Starting the Minnesota Wild 2024 NHL Draft Target series with Calgary Hitmen defenseman Carter Yakemchuk.
Starting the Minnesota Wild 2024 NHL Draft Target series with Calgary Hitmen defenseman Carter Yakemchuk.
Carter Yakemchuk had a great season for the Calgary Hitmen during his draft year. As the Hockey News' WHL Site said, Yakemchuk Could Rewrite The History Books In His Draft Year.
Yakemchuk, 18, finished the season with 30 goals, 41 assists, 71 points, and 120 penalty minutes for the Calgary Hitmen in 66 games. His 30 goals are first among all WHL defensemen and his 71 points in 66 games are first among all draft-eligible WHL defensemen.
Currently being projected to go as high as pick No. 10 and as low as pick No. 24 by some draft rankings, Yakemchuk could be a potential option for the Wild in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Wild lack big, physical, and right-shot defensemen in their organization and Yakemchuk provides all of that. The 6-foot-3, 201-pound right-shot defenseman had 120 penalty minutes this season and was a force physically in the defensive zone.
His defensive game was a big concern coming into the year but it looks to have become a lot better. Obviously, his 30 goals as a defenseman jump off the page but his size and physical play are also intriguing.
Yakemchuk has scored 53 career WHL goals in 189 games. That equals a goals-per-game rating of .280 which ranks him 20th in WHL history according to Quant Hockey. He has a higher goals-per-game rating than Matt Dumba, Josh Morrissey, Owen Zellweger, Ryan Pulock, and Shea Theodore to name a few current NHL defensemen.
As you can see from Byron Bader's model on Hockey Prospecting, Yakemchuk has the exact same star and NHLer Probabilities as Juuso Valimaki did at the time of the draft. Yakemchuk also had a similar draft year season to Evan Bouchard who had 25 goals and 87 points in 67 games for the London Knights of the OHL during his draft year.
Both fair comparisons, Yakemchuk could very well become a mix of both Valimaki and Bouchard. His size, strength, shot, physicality, and offensive skills make Yakemchuk a very intriguing player for the 2024 NHL Draft and one the Wild should keep an eye out for.
Plus, when Yakemchuk isn't busy scoring goals, he likes to spend his time fishing. Minnesota's 10,000-plus lakes would be perfect for the big Canadian defender.
Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' Minnesota Wild page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.