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

[Masked]

To be fair there are 3 posts on this page indicating otherwise before that poster poster and then a couple since then.

None of the numerous posts you quoted suggest that.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

To be fair there are 3 posts on this page indicating otherwise before that poster poster and then a couple since then.




I get that he has looked impressive this preseason but it's preseason right?

difference between saying a player is looking like he will be a star or has star attributes vs saying he will be an instant star.

 

[wetcoast]

difference between saying a player is looking like he will be a star or has star attributes vs saying he will be an instant star.

Semantics, it wasn't hard to infer from some of the posts and hey I get the excitement but in reality this guy has it right,

Hate to be that person, but is anyone thinking he might not be an instant NHL star?

The NHL is tough for a D+1. The preseason is filled with a bunch of AHL’ers and worse. I don’t want to dismiss what he’s done. Of course, it’s very noteworthy, but will he get the time and situations in Ottawa this season and will he perform the same way on both sides of the puck when the games matter?

We’ve seen so many stories over the years of a very good prospect that knocks the door down during preseason, the regular season starts, and things don’t go their way before they get benched, scratched, and demoted. You hope, for Ottawa’s sake, that he can continue this, but it’ll be tough.

I've seen plenty of excellent surprising pre seasons then salary cap reality comes back into play and the NHL regulars who somewhat coast through preseason ramp it up and the preseason stars suddenly don't look as good or don't get the chances to play.

He has had a great and somewhat surprising preseason but chances are better than 50/50 that he goes back to Calgary (injuries aside).

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Semantics, it wasn't hard to infer from some of the posts and hey I get the excitement but in reality this guy has it right,



I've seen plenty of excellent surprising pre seasons then salary cap reality comes back into play and the NHL regulars who somewhat coast through preseason ramp it up and the preseason stars suddenly don't look as good or don't get the chances to play.

He has had a great and somewhat surprising preseason but chances are better than 50/50 that he goes back to Calgary (injuries aside).

again no one is saying he will be an instant star. just you and pavel gaslighting yourselves.

even if he makes the team he most likely finishes the year in juniors.

 

[BigRangy]

Which draft+1 d-men have even beer superstar level in the last decade? Ekblad was pretty good, I don’t really remember Dahlin’s rookie year. I’m sure I’m forgetting others but can’t think of them right now.

 

[wetcoast]

again no one is saying he will be an instant star. just you and pavel gaslighting yourselves.

even if he makes the team he most likely finishes the year in juniors.

Relax and breathe and perhaps go back and look at the posts again but then again I doubt it.

 

[majormajor]

I get that he has looked impressive this preseason but it's preseason right?

I thought it was evident from his play last year as well - that he had massive offensive upside. Like 80 pt D-man, upside no less than Brent Burns at peak.

Sure we need to see more, you can say that with any prospect. For me the list of top prospects I'm more confident in, that I trust to hit their upside, is very short.

My concerns with Yak last year were whether his D pivots would lead to him getting walked very often and maybe becoming more of an offensive specialist than a true #1. That is one area where the pre-season is encouraging (he didn't get walked often), but we'd need to see how he looks once it's the regular season and opponents start game planning him.

 

[wetcoast]

I thought it was evident from his play last year as well - that he had massive offensive upside. Like 80 pt D-man, upside no less than Brent Burns at peak.

Man that's an extremely optimistic upside IMO as he doesn't show the same playmaking acumen of a peak Burns and 80 points in the NHL is simply elite but I guess scoring is up and noah dobson had 70 last year.

Sure we need to see more, you can say that with any prospect. For me the list of top prospects I'm more confident in, that I trust to hit their upside, is very short.

Also this part I'm not sold on as I think that Yakemchuk is a bit like Levshunov in terms of being physically very mature for a 24 draft pick and I usually put my upside on prospects on those that have elite hockey IQ plus some other elite/near elite attributes which I simply don't see here.

My concerns with Yak last year were whether his D pivots would lead to him getting walked very often and maybe becoming more of an offensive specialist than a true #1. That is one area where the pre-season is encouraging (he didn't get walked often), but we'd need to see how he looks once it's the regular season and opponents start game planning him.

We are in agreement here but I also think these things can be learned but also that today many young Dmen are being forced to learn to play both ways much earlier than in the past so the verdict is still out for me on offense first guys that don't possess elite skating/puck skills/IQ for the modern NHL.

Then again Carter played for a really weak Calgary team and maybe felt too much pressure to try and do too much as well time will tell but unless he improves defensively I see a realistic ceiling of a #3/4 type of Dman who has a bomb on the first PP Unit.

 

[Kalv]

The Ducks apparently were deciding between him and Sennecke.

If the Ducks were on him, you know he's probably a stud

 

[Fatass]

Which draft+1 d-men have even beer superstar level in the last decade? Ekblad was pretty good, I don’t really remember Dahlin’s rookie year. I’m sure I’m forgetting others but can’t think of them right now.

Makar?

 

[rsteen]

Makar?

Spent his D+1 and most of D+2 in NCAA.

 

[majormajor]

Man that's an extremely optimistic upside IMO as he doesn't show the same playmaking acumen of a peak Burns and 80 points in the NHL is simply elite but I guess scoring is up and noah dobson had 70 last year.

If I thought Yakemchuk was an elite playmaker I'd bump it up to 90 pts. His shot arsenal and handles are elite of the elite and that opens up a lot of opportunities for him to take advantage of his very good vision and passing. I think being the only capable finisher on his team last year obscured how very good his offensive ability is in every respect.

Also this part I'm not sold on as I think that Yakemchuk is a bit like Levshunov in terms of being physically very mature for a 24 draft pick and I usually put my upside on prospects on those that have elite hockey IQ plus some other elite/near elite attributes which I simply don't see here.

I think Yakemchuk has infinitely higher IQ and infinitely better puck skills than Levshunov. Lev is an amazing skater and that's where his advantages end. They're very different players.

 

[Silky Johnson]

He definitely has a good dose of that Mark Stone level vision......which is scary, considering Stone is practically jedi-like in that regard.

I do worry about Yak's strength though. Being a defenseman and taking hits against men is hard even when you're fit. As a teenager is going to be doubly difficult. The team really has to take care regarding matchups and icetime, and continue to put him in a position to succeed.

He's had a jaw-dropping preseason, but he's still a kid, and in a kid's body. We can't forget that.

Yeah, a 6'4" 210lbs kid...

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

I thought it was evident from his play last year as well - that he had massive offensive upside. Like 80 pt D-man, upside no less than Brent Burns at peak.

Sure we need to see more, you can say that with any prospect. For me the list of top prospects I'm more confident in, that I trust to hit their upside, is very short.

My concerns with Yak last year were whether his D pivots would lead to him getting walked very often and maybe becoming more of an offensive specialist than a true #1. That is one area where the pre-season is encouraging (he didn't get walked often), but we'd need to see how he looks once it's the regular season and opponents start game planning him.

At least his deficiencies can actually be taught and fixed.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

I don't think the question is whether he gets 9 games, it's whether he gets 40.

With the World Junior tournament, they could extend his stay until mid-January or so before having to worry about hitting 40 games and Yak accruing 1 of his 7 years towards UFA status.

I think there are going to be growing pains and people are going to say "SEE HE ISN'T MAKAR SENS FANS OVERHYPE THEIR PROSPECTS, THEY SHOULD TAKE A CALM AND RATIONAL APPROACH LIKE WE TOOK WITH NOAH JUULSEN". But in spite of those growing pains, I don't there is any way he get sent down at 9 games. Green seems to like him too much, and there is a lot of pressure on the Senators to win games.

You can also argue that with his development trajectory, burning the first year of the ELC might be strategically wise. That means that they can extend him long-term as early as July 1st 2026 instead of July 1st 2027. There are arguments both ways about whether a third year of his ELC capped at 1.975M is more valuable than giving him less of a chance to establish himself before locking him in to a long-term deal, but typically if a prospect breaks out as a star on their ELC it's always cheapest long-term to sign them sooner (which hasn't happened yet, but we are assuming could).

 

[majormajor]

At least his deficiencies can actually be taught and fixed.

Awkward skating pivots is something that some pros never manage to fix.

The reason I dropped Yakemchuk down my list last year (from top 4 to 6th) was watching David Jiricek still not be able to do it in his D+2.