After years of watching Pierre Dorion prioritize size over skill and make risky moves with high picks, fans were anxious to find out how the Ottawa Senators’ new management group would approach the draft. The team, led by general manager Steve Staios, had made precious few significant moves leading up to the draft save for a blockbuster trade for goalie Linus Ullmark that sent away one of their two first-round picks. That left the Senators with six picks in the 2024 Draft and very little inclination of what they were going to do.
In the end, the Senators’ draft was somewhat underwhelming. They took two big swings with their first two picks, then went back to the tried-and-true method of adding players with size. The shortest player they selected over the two-day event stood 6-foot-2 while the lightest was 181 pounds.
Few teams added as much power and strength as the Senators, and while there is some intriguing talent sprinkled throughout the class, one thing is obvious – Ottawa wants to get much tougher. Round 1, 7 th Overall – Carter Yakemchuk With Zeev Buium, Sam Dickinson, and Zayne Parekh still available, the Senators instead went for the 6-foot-3 Calgary Hitmen defender Carter Yakemchuk . He was one of the most productive defenders in the Western Hockey League in 2023-24, scoring an incredible 30 goals and 71 points while also putting up 120 penalty minutes in 66 games.
While he was generally ranked lower than the aforementioned defenders, Staios was honest with .
