Yakemchuk leads all defencemen in the WHL with 24 goals this season.

Carter Yakemchuk is having a draft season to remember. The Calgary Hitmen defenceman was ranked sixth by NHL Central Scouting among North American Skaters and is the only WHL defenceman to surpass the 20-goal mark. A dynamic offensive threat from the blue line, he could potentially rewrite the WHL history books by the end of the season. 

Yakemchuk currently leads all defencemen in the WHL with 24 goals. That ranks tied for 30th all-time among U19 defencemen in league history. With 18 games to go, his current pace would put him at 33, which would tie him with former Winnipeg Clubs defenceman Kevin McCarthy for third and just two back of former Lethbridge Hurricanes defender Shane Peacock for the most all-time. While the race for 33 will be tight, there is a good chance he could end the season with the record, which could vault him into the top ten at the 2024 NHL Draft. 

To determine how likely Yakemchuk is to tie or surpass the record, let's dive into the Hitmen's schedule for the rest of the season. Calgary has 18 games remaining, with seven of them at home. They have five games against teams that have allowed 200 or more goals so far this year but also have eight against teams in the top seven for goals against per game. It will be a tough stretch, but based on the fact that he has seven goals in ten games, he should have no issues filling the net for the rest of the campaign. 

Regardless of whether he gets the record or not, this has been a sensational campaign for Yakemchuk. While he was ranked highly at the beginning of the season, he has risen up rankings over the past few months and could be one of the first defencemen selected in this year's draft. There is little doubt that he will be in the running for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy at the end of the campaign as he looks to help Calgary qualify for the postseason for the second straight season.

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