Carter Yakemchuk will let his play do the talking.

The Ottawa Senators’ top selection in the 2024 National Hockey League draft is a man of few words, and, with training camp set to open next Wednesday at the Canadian Tire Centre, the 19-year-old defenceman has his eye on the prize of making the roster.

Yakemchuk was on the ice in Ottawa on Thursday and will make his first step towards trying to make the roster when he suits up in the Prospects Challenge with the other Senators rookies this weekend at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

“I just have to control what I can control with my work ethic, how dedicated I am every day, and everything else is out of my control,” Yakemchuk said.

A lot of eyes will be on Yakemchuk when the Senators face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at 1 p.m. and if he suits up again on Sunday at 7 p.m. versus the Winnipeg Jets.

Yakemchuk has wrapped up his junior career with the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen and will move into the pros. If he doesn’t make Ottawa’s roster to start the season, he’ll be assigned to the American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville.

He made a strong first impression in camp last fall and nearly made the opening night roster before Steve Staios, the Senators’ director of hockey operations and general manager, in consultation with head coach Travis Green, made the difficult decision to send Yakemchuk back to Calgary.

The Senators sent him back with instructions to Yakemchuk to work on improving his defensive game.

“I don’t think it’s a secret he’s got to defend,” said Belleville coach David Bell, who will be behind the bench in Montreal. “That’s a mindset. He has the ability. He can skate; he’s a big, strong guy who can close and pin guys.

“We know what his offence is. We saw that last year during the exhibition games at the NHL level. I think the question with Travis and management is: Will he defend and commit to defending? In junior, he was so dominant that you could get into some bad habits, cheating for offence, or cheating on defence.”

Yakemchuk could afford to take chances with the Hitmen. You can’t do that at the NHL level because the other players are too good and they’ll make you pay by putting the puck in the back of your net.

“Being such a big, strong guy, he could make a mistake or make a cheat read, and he could recover at that level because he was just that much better than everybody,” Bell added. “At the NHL level, you make that cheat read and you’re going to get exposed. So I think, if he commits to the 200-foot game, his offensive side will take care of itself.”

Being strong defensively is a mindset. Yakemchuk can learn to play at both ends of the ice if he wants to do so, and, if anybody wants proof that it can be learned, all you have to do is look at his Ottawa teammates, who stepped up their efforts defensively to make the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring.

The Senators are confident that Yakemchuk will have a good showing in camp.

“He’s got a pro build, and he’s got pro attributes,” said Sam Gagner, the director of player development. “He seems like a man amongst boys in a situation like this. I’m excited to see him once the games start.

“As we go through camp here, from rookie camp to main camp, there is another level, and he’s just going to continue to progress.”

The Senators like Yakemchuk’s approach off the ice. He never gets too high, he never gets too low, and his mood doesn’t change. Bell compared him to backup goalie Leevi Merilainen.

“He’s kind of like Leevi. You don’t know if he’s a bad game or a good game; he’s just Yak. ‘Good morning, good morning.’ He could have scored three goals, or he could have been minus-5. It’s just a ‘Good morning,’” Bell said. “So it’s his confidence. I’m not saying it’s high or low. It just doesn’t waver.”

Yakemchuk came back bigger and stronger this fall. He has put on 10 pounds of muscle after spending the summer working out in Calgary with the likes of Jordan Eberle of the Seattle Kraken.

“I feel like my body is ready to play pro,” Yakemchuk said. “I went back to junior to try and improve all aspects of my game, and I think I had a successful season there, so it was good.”

We’ll find out just how good in the next month or so.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

Related