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Yakemchuk’s Debut Raises a Big Question for Ottawa

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated Mar 25, 2026 5:25 PM ET

There are debuts… and then there are debuts that make you sit up a little straighter in your chair.

Carter Yakemchuk gave the Ottawa Senators one of those kinds of debuts on Tuesday night. First NHL game, and the young player walked away with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win. Not bad for a night you’ve probably been dreaming about since you were ten years old in a backyard rink somewhere.

It Was Clear that Yakemchuk Wasn’t Overwhelmed

But it wasn’t just the points. It was how he got them. You could see it pretty quickly. He wasn’t overwhelmed. He didn’t look rushed. That’s usually the first tell with young defencemen. Everything speeds up for them. Not with Yakemchuk. He handled the puck just like he belonged, made clean passes, and didn’t panic when plays got tight. That alone is a good sign.

Then there was the goal. He stepped into a puck near the top of the circle and snapped it past the goalie. Clean, confident, no hesitation. It wasn’t a “hope it goes in” shot. That’s a player who knows what he’s doing.

Coach Green Raved About His Young Defenceman

Head coach Travis Green called him a “special player,” and you can see why. The way he moves the puck stands out right away. He gets it up to the forwards quickly, doesn’t overthink things, and when he has time, he can hold onto it just long enough to open a lane. That’s a skill not every defenceman has, especially at 20 years old.

The interesting part is that he was thrown into this because of injuries. Without Thomas Chabot or Jake Sanderson, the door suddenly opened. That’s how it works sometimes. You wait, you wait, and then you’re in. What matters is what you do with it.

So far? Yakemchuk has grabbed his chance.

For Yakemchuk, It Was a Small Sample Size. Still, So Far, So Good

Now, let’s not get carried away after one game. The league has a way of humbling young players pretty quickly. There will be nights when things don’t look so smooth, when decisions take a half-second too long. That’s part of it.

But first impressions matter. And this one was strong. If Yakemchuk keeps playing with that kind of poise—moving pucks, supporting the rush, getting shots through from the point—the Senators might have found something here. Not just a fill-in. Something more.

For a team that’s been looking for pieces on the back end, that’s not a small thing. That’s the kind of night that can quickly turn into a starting point.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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