Ottawa Senators: Keeping Carter Yakemchuk's NHL Preseason Debut in Perspective

Ottawa Senators defenceman Carter Yakemchuk had an excellent preseason NHL debut in Toronto on Sunday night. I must admit that, as crazy as it felt, I started thinking for the first time about what Yakemchuk might look like in the NHL this season.

Based on the replies and likes, I wasn't alone.

90 minutes later, Yakemchuk went out and won the game in overtime on a nice end-to-end rush. He moved up the ice at half speed and made a lightning-quick move at the blue line to beat Jake McCabe to the inside. Mitch Marner then lazily let him cut to the far post to beat Matt Murray with a backhand goal.

On a 1-on-2 overtime rush, 18-year-old defencemen aren't supposed to have the poise to attack and win the game by themselves. It was impressive, and it got people thinking – myself included.

But today, in the light of day, it's time for a little perspective. It was a great first impression and nothing more.

Until last night, no one had even thought about Yakemchuk as an NHL option this season. Let's not forget that this is a team that could really use another right-shot D. Right now, their options for the last opening are Travis Hamonic, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Calen Addison, or Max Guenette.

If we're honest, there's a reason no one was even considering the idea of Yakemchuk making the NHL this season. It's because it's a bad idea.

Only four NHL players from the 2023 NHL Draft played more than one NHL game last season, and none of them were defensemen. Only four defensemen from the 2022 Draft have played meaningful NHL games. Learning to play D takes more time.

Last night was an encouraging start, fun as hell, and worth a daydream or two about what a weapon Yakemchuk could be for Ottawa's blue line... someday. But if you believe in best practices, and this team does, it's a crazy notion to keep him in Ottawa this season.

Cale Makar might be the game's best defenceman right now. He spent two years at UMass-Amherst after being drafted fourth overall by the Colorado Avalanche. And Jake Sanderson did two years at North Dakota after he went fifth on his NHL draft day.

Those sound like pretty solid templates for the Senators to follow. There's absolutely no compelling reason to ignore them. Certainly not because of a preseason performance on September 22nd.

The kid has skill and confidence, and you can't have one without the other. The last thing the Sens need to do is mess with that. I'd be shocked if they're even thinking about keeping him here all season.

Yakemchuk has a ton going for him, but there's work to do on defending and on quicker feet. At best, if he continues to play well, you give him games in that nine-game window. Then, give him a game plan and let him continue to develop confidently against his peers where there's less attention and less on the line.

Yakemchuk looks like a hell of a prospect and his time will come. But that time isn't now. Call me a wet blanket or Debbie Downer if you want. I'm good with it. But the idea of rushing a defenceman to the NHL as a teenager would be, by no means, best in class.

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