Is Carter Yakemchuk the real deal? - Reviewing Ottawa's 2024 draft class

On today's episode of The Senstennial Podcast, we discuss Ottawa's 2024 NHL Entry Draft class, led by 7th overall draft selection Carter Yakemchuk. We review each of the Senators' draft selections, what role we see each player carving out in their future, and the noticeable archetype that Steve Staios and Ottawa's amateur scouting staff gravitated towards.
This is the second part of a six-part 2024 Sens off-season special!
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[@sensfreak09]

If Yakemchuck can get anywhere to 15-20 goals but be brutal to play against it will be a win for the Sens. i am very excited for the future.

[@chrismiller2624]

Hands, size, compete lvl…. Are you kidding me, great pick!!!

[@thesenstennial]

Love the enthusiasm! Definitely looking forward to seeing how he develops!

[@jq7352]

I did say Parekh was a no brainer pick but CY26 was my 2nd choice if Parekh was picked before so I was just a tidy disappointed but I can understand why and I’m still happy with the pick

[@DoctorRevers]

All the picks have something potentially special about them. Same initial reaction to the yakemchuk pick. I was in disbelief (pass on buium, silayev, dickinson??) but now I get it. I think it was the right pick.

[@thesenstennial]

Totally! I think we all fall in love with a few players and are always a little bit thrown off when our favourite team doesn't pick the player we envisioned. Yak should be a great player down the road, though. Looking forward to seeing how he develops!

[@gerrygerry562]

People have to relax its a good pick

[@alfiesmullet1311]

After Iginla went off the board i was hoping they took Parekh.. but Yakemchuck is the safer pick... you can't teach size.

[@thesenstennial]

I was gravitating towards Buium, Dickinson, or even Helenius, but I think Yakemchuk could really bring that mix of skill and grit on our blueline that's been missing for a while.

[@chrismiller2624]

Yackemchuks game translates better to the NHL, he has better size,better defensively, and he also only had two less goals…….great hands you can’t teach, nor size and physicality !!!

[@jq7352]

@@thesenstennial I completely give up the experiment on defenseman playing wrong side after the failed Chychrun experiment so I wanted no part of LHD because I don’t want us pick a 3rd pair D with 7th ovr pick. Either a left hand forward or RHD.

[@TwentyOne_Five]

“Truculence”

[@Redguard-Nazeem]

People were mad at Sens Signing Brady Tkachuk over Zadina < look what happened.. People were upset that we took Sanderson over a few players < look what happened.... The reality is Sens fans are not there during the combine , they do not know the players and Fans do not know shit. Just let the staff do their job... Fans always do this shit and are usually wrong.. Except for Boucher , but they went way off the board for that one.

[@thesenstennial]

Yeah. You're right that people overreact way too much about who their team drafts. Like we mentioned in the episode, I think some fans fall in love with one or two players before the draft, and when their team doesn't pick one of those players then they get really upset and vent about it. I'm personally pretty excited to see how Yak develops!

[@BloodandSoilNS]

The only ones upset by the Sanderson pick were the people who didn't watch him play Collegiate hockey with Nodak. I was hyped when the Sens took em. But, Boucher over Sillinger or Wallstedt, and Jarventie over JJ Paterka? Also, Stankoven? I wanted the Sens to take him in 2021 badly. They're always reaching, and I'll never understand it.

[@thesenstennial]

Couldn't agree more!

[@lobo2k]

This pick has bust written all over it. Benet you are absolutely right this draft did zero to establish any sense other than UH OH. I hope I'm wrong but I think this was a terrible pick and people will be laughing at us (as usual) for several years over passing up many good players.

[@thesenstennial]

We hope you're wrong, too! 😂 We need some wins to come out of the next couple drafts.

[@DoctorRevers]

@@lobo2k i think they felt it important for the organization to get some big competitive players in the mix to raise the competition level of everyone coming up. If you’re a smaller guy and can outwork and beat one of these guys for a job then it’s well earned. But I like the guys picked they all have a shot. Good combination of speed skill and toughness. In 2 years we’ll get a better idea.