The Ottawa Senators blueline has been decimated with injuries, especially as of late. But as they say, from the dark, emerges light. And the light shall shine no brighter than on the Ottawa Senators top defenceman prospect Carter Yakemchuk. The same could also be said for Jorian Donovan, as both young defenders are expected to make their NHL debuts tonight versus the Detroit Red Wings.
Credit Image: © Alex Cave/ZUMA Press Wire
The Story in Ottawa as Senators Recall Defencemen Carter Yakemchuk and Jorian Donovan
The story right now is injuries, well and a Stanley Cup Playoff race, but mostly injuries, and specifically to their blueline. Currently injured for the Sens on their blueline is Nick Jensen, Jake Sanderson, Dennis Gilbert, Lassi Thomson, and most recently, Thomas Chabot. That’s a lot of big minutes and includes essentially three of their top-four defencemen, say from the roster back in October.
For a couple of examples of how disjointed the blueline is, consider the following. Prior to the recent stretch, Tyler Kleven had played 19:31 or more eight times all year. He’s currently hit that mark in six of the last seven games. He played over 24 minutes last night versus the New York Rangers.
Furthermore, to start the season Jordan Spence had been a healthy scratch, because the defence was healthy. He was the newcomer, and the returnees were given priority. Simply a numbers game. Moreover, his current season average is 17:44 of ice time. He’s been averaging around 23 minutes the last four games. Wow. In addition, Nikolas Matinpalo, a Team Finland Olympic-calibre rearguard had also been healthy scratched prior to the recent string of injuries.
Therefore, with the rash of injuries, the Sens needed to go to Belleville for help. You never know when your opportunity will come, just to be ready. In the middle of an intense playoff race, this seems like Carter Yakemchuk’s big shot. Of course, the same is true for Donovan, but let’s focus on Yakemchuk for a minute.
How Did Yakemchuk Get Here?
Now that Carter Yakemchuk has made it, let’s discuss how did the Senators initially acquired him. Well, the Sens had a difficult 2023-24 season. However, as a result of their poor play, they were rewarded with the seventh-overall selection in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. They must’ve thought very highly of the Calgary Hitmen blueliner. In selecting Yakemchuk, they passed over Zayne Parekh and Zeev Buium. Both players have made their NHL debuts previously. Also, both are projected as top-pair type guys. You may recall Buium a part of the package that allowed the Minnesota Wild to acquire Quinn Hughes.
For Yakemchuk, he had a huge 2023-24 season, his draft year. In 66 games for Calgary, he put up 71 points, that included 30 goals. Truly remarkable numbers for a defenceman of his age. His strong play continued after being drafted, and some thought he had played his way onto the Sens as a 18-year-old rookie d-man out of camp. However, it wasn’t to be. Reality kicked in. He needed more time to season, specifically to develop his play on the defensive side of the puck.
From that time, he played a full season in Calgary. Then in 2025-26, he has been honing his craft in the AHL with the Belleville Senators. He has been showing strong play overall, as he has 36 points in 50 games. However, there still have been questions on the defensive side of the puck. That is why guys like Gilbert or Thomson had been favoured in call-ups ahead of Yakemchuk. But now his time has come.
A Second Young Call-Up
Similarly, Jorian Donovan will be thrown to the wolves along with Yakemchuk. He was originally a fifth rounder by the Send in 2022. Moreover, he has been putting his time in at Belleville, playing 122 games over the past two seasons. He brings a strong compete level, with some offensive upside.
As both Donovan and Yakemchuk are set to make their NHL debuts tonight, the fire couldn’t be any hotter. The Sens trail the Wings by just one point in the Eastern Conference standings. They are the third and fourth placed teams in the Wild Card standings, and as we know, only the top two make it. The two young d-men willl have no time for nerves, as the action will be fierce. Hopefully this trial by fire will allow them to just play their game.
Expecting the Sens to announce Carter Yakemchuk and Jorian Donovan to be called up for tonight's game. It would be the NHL debuts for both players. #gosensgo
— Coming In Hot (@ComingInHotSens) March 24, 2026
Can confirm #Sens are calling up Jorian Donovan and Carter Yakemchuk to face the Wings tonight.
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) March 24, 2026
Main Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
