Patience or potential? Senators must choose the right path for Carter Yakemchuk

Ottawa Senators defenceman Carter Yakemchuk takes part in the team's training camp at the Bell Sensplex in Ottawa on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia Network

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Will Carter Yakemchuk stay or will he go?

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That’s what fans of the Ottawa Senators want to know as training camp enters its final phase, with two split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens left on Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre and the Bell Centre in Montreal.

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The 20-year-old defenceman, selected No. 7 overall by the Senators in the 2024 National Hockey League draft, is one of a handful of players the club must make a decision on when it sets the opening-night roster by Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline.

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Steve Staios — the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager — head coach Travis Green and his staff must decide whether Yakemchuk is ready to be a full-time NHL player.

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After spending last season with the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, there is no question that Yakemchuk’s offensive game is at the point where he could be a contributor in the NHL, but his defensive play still leaves a lot to be desired.

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He spent part of his summer working with the Senators’ skating coach, Shelley Kettles, but Yakemchuk’s movement around the ice remains an issue.

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“I don’t think his feet or mobility are good enough yet,” a league executive said on Thursday. “Especially when he has to transition quickly from forward to backward skating.”

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Injuries open roster spots

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The decisions on defence shouldn’t be difficult for the Senators, but the one surrounding Yakemchuk presents a conundrum.

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Last season, he suited up for four games during the regular season and stepped into the club’s playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes when injuries to top defencemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub left the club shorthanded.

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Yakemchuk showed good poise and scored a goal in the club’s loss in Game 4 at home, which ended the season.

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The reality is that Yakemchuk could earn a spot to begin the season because of injuries.

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Green told reporters on Wednesday that Zub, who suffered a knee injury in Game 1 against the Hurricanes five months ago, still hasn’t fully recovered and won’t be ready to start the year. He’s skating, but there is no timetable for his return.

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Sanderson hasn’t suited up for any of the club’s three exhibition games, including Wednesday’s split-squad game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but could play on Saturday along with Jordan Spence.

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Green said the organization is just being cautious with one of the NHL’s top defencemen. The same scenario exists for Jordan Spence, who didn’t play on Wednesday either.

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What is the risk and the reward?

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The Senators are trying to make the playoffs for the third straight spring. If the club signs Ben Hutton, who is on a professional tryout, then he could be the seventh defenceman, with Nikolas Matinpalo playing regularly when Zub returns.

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Veteran Cameron Crotty also has served notice in camp that he can be a contributor when called upon. Yakemchuk doesn’t require waivers to be sent to the minors. It’s possible he starts the year in Belleville, refines his game and then later gets called up to play here.