Originally Posted by Sandman
More Draft Thoughts:
RHD Carter Yakemchuk is a whirlwhind in the offensive zone, currently 4th in scoring by defensemen in the entire WHL, with 53 points in 49 games- an accomplishment even more impressive when considering that he's putting up these stats with the Hitmen, who are 16th in the league (although they are 9th in goals-for). At this time, he leads the Hitmen's blueline by a whopping 34 points. Yakemchuk is a bit older, with a September 29th birthday, meaning he missed being in last year's draft by only a few weeks, but he still had 47 points in 67 games in 2022-23. He had no points at the U-18's, and was mostly used in a background role, but he's a workhorse, capable of playing big minutes.
Yakemchuk is a play-driving force in the offensive zone. He activates quite often, rarely staying static at the point for very long, and will roam around the zone, with or without the puck, to make himself an option for a pass, or to exploit open spaces. He's highly aggressive, and plays with pace, applying pressure on defenders. He's a top-tier playmaker with outstanding vision, and processes the game at a high level. When working the point in the offensive zone, he stalks along the line, looking to pounce on seams as they open up- for a hard, accurate pass to high-danger, or the chance to unleash his lethal, NHL-caliber point shot. He's a crisp, accurate passer who can successfully thread the needle through layers of traffic, and he consistently makes good decisions with the puck. Yakemchuk has the high-IQ to problem-solve, and adapt to whatever unfolds in front of him. As one would guess, he can quarterback a PP very effectively.
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. His puck-control is good enough that he can barge his way through traffic with full possession, and he can beat attackers with his slick 1-on-1 moves, and tight protection skills. If he can't make room for himself by being elusive, he can always rely on his mean, nasty disposition, and his heavy physical game. Yakemchuk is 3rd in the WHL for penalty-minutes, with 99- so he obviously doesn't care about winning any sportsmanship awards. He will hack, whack, and crosscheck opponents, and will mix it up between whistles- he will even drop the gloves on occasion. He makes himself a miserable opponent to play against, and was even showing his meanness at the CHL Top Prospects Game. He's highly competitive, has a good motor, and when he hits, he hits hard.
Defensively, Yak is quick to win possession to get the puck out of the zone, and excels at breakouts and stretch-passes. He's also very effective in transition, either by carrying it out and spearheading the rush, or by employing quick, short passes, and give-and-go's to turn the defense into offense. With his size and reach, combined with the use of his active stick, he is adept at keeping the crease clear, and boxing attackers out. He shows some defensive awareness, and is even trusted with PK duties for the Hitmen, but his play in the zone is spotty. There is not as much quickness or energy on the backcheck as there is when the puck is going North, and to his detriment, he's as much a rover in his own zone as he is when trying to create in the offensive zone. His positioning is a negative, his decision-making can be lacking, and he needs to learn better habits- he sometimes cheats for offense, leaving his man uncovered. He skates well, but needs to develop more quickness in going forward, and backward, although I thought his gap-control and overall defensive awareness looked ok at the U-18's. I still like this kid very much, and I think he'll iron out his deficiencies to make a fine top-pairing defenseman in the NHL. He'll go top-15 in the Draft.
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