Ottawa Senators Will Need More Out of Their Third Pairing On Defence
After Monday’s waiver deadline passed without any activity on the part of the Senators, head coach Travis Green held court with the media and revealed his opening day roster.
The performance and play of some AHL veterans spurred some intrigue into which direction the Senators could go in with their fourth line. Still, most of the attention on the roster centred around which defencemen the team would carry on opening night.
Unfortunately, the air was let out of the balloon earlier Monday morning when the best story from the preseason, the unexpected progression and production from Carter Yakemchuk, had ended. The organization announced they had returned the seventh overall selection from the 2024 NHL Draft to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.
General manager Steve Staios visited the studios at TSN 1200 for a lengthy interview, during which he elaborated on how challenging Yakemchuk had made the decision.
“You draft the player, bring him to camp, watch him through camp and how he handles certain situations,” said Staios. “We kept throwing more at Carter, and he continued to impress us with what he was able to do. He made it very difficult for us.
“At the end of the day, he’s a 19-year-old defenseman, and we see the potential of him. Our fans see the potential. They know where he can take his game. To try and rush it along, getting him in and out of games, playing him in certain situations. I like the idea of him having some stability, going back and being a leader on his team, playing in all situations, and we have some time with Carter. At the end of the day, I think it was good on him to make it so challenging for us to have him to send him back, and that’s all on him.”
There is no shame in Yakemchuk’s demotion. He opened his eyes with his play and gave a great representation of himself, which was remarkable for a 19-year-old defenceman experiencing his first professional camp.
That he lasted until the final day of cuts also reflects the calibre of the alternatives….
