Dave Poulin (Sens Senior Vice-President of Hockey Operations) was asked on Ottawa radio to talk about Yakemchuk post draft and the first thing he brought up was elite skating for his size (called him one of the elite skaters in the draft).
Everything else he/Staois have said seem to match what I've read in this thread and through the various scouting reports, but that caught me off guard as skating is something that has been specifically pointed to as a weakness in his game.
Not sure why there seems to be a such discrepancy between Sens management view and what is/has been posted here and elsewhere, but it does make sense why he was their pick at #7 if they like his skating on top of everything else he brings to the table.
I watch a bit more than 200 junior games yearly, and overall I had his skating as a positive.
I'm not the only one.
Upside Hockey has "Yak's skating is slightly above average, but might be considered fairly good for a player who measures 6'3", and 194lbs- he could stand to work on his first-step quickness, and explosiveness. His edgework and agility are excellent though, giving him good escapability."
The Hockey Writers have "Yakemchuk isn’t the most agile skater, but his top speed is solid and that when combined with his reach, makes him a solid rush defender, even when he over-commits in the offensive zone."
Another non public scouting (PM me if you want to know which one) has him 11 in their list of "Best pure skaters" and reports "Has elite offensive instincts, and combined with his top-notch skating, puck skills, and lethal point shot, he's exceptionally dangerous whenever he has possession" and "Generates tremendous speed when he winds up through the neutral zone".
Corey Pronman, who's a tough skating critic, writes "That he skates well and can attack with his skill makes him so difficult to stop as he often dances by checkers. His skating stride isn’t technically perfect. It can break down at times with his legs starting to flail at the end of shifts, but it’s a powerful stride and he often pulls away from pressure. "
Eliteprospects is more critical: "a skating stride that lacks depth, explosiveness, or agility, a limiting factor in the offensive zone and one that opponents can and routinely did exploit in the defensive zone"
From my views, I would side with the more positive assessment of his skating ability. In most game, you will see him use his top speed and his lateral movement to his advantage multiple times, generating offensive opportunities. The number of times his skating puts him in trouble defensively are a low count compared to where it shines offensively, from my viewings, and most of the time he uses his good stickwork and long arms to make up for it and neutralize the opponent. So, I can understand how some see the good and some see the bad in his skating.
