It's January 24 and Carter Yakemchuk is skating on Team White's blue line at the CHL Top Prospects Game, looking to make a strong impression in front of hundreds of scouts and executives.

He gets his chance in the second period. The puck lands on his stick in the neutral zone, and he takes it to the inside. There's a flat-footed defender between him and the opposition goal, and so the Calgary Hitmen defenceman pulls a between-the-legs dangle to get past him before attempting an angle-changing shot on goal.

It may have looked special in reel time but plays like these are all too common in Yakemchuk's highlight reel. Skate-to-stick moves, toe-drags, spins – he's starting to give Ivan Demidov a run for his money as the most gifted handler in this year's draft. As a defenceman.

His bottom line do