Belleville Senators Prospects Quarter-Season Review

Carter Yakemchuk leading the charge on Belleville’s blue line

Selected seventh overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, Carter Yakemchuk has wasted little time proving why the Senators invested such premium capital in his future. The 20-year-old right-shot defenseman leads all Belleville blueliners with 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists) through 18 games, placing him sixth among all AHL defensemen in scoring. If he maintains this torrid pace, Yakemchuk would finish his rookie campaign with approximately 50 points—territory rarely charted by first-year AHL defensemen.

Belleville’s general manager Matt Turek recently praised Yakemchuk’s adjustment to professional hockey: “Our league is full of junior college stars, ex-world junior players—it’s a really good league. It’s for men and Carter has adjusted really well.” Indeed, Yakemchuk is logging an average of 22:30 per night in all situations, often paired with veteran Scott Harrington as the club’s top defensive unit. While his minus-12 rating raises some eyebrows, it’s worth noting that eight of those minus ratings came in a single 7-2 defeat against Laval. The Senators’ development staff appears committed to a deliberate grooming process, ensuring Yakemchuk masters the defensive nuances before his inevitable NHL promotion.

Stephen Halliday’s rapid ascent from fourth-round pick to NHL debut

Perhaps no prospect has exceeded expectations more dramatically than Stephen Halliday, Ottawa’s 2022 fourth-round selection. After leading Belleville with 51 points as a rookie last season, Halliday has elevated his game even further, pacing the team with 16 points (1 goal, 15 assists) in just 15 games this year. His exceptional play earned him a long-awaited NHL call-up when Ridly Greig suffered an injury, and Halliday made his debut on November 18 against Anaheim, notching his first career point by setting up Shane Pinto’s power-play tally.

Concerns about Halliday’s skating speed persist, yet he consistently demonstrates that hockey sense and playmaking ability can overcome physical limitations. With veterans like David Perron, Lars Eller, and Nick Cousins potentially departing via free agency next summer, Halliday has positioned himself as a legitimate candidate for Ottawa’s fourth-line center role in 2026-27.

Xavier Bourgault finding his offensive stride

Acquired from Edmonton in last season’s Roby Jarventie swap, Xavier Bourgault is beginning to justify his first-round pedigree. The 2021 Oilers selection has registered 7 goals and 13 points through 19 games—on pace for 28 goals and 52 points, which would represent his most productive season since his draft year. While Bourgault still faces a long developmental road before becoming an NHL regular, his early consistency suggests the Senators may have extracted value from a player who had stalled in another organization.

Jackson Parsons emerging in Belleville’s goaltending picture

Undrafted free agent signings rarely generate immediate buzz, but Jackson Parsons is proving to be an exception. After winning OHL Goaltender of the Year honors with Kitchener last season, the 20-year-old has compiled a sparkling .930 save percentage and 2.26 goals-against average in four AHL appearances, backing it with a 3-1-0 record and one shutout. Parsons currently leads all Belleville netminders in save percentage and represents an intriguing wildcard in Ottawa’s goaltending depth chart, especially with Mads Sogaard struggling to gain traction in his contract year.

Jan Jenik overcoming early-season injury

Jan Jenik’s path to the NHL has been circuitous since his 2020 debut with Arizona, but the 25-year-old forward remains technically rookie-eligible and is making up for lost time. After missing the season’s opening weeks due to injury, Jenik has collected 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) in 9 games since returning November 7. Playing alongside Arthur Kaliyev and Jamieson Rees on Belleville’s top line, Jenik’s gritty two-way game and NHL experience (24 career games) make him a prime injury replacement candidate for Ottawa’s forward group.

Jorian Donovan seizing expanded defensive opportunities

When Belleville lost five of its top six defensemen from last season’s squad, it created unexpected opportunity for 21-year-old Jorian Donovan. The 2022 fifth-rounder has responded by posting 9 points (1 goal, 8 assists) in 18 games—nearly matching his 12 points from 64 games last season. Donovan’s 24 penalty minutes and two fighting majors demonstrate his willingness to embrace physicality, a necessary evolution for a player whose OHL reputation was built on skating and offensive skill. With Ottawa’s left-side depth thin behind Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot, Donovan is trending toward a future third-pairing role.

Lassi Thomson’s second act in the Senators organization

Lassi Thomson returned to Belleville this season after spending 2024-25 dominating the Swedish Hockey League, where he led all defensemen with 17 goals. The former first-round pick has contributed 3 goals and 4 points in 16 games while earning a brief NHL recall alongside Halliday. Thomson’s right-handed shot and veteran reliability provide value, though questions remain whether this represents genuine NHL-caliber improvement or simply a consolidation of his AHL skill set.

Oskar Pettersson earning organizational trust through work ethic

Swedish winger Oskar Pettersson won’t overwhelm anyone with offensive numbers—his 5 goals and 7 points in 19 games appear modest—but his plus-8 rating and reputation as Belleville’s hardest worker earned him a training camp award and even a brief NHL recall earlier this season. Development coach Sam Gagner noted Pettersson “tirelessly works to get better,” and his defensive reliability profiles him as a future depth forward capable of handling checking-line responsibilities.

Tomas Hamara adjusting to professional hockey’s demands

The AHL’s steep learning curve has caught many talented junior players off guard, and Tomas Hamara is experiencing that reality firsthand. The 19-year-old defenseman managed just one assist in 13 games while serving as Belleville’s seventh defenseman. Hamara’s development trajectory isn’t concerning given his age, but the Senators would like to see him establish himself as a regular in the lineup before season’s end.

Tyler Boucher’s career hanging in the balance

The 2021 tenth overall selection was already facing intense scrutiny after injuries and suspensions limited his OHL impact and delayed his AHL transition. Boucher showed promising signs with 3 goals and 6 points in 12 games before suffering an upper-body injury on November 18 that will sideline him for weeks. With 2025-26 representing the final year of his entry-level contract and just 7 goals in 68 career AHL games, Boucher is running out of runway to prove he belongs in Ottawa’s long-term plans.

Mads Sogaard fighting for his goaltending future

For a brief moment, Mads Sogaard appeared poised to become Ottawa’s goaltender of the future. Injuries derailed those expectations, allowing Leevi Merilainen to leapfrog him on the depth chart. Sogaard’s early-season recall provided hope, but his .866 save percentage and zero wins in five Belleville appearances tell a troubling story. With Merilainen established as the organization’s top goaltending prospect and Parsons emerging as a dark horse, Sogaard’s contract-year performance has done little to secure his future.

Other prospects requiring developmental patience

Matthew Andonovski has dressed for just three games this season, while physical defenseman Djibril Toure has appeared in nine contests without registering a point. Jake Chiasson has managed only one assist in 15 games, and his status as a restricted free agent this summer casts doubt on his organizational future. These players represent the challenging reality of professional development—not every prospect follows a linear trajectory toward NHL success.

What the quarter-season success means for Ottawa’s future

Belleville’s competitive standing at the quarter mark—holding a playoff spot with a young, developing roster—represents a significant organizational victory. The Senators have demonstrated an ability to identify and nurture talent from multiple acquisition channels: high draft picks (Yakemchuk), late-round steals (Halliday), free-agent gambles (Parsons), and shrewd trades (Bourgault).

For a comprehensive look at how the parent club’s 2025 draft class is progressing across various leagues, this detailed progress report provides additional context on prospects like Logan Hensler, who is already making waves at Wisconsin after being selected 23rd overall. Meanwhile, the Senators’ own quarter-season analysis reveals how Belleville’s development success intersects with Ottawa’s playoff aspirations as the organization balances immediate competitiveness with long-term growth.

The early returns suggest a farm system finally hitting its stride after several years of inconsistent development. While Yakemchuk represents the organization’s only true blue-chip prospect, the emergence of players like Halliday, Donovan, and Parsons demonstrates that Stanley Cup contenders are built not just on first-round talent but on finding NHL contributors in unexpected places. If Belleville can maintain its playoff positioning while continuing to graduate prospects to Ottawa, the Senators’ rebuilding phase may conclude sooner than many anticipated.