Flyers could have shot at Yakemchuk, a defenseman with ‘rare combination’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Despite overachieving for the majority of the 2023-24 season, the Flyers still have a rebuilding mindset. The club’s decision-makers know there’s a need for more talent and that the entry draft remains the best avenue to acquire it.
“The bulk of it still needs to be done through our young guys, mostly through the draft,” general manager Danny Briere said in April.
The Flyers will have a good opportunity to augment their future when the 2024 NHL draft arrives June 28-29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Like last summer, the Flyers have 10 picks, including two first-rounders. Barring a trade, they’ll make their top overall selection at No. 12. Briere believes the Flyers “can get a very talented player” at that spot.
In the first round of the 2023 draft, the Flyers took a swing on Matvei Michkov at No. 7 and grabbed Oliver Bonk at No. 22. They should also have two first-round picks in 2025.
Leading up to the 2024 draft, we’re breaking down targets for the Flyers at No. 12.
Next up:
Carter Yakemchuk
Position: Defenseman
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 202
Shoots: Right
Team: Calgary Hitmen
Scouting report
There’s a lot of intrigue to Yakemchuk and it goes well beyond his size and right-handed shot.
He’s immensely mobile and skilled for a big defenseman. But he’s not all flash. He likes to defend with some nastiness and physicality.
“He scored 30 goals and he had over 100 minutes in penalties,” Dan Marr, the vice president of NHL Central Scouting, said two weeks ago in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “That’s a rare combination.”
Yakemchuk’s 30 goals for the WHL’s Hitmen ranked second among all defensemen in Canadian major junior hockey this season. Only Zayne Parekh of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit had more with 33 and he’s a potential top-five pick in this draft.
Adding 41 assists, Yakemchuk finished second on Calgary with 71 points in 66 regular-season games. His 120 penalty minutes put him in a three-way tie for the WHL’s fifth most. The long and lithe blueliner can dance around defenders with the puck on his stick and likes to quickly close gaps when he’s in coverage.
“I don’t know if he has fully matured into his body yet, so the upside with him is very, very intriguing,” Marr said. “When you see him with the puck at the offensive blue line and in the…