NHL Prospect Watch: Ottawa Senators
In the lead-up to the 2026-27 hockey season, we’re diving into the WHL prospect pool for every NHL team. To be included in this list, a player must be recently drafted, signed to an NHL contract, or meet the NHL’s criteria for rookie status.
Today, we meet a pair of skaters aiming to go from the Calgary Hitmen to Canada’s capital.
Blake Vanek
A change of scenery saw 6-foot-3, 210-pound forward Blake Vanek up his scoring. The Stillwater, Minn. product netted 36 points (19G-17A) in 69 games between the Wenatchee Wild and, after the 2026 WHL Trade Deadline, the Calgary Hitmen. The son of former NHLer Thomas Vanek scored a pair of game-winners for the Hitmen and added another goal in the 2026 WHL Playoffs, which saw Calgary bow out in the second round. Vanek, 18, was drafted by Ottawa with the 93rd overall pick in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft. Vanek is primed to take a big step forward in his sophomore WHL season, especially after potting four points (2G-2A) in the penultimate game of the regular season.
Carter Yakemchuk
Six-foot-4, 207-pound defenceman Carter Yakemchuk has set his sights on making Ottawa’s opening-night roster for 2026-27. The 2024 seventh-overall pick has certainly made a strong case to do so- after nearly making the NHL club out of camp last year, Yakemchuk made his NHL debut on April 25, 2026, registering two assists and earning first star of the game in a 3-2 showdown against the Detroit Red Wings. The Fort McMurray, Alta. product ended up with three points (1G-2A) in his first four NHL games to close out the campaign. He logged 40 points (10G-30A) in 54 games in his first season of professional hockey with the AHL’s Belleville Senators. He finished fourth on the AHL Sens in points and was the second-highest scoring rookie defenceman across the entire league, trailing only 2025 WHL Defenceman of the Year Tyson Jugnauth (Seattle Kraken). Yakemchuk ranks as one of the greatest Hitmen of all time, amassing 180 points (70G-110A) in 245 regular season games across four seasons with the Hitmen. He holds the franchise record for goals by a defender and ranks fourth in points by a defender.
