In this episode of The Sens Nation Podcast, The Hockey News' official Ottawa Senators podcast, site editor Steve Warne speaks with co-host and longtime junior hockey coach Gregg Kennedy about the impact of David Perron on the team roster and where he fits in at this point at this stage of his career.
We also talk about defenseman Carter Yakemchuk and whether we're shortchanging his chances of making the team. Travis Green had a fabulous first season as head coach. Is he the man to lead them to the promised land?
Perron and Yakemchuk are both intriguing players for the Senators, perched at opposite ends of their careers. Yakemchuk is a six-foot-three defenseman over 200 pounds ready to turn pro, and was the Senators' seventh overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Calgary Hitmen star scored 30 goals in his draft year, making him an enticing mix of size and skill on the back end.
But after a brilliant preseason where he led the team with 7 points in 4 games, the Sens sent Yakemchuk back to junior to work on the defensive part of his game. He succeeded in that, but it appeared to come at a cost. Yakemchuk's offensive numbers tumbled, going from 30 goals and 71 points in 66 games in his draft year to 17 goals and 49 points in 56 games the following year.
The Senators say they aren't fazed by that, but it's fair to wonder if he had posted last season's lower numbers in his draft year, would the Sens still have been fired up enough about him to take him at seventh overall?
Other questions include:
- Can he keep that offensive flair while maintaining his newfound defensive strengths?
- Are we underestimating his potential to make the team?
- And will the Sens send him to Belleville, just as a matter of policy?
We discuss it all in this episode of the Sens Nation Podcast: