The Ottawa Senators announced on Mar. 24 that they have recalled defensemen Carter Yakemchuk and Jorian Donovan, who will both make their NHL debuts against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Senators are picking from deep within their depth chart as they have five defensemen currently injured. Both Yakemchuk and Donovan are in different parts of their development, and while NHL games were certainly a part of their plan for the future, they seem to be coming sooner rather than later.
Senators Down 5 Defensemen, Not Many Left to Choose From
The team heavily relied upon superstar defenseman Jake Sanderson throughout the course of the season. He has established himself as a true top option and was a huge part of why the Senators had played so well.
After scoring 11 goals and 48 points through 62 games, he had led the blue line in scoring. On top of the production, he was getting more minutes than anybody else, posting a career-high average of 24:49 per game. With major responsibilities on the power play, penalty kill, and even strength, he has become a perfect number-one defenseman for the club.
During the Mar. 7 matchup against the Seattle Kraken, Sanderson received a hit from Brandon Montour and then fell to the ice. It was unclear which part of the hit caused the injury, but he went to the bench, favouring his shoulder, and was listed as week-to-week.
Nick Jensen, who had been playing well after the Olympic break, was shut down and had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and is out long-term.
Following the losses of Sanderson and Jensen, that led to opportunities for Nikolas Matinpalo and Dennis Gilbert to get into the lineup.
Matinpalo has played great with the team, but was the odd man out. Since getting back into the lineup, he has been a positive presence, and with so many injuries, he has looked good in an elevated role.
Gilbert was playing very well considering his role, but in his sixth game, he took a heavy hit from Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Head coach Travis Green said he would miss some time with an upper-body injury.
Related: Senators News & Rumours: Race for the Playoffs, Sanderson Injury Update & More
That brought the Senators to a matchup against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Mar. 23. The Senators, while winning the game by just one goal, dominated the Rangers. In nearly every aspect but goals and faceoffs, the Senators did better. They won most puck battles, they dominated possession, and put on a defensive masterclass.
For a team pushing to make the playoffs to do those things to a bottom-feeding team isn’t all that impressive. But when you add in that they only allowed nine shots against, after doing the same to the Maple Leafs and only allowing 14 shots against, that is impressive.
To add another layer? Thomas Chabot left the game after just over 10 minutes of ice time, and Lassi Thomson, making his season debut, left the game after just over four minutes of ice time. That left the Senators with Jordan Spence, Tyler Kleven, Artem Zub, and Matinpalo. Of the four defensemen left, Matinpalo was the only one to play under 23:44.
Chabot took a cross-check from Rangers captain J.T. Miller, which caught him right on the bare wrist. An image of Chabot was shared that appears to have a stint holding his hand/arm still. Thomson limped off the ice just seven minutes into the second period.
That led to the recall of Yakemchuk and Donovan, who will make their NHL debuts in the most important game of the season.
High-Pressure Situation for Two Rookies
Usually, when an NHL player makes their league debut, it is a day full of excitement. Hopefully for Yakemchuk and Donovan, that is what they are feeling, but it may be mixed in with a lot of nerves as they face the pressure of a potential playoff-defining game.
The Senators will run with the same four who finished against the Rangers, plus these two. Their Mar. 24 matchup against the Red Wings could see the Senators pushed into a playoff spot for the first time in 2026. With 12 games to go, the Eastern Conference playoff race is as tight as any season ever has been. There are quite a few teams pushing for the final spots, and the Senators have certainly played well enough to deserve that spot.
Of course, the Red Wings are in the mix for that spot, and they will be hungry for the points, too. They have struggled as of late, and with a 4-4-2 record in their last 10 games, and a minus-3 goal differential on the season, they are on the verge of another breakdown in March, losing a playoff spot.
Yakemchuk was selected seventh overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and was the first selection made by general manager Steve Staios in his tenure with the team. Since then, Yakemchuk has had a complicated progression line.
He played in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in his first season after being drafted, and had notably fewer points than the season prior. The reason for that was his focus on the defensive side of the game. Staios has said it himself that everyone knows Yakemchuk has the offensive talent and could benefit from time focusing on the other side of the game.
He has struggled defensively in the American Hockey League (AHL) this season, but has still shown signs of his offensive prowess. He could get significant looks on the power play, with him and Spence being the top options for moving the puck.
Donovan was picked in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, though he is still just 21 years old. He has shown some good development, but in a perfect world, some more AHL time would have been beneficial. He has a good two-way game and played well with the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs in the Ontario Hockey League, as well as the Saginaw Spirit.
It is possible that both receive limited ice time in the game, and rely on the four defensemen who led them to a win against New York. If Green is looking for the perfect opportunity to utilize them, power play time for Yakemchuk is crucial.
