2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Carolina Hurricanes

Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Most teams with loaded prospect pools sit at the bottom of the standings. Yet, the Carolina Hurricanes are deep at every position and are a favorite to win the Stanley Cup. So what gives?

Few teams have managed to snag as much talent in the latter rounds as the Hurricanes in recent years. Those picks don’t typically matter until they make the NHL, but the team has struck gold outside of the first two rounds. Brett Pesce (66th overall in 2013) and Jaccob Slavin (120th overall in 2012) are perfect examples.

And to think, the team hasn’t had to rebuild at all since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006. They’ve had some down years, but you rarely see them selecting in the top five. They just keep hitting on value, and success seems to follow. And much of the team’s current core is still young, led by Sebastian Aho (25), Andrei Svechnikov (23), Martin Necas (24) and Seth Jarvis (21). Heck, Michael Bunting is one of the greybeards at 27.

So while there’s no “cant-miss” prospect in the pipeline right now, and nobody ready to make the team significantly better this coming year, they’ve got enough talent in the pipeline to get excited about. They seem to love the NCAA route and are not afraid of picking smaller players with big potential. There’s a reason why the internet scouting community loves them to death.

Biggest Strength

The Hurricanes have one of the deepest bluelines in the NHL, and that trend continues with their prospects. Scott Morrow (NCAA) and Alexander Nikishin (KHL) both look close to NHL-ready, while Aleksi Heimosalmi, Domenick Fensore and Anttoni Honka are all solid prospects themselves. It’s never a bad thing to have so much defensive depth.

Biggest Weakness

Luckily for Carolina, they have decent depth at every position. The weakest might be down the middle, with Jack Drury – most likely to be a bottom-six forward – being the top choice right now. They have a few multipurpose centers that can play the wing, too, like Alexander Pashin, Gleb Trikozov and Michael Emerson, but there isn’t anyone that appears ready to make a big impact anytime soon.

Note: Carolina doesn’t have an AHL affiliation for 2023-24, with the Chicago Wolves electing to go private. For players expected to play in the AHL this coming year, they’re just listed as AHL. Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has also been promoted out of the prospect category for 2023-24.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

Grade: A-

1. Alexander Nikishin, D, 21 (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)

Drafted: No. 69, third round in 2020

Practically nobody saw Nikishin’s 2022-23 performance coming. Taken 69th overall in 2020, Nikishin led all defensemen with 55 points in 65 games with SKA St. Petersburg. It was the most by any KHL defender since Chris Lee put up 65 in 2016-17, and his output was the second-best by any U-23 player ever, regardless of position. At 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, Nikishin’s size and offensive ability make him one of the most intriguing defenders outside of the NHL today. He has a KHL deal until 2025, so the Hurricanes will have to be patient.

2. Scott Morrow, D, 20 (UMass, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 20, first round in 2021

Morrow has been a star at UMass for the past two years, recording 64 points in 72 games. A 2022 Hockey East champion, Morrow would be most teams’ top defensive prospect, but there’s no need to rush him any higher than college right now. A strong transitional blueliner, Morrow plays a game built around confidence – something apparent after jumping straight from the high-school ranks in 2021 to full-time, top-pairing college action a year later. The Hurricanes have a solid blueline, but expect turnover the next few years – and Morrow will be ready to capitalize.

3. Bradly Nadeau, LW, 18 (University of Maine, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 30, first round in 2022

The Hurricanes tend to be a favorite of the internet at every draft, and taking Nadeau helped continue that trend. The BCHL scoring star had one of the best Canadian Junior A seasons we’ve seen in well over a decade and he’s set to become a leader at the University of Maine. He’s one of the best shooters from the 2023 draft and could be quite the pickup for a Canes team that not only has a good roster, but a good prospect pool, too.

4. Jack Drury, C, 23 (Carolina Hurricanes)

Drafted: Drafted: No. 42, second round in 2018

Drury is ready to go full-time with the Hurricanes after skating in 38 regular season games and another 13 playoff contests in 2022-23. Offensively, Drury’s numbers will never blow you away. But he’s a strong defensive forward with a good work ethic with solid numbers last year with Chicago. Drury could still be a decent third-line scoring forward, but his effort at both ends of the ice is worth getting excited about.

5. Aleksi Heimosalmi, D, 20 (Assat, Liiga)

Drafted: No. 44, second round in 2021

A second-round pick in 2021, Heimosalmi has two years of experience now playing against men with Assat in Liiga action. He took on more responsibility this year, often playing 17 minutes or more a night. He also was one of Finland’s better defenders at the World Junior Championship in 2022 but had more of a muted showing in 2023. Still, he was one of the team’s better players, looking like someone playing with maturity. Heimosalmi’s skill and creativity shone through in the latter half of the year, and there’s still more to come.

6. Cruz Lucius, RW, 19 (University of Wisconsin, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 124, fourth round in 2022

The Canes got a steal at No. 124 in 2022, simple as that. Lucius isn’t a great skater and his physicality leaves a lot to be desired. But Lucius left his commitment with the Minnesota Gophers to join the University of Wisconsin and had a point-per-game through 34 games. After missing about five months with a wrist injury, he proved he could score again, and he’s back on track to show why he was so highly rated during his rookie campaign.

7. Justin Robidas, C, 20 (AHL)

Drafted: No. 147, fifth round in 2021

From a skill perspective, there’s so much to love about Robidas. He lit up the QMJHL playoffs and was one of the best players at the Memorial Cup, helping the Ramparts win the title. Selected with the second pick at the 2019 QMJHL Draft, the 5-foot-8 center can beat teams on speed and with an aggressive attack. His father is Stephane Robidas, so you know a strong hockey connection exists.

8. Jackson Blake, RW, 19 (University of North Dakota, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 109, fourth round in 2021

The son of former NHLer Jason Blake, Jackson had a tremendous freshman season with 42 points in 39 games with North Dakota. Blake wasn’t a lock for the World Junior Championship, but he finished with six points for the United States en route to bronze. All he does is produce, and it’s a big reason why he was the NCHC’s rookie of the year. We’ll see how he progresses moving forward.

9. Felix Unger Sörum, RW, 17 (Leksands, SHL)

Drafted: No. 62, second round in 2023

Unger Sörum spent most of the season in Sweden’s U-20 league, scoring 10 goals and 46 points in 42 regular season games. He also had nine points in seven playoff games and another six points in five postseason outings with Leksands’ U-18 squad. Unger Sörum dressed for seven SHL games, but only really saw action in one. Still, he’s a hard-working, playmaking forward with the hockey IQ needed to take big steps in his career.

10. Jayden Perron, RW, 18 (University of North Dakota, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 41, second round in 2020

Small but dynamic, Jayden Perron was one of the best passers in the 2023 NHL Draft class. He knows where he needs to get the puck, and if he makes a mistake, he has the defensive awareness to get himself back in the right position. Perron thinks the game at such a high level, something that has allowed him to overcome his 5-foot-9 frame. As a playmaker, Perron has a ton of value, but he needs to add some muscle if he’s going to succeed in the NHL.

Other notables: Noel Gunler, RW (21), Ville Koivunen, RW, 20 (Karpat, Liiga), Massimo Rizzo, LW (22), Domenick Fensore, D (21), Anttoni Honka, D (22), Vasili Ponomaryov, C (21), Ryan Suzuki, C (22), Alexander Pashin, RW (20), Jamieson Rees, C (22), Nikita Quapp, G (20), Yaniv Perets, G (23), Bryce Montgomery, D (72), Patrik Hamrla, G (20), Zion Nybeck, RW (21)

Previous 2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool instalments

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