Yakemchuk demoted, a top junior star signs with Belleville, and Chabot’s return gains steam.
The Senators made an interesting move on Wednesday morning, sending defenseman Carter Yakemchuk down to the minors.
Yakemchuk, Ottawa’s seventh overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, was up with the big club for four games before suffering an apparent concussion last Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. In his NHL debut on March 24, Yakemchuk made an immediate impression, recording a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
The call-up was never really part of the original plan for this season. It was born out of necessity, if not emergency, with Ottawa’s blue line decimated by injuries.
Now, with Jake Sanderson back and Dennis Gilbert nearing a return, the Senators needed to create roster space. Yakemchuk becomes the odd man out.
It’s certainly a defensible decision. The last thing Ottawa wants is for its top prospect to be dropped right into the middle of a ferocious playoff race where every mistake is magnified ten times over.
But he is a seventh overall pick who's now in his second season since being drafted. It would be one thing if he were losing his spot to established NHL players. But the Sens are content to roll with Cam Crotty and Lassi Thomson, who have 31 career NHL games between them. Those players don't have Yakemchuk's skill, but they do play it safe, which is all Travis Green wants out of his 5-6-7 guys right now.
Now cleared after his concussion, Yakemchuk can be assigned to Belleville, where he’ll help the B-Sens close out their final five games of the season. Belleville sits eight points out of a playoff spot with five to play, so this will be more about development than helping in a late push.
His time is coming. It's just not now.
Thomas on Track: Chabot’s Return Gaining Steam
Meanwhile, Thomas Chabot took another step toward returning to the lineup.
The injured left-shot defenceman surprised many by skating Tuesday for the first time since suffering a forearm injury just over two weeks ago. He wore a non-contact jersey at that session, but on Wednesday morning, he was in a regular white jersey during an optional skate.
If you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t have guessed he was coming off an injury. Chabot was moving well, handling the puck cleanly, making crisp passes, and even getting involved in some net-front battle work.
The next key step will be Thursday’s game-day skate ahead of Ottawa’s matchup with Florida. If he’s a full participant there, his return could be right around the corner.
Belleville Signs Wheat Kings Star
Down in Belleville, the B-Sens have signed forward Luke Mistelbacher to an amateur tryout for the remainder of the AHL season.
The 20-year-old put up a team-leading 88 points this season with the Brandon Wheat Kings and added four points in four playoff games. Prior to that, he spent three seasons with the Swift Current Broncos, where he totalled 205 points in 257 games.
With Belleville’s playoff hopes all but gone, it's a chance to give a fine junior player a quick audition at the pro level and see what they might have.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below: