP time. Brett Pesce comes to mind as a comparison

his backwards skating impresses me, he uses his crossovers really well and it looks like hes giving up space and then swings back to cut off the angle

 

[rt]

Heard about his “low IQ” many times. But after watching his play can only disagree. He chooses the right position in D-zone, understand opposition plays really well. Also don’t see serious flaws with his skating abilities. He looks bigger than listed (6’2) and for his size he’s a very good skater.
In progress - his stickworking.

I have just one serious question about his game - decision making and shot selection on the PP.

So I can see 2nd/3rd D upside with 2PP time. Brett Pesce comes to mind as a comparison

I think there are downstream consequences when junior defensemen have to play every 2nd shift and pretty much have to do everything themselves because of the team they’re on. They can get blinders on, they can get tired, and they can go into energy conservation mode. And you can see how that impacts certain plays in certain situations.

 

[Bubbles]

3A tonight. Heck of a backhand pass on the 1st goal. Very good hands.

 

[rt]

3A tonight. Heck of a backhand pass on the 1st goal. Very good hands.

He had a great game. Things got out of hand quick though

Have to say, I loved this sign I spotted…