Carolina Hurricanes Prospects: Brendan Woods Coming Off of Impressive Sophomore Season
By Brett Finger
Between now and the start of the preseason, Cardiac Cane will preview every Carolina Hurricanes prospect as they enter the 2015-2016 season and what we expect from them in the coming year.
Player: Brendan Woods
Position: Left Wing/Center
Date of Birth: June 11, 1992 (23)
Birthplace: Humboldt, Saskatchewan (Canada)
Height/Weight: 6’4″/210 lbs.
2015-2016 Team: Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) and/or Charlotte Checkers (AHL)
Scouting Report:
"Woods has good size and can play both ends of the ice as well as multiple positions. Willing to use that size and strength to punish opposition players on the forecheck, his offensive game has been limited at the pro level. He is effective in the less glamorous aspects of the game such as playing defense or winning face-offs. (HOCKEY’S FUTURE)"
Coming off of a breakout sophomore season in the pros, Brendan Woods looks to continue his success and make the Carolina Hurricanes in October.
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The big-bodied forward played two seasons at the University of Wisconsin in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, displaying his solid two-way game and his ability to do a lot of the little things well.
In his first season at Wisconsin, Woods played primarily in a checking forward role, tallying 5 goals and 5 assists in 34 games played. He also spend 67 minutes in the penalty box for the Badgers.
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In his second and final year at the university, Woods played in 41 games, netting 5 goals once again, but he upped his assists total to 7 and had a plus/minus of +7.
Following his collegiate playing career, the Carolina Hurricanes inked the big, versatile winger to a three-year entry-level contract on April 10, 2014.
Debuting as a pro in the 2013-2014 season, Woods skated in 42 games with the Charlotte Checkers, tallying 5 goals and 3 assists with 40 penalty minutes and a -7 rating.
Woods didn’t see any time at the NHL in year one, but that would change as he broke out in his sophomore season.
On a Charlotte team with very little offensive firepower, Brendan Woods posted AHL career highs in goals (13), assists (17), points (30), games played (68), and penalty minutes (101). A spike in on-ice production earned Woods his first career NHL call-up.
On December 23, 2014, the Carolina Hurricanes promoted Brendan Woods to the NHL. He’d play in two games prior to being sent back down to the Checkers on December 28. He failed to register any points.
A forward with a lot of size and intangibles, Brendan Woods is a special player that could very well fill a bottom-six role for the Carolina Hurricane this season.
Carolina Hurricanes
Woods, 23, won’t blow you away with offense; however, he did breakout in terms of production a season ago, and if he can use his great size to his advantage and get to the front of the net and the dirty areas, he could be an x-factor of sorts up front.
Defensively and physically, you know what you’re going to get out of him. He is a work horse in his own end, and he plays a good positional game. He could be an effective penalty killer at the NHL level, and his size and reach make him dangerous as well when going against other team’s offenses.
Being a physical player, Brendan Woods also takes a lot of penalties. He isn’t afraid to go a little too far with his aggressiveness at times, and that is something that could help the Hurricanes in a limited dosage.
Woods is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and with another good season, he will likely sign an extension with the club by next summer.
Brendan Woods will be in the mix this year as a bottom-six forward contender. His blend of size, skill, and physicality makes him a unique option, and with two full seasons of pro hockey under his belt, he has more experience than many of his competitors.
If he doesn’t crack the NHL roster, he will go back to the Charlotte Checkers and likely play in a top-six forward role with a lot of powerplay and penalty kill time under new head coach Mark Morris.
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Down the road, Brendan Woods projects to be a good option as a bottom-six forward with good size and defense at the NHL level. His versatility as both a winger and a center also makes him an attractive option in that type of role. He was a fantastic faceoff taker at Wisconsin and with the Checkers.
This could be a big season for Woods. He has an opportunity to seize a role on the Carolina Hurricanes, but will he be able to handle it? Only time will tell for the Saskatchewan native.