Carolina Hurricanes Top 10 Prospects of 2015
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Noah Hanifin poses with team executives after being selected as the number five overall pick to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Carolina Hurricanes are a rebuilding team. That much is not a secret to anyone surrounding the organization, but something of relative mystery is what the Canes actually have in the system for the future.
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With three straight years of top-seven draft picks, the Carolina Hurricanes should be starting to build a respectable prospect pool, and that is, in fact, the case.
Carolina has gone out and picked up some very good talent in recent years, along with some impressive picks in mid-rounds that are not to be forgotten.
With that in mind, I have compiled a top-10 list of prospects in the Carolina Hurricanes’ system as of the offseason of 2015.
You will see in the slides ahead that most of these players are defensemen, and that is certainly not an accident as we have seen the Hurricanes draft very high with defensemen over the past couple of drafts.
Peter Karmanos Jr., owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, said in a July 1, 2015 press conference that he expects the Canes to have one of the best, if not the very best, defenses in the entire National Hockey League. That is setting expectations very high for this group, but I do not think it is unrealistic.
Here are the top-10 prospects with honorable mentions.
Next: Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Lucas Wallmark
Position: Center
Age: 19
Acquired: 4th round (97th overall), 2014 NHL Draft by CAR
Lucas Wallmark is a smart and creative hockey player out of Sweden and is one of the most intriguing players in the system for Carolina. Wallmark has stoodout in a very good way in international play with his Swedish U20 team over the past couple of years and has made his way to the professional hockey league in Sweden, and he has had some success.
At 6’0″, 176 pounds, Wallmark needs to get bigger and stronger in order to make his way to the North American leagues. Once he comes over seas, he will likely need a year or two in the AHL before making a case for the NHL, but with that being said, his skill set and ability to think the game very well makes him a good bet for the NHL as a creative two-way forward at some point in the future.
NHL ETA: 2018-2019
Projected Ceiling: Third-line two-way forward
Josh Wesley
Position: Defense
Age: 19
Acquired: 4th round (96th overall), 2014 NHL Draft by CAR
Josh Wesley certainly has the genes to make it as a defenseman in the NHL. If you don’t agree with me, go to the PNC Arena and look up. You’ll see his father’s #2 hanging in the rafters.
Does Josh have the same potential as his father Glen Wesley? Probably not, but he definitely has his upsides. Josh Wesley is a very raw player with a great, big frame to work with at 6’3″ and 194 pounds.
He is still working on his technical game and learning how to be as reliable as possible as a defensive defenseman, but if he continues to put the work in, he can make a run at the NHL in the future. That being said, his ceiling is hard to project considering how raw of a player he is currently. He will likely go back for his 3rd year with the Plymouth Whalers this season.
NHL ETA: 2020-2021
Projected Ceiling: Third-pairing defensive-defenseman
Warren Foegele
Position: Left Wing
Age: 19
Acquired: 3rd round (67th overall), 2014 NHL Draft by CAR
Warren Foegele is another interesting player with a bit of risk. Carolina took a flyer on the Canadian prep-school star in 2014 with hopes he could develop into a diamond in the rough, and he certainly does have talent.
Foegele is coming off of his first year at the University of New Hampshire (teammates with fellow Canes prospect Brett Pesce) and played in a third-line role for most of the year. He was able to notch 16 points in 34 games in a secondary scoring role, which is not bad for a freshman by any means.
Again, he is likely a few years away from the NHL. He still needs to get stronger and develop his raw talent, but if he can do so, he could be a useful NHLer in the future. He still has a few more years in college and likely some AHL time ahead of him before then, though.
NHL ETA: 2019-2020
Projected Ceiling: Third-line scorer
Next: No. 10-8
10. Alex Nedeljkovic
Position: Goalie
Age: 19
Acquired: 2nd round (37th overall), 2014 NHL Draft by CAR
Being a smaller goalie, Alex Nedeljkovic isn’t your prototypical goalie prospect. Nedeljkovic stands at just 6’0″, 190 pounds at the age of 19, but he does have some good play under his belt in the OHL in previous seasons.
He has spent the past 2 years as the starting goalie of the Plymouth Whalers and has showed plenty of upside with great positioning and quickness in net. Nedeljkovic saw his stats drop from 2013-14 to 2014-15 in all categories, but it isn’t fair to put it all on him, but also the team around him.
Nedeljkovic’s OHL rights are now held by the Flint Firebirds, though he did sign an entry level deal in March with the Hurricanes. That will make him eligible to play in the American league this year, though it is more likely that he will go back to the OHL and play out his eligibility there.
The Parma, Ohio native has potential to be a big part of this team’s future, but he still has work to do in regards to consistency and overall development in order for that to happen. Keep in mind it take goalie much longer to fully develop than it does forwards or defensemen.
NHL ETA: 2019-2020
Projected Ceiling: Starting NHL Goalie
9. Sebastian Aho
Position: Left Wing
Age: 17
Acquired: 2nd round (35th overall), 2015 NHL Draft by CAR
It is extremely rare to score the game winning goal of a game seven to win a championship in your home land’s professional hockey league at the age of 17, but Sebastian Aho did just that this year in Finland’s Liiga.
Aho is a crafty and dynamic player who can challenge you in all areas. He broke into the Liiga, Finland’s professional hockey league, for a full season last year and split time between Karpat and Assat. He tallied 13 points in 30 regular season games along with 3 points in 10 playoff games, including the all-important championship-winning goal.
Along with all of his accomplishments in Finland, Aho also has had a lot of success in international play with Finland’s U18 teams, especially in the Ivan Hlinka tourney where he tallied 5 goals and 7 points in 4 games while donning an “A” on his chest as an alternate captain. He picked up a silver medal with Finland in the U18 World Juniors Championship last season as well.
Sebastian Aho is very talented both as an offensive weapon and as an energetic role player, and he is incredibly accomplished. His one knock is his size, standing at just 5’11” and 176 pounds. It has also been said that he can try to do too much. Keep in mind that this kid is incredibly young, even by prospect’s standards.
He has plenty of time to develop and can be an impact player in the future for Carolina.
NHL ETA: 2019-2020
Projected Ceiling: Dynamic top-nine winger
8. Sergey Tolchinsky
Position: Left Wing
Age: 20
Acquired: Signed as Undrafted Free Agent in 2013 by CAR
Sergey Tolchinsky draws tons of attentions year after year at Carolina Hurricanes development camp with his incredible offensive skill and wow factor, but will that ability alone be able to make him a solid NHL player?
The answer to that is no, but he has shown big improvements in his defensive game and has gotten a little bit bigger, but he still has a very small frame at 5’9″, 170 pounds. He is 2 inches taller than Canes forward Nathan Gerbe but weighs 7 pounds less.
Tolchinsky needs to get bigger and stronger in order to make it in the NHL, but if he can, he can be a very special player for the Hurricanes with his incredible, Patrick Kane-like hands. Check out the amazing moves he has pulled off this week at Canes Camp HERE.
The Russian winger is coming off of a remarkable 90-point season with the Greyhounds in the OHL and is set to go pro this season. He will almost definitely start the year with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL and will go from there. Don’t be surprised to see a call-up at some point to the NHL.
This year will be a massively important one for his development. He needs to prove he can play with the big boys in the professional leagues in North America. Sergey Tolchinsky may be the biggest prospect to watch this year, maybe not in stature, but definitely in importance.
NHL ETA: 2017-2018
Projected Ceiling: Explosive top-nine forward (IF all goes well…)
Next: No. 7-5
7. Roland McKeown
Position: Defense
Age: 19
Acquired: Traded from LA to CAR on Feb. 25, 2015 with 2015 conditional 1st round pick for D Andrej Sekera
The Carolina Hurricanes had to get a very good return for Andrej Sekera when they dealt him to LA at the 2015 trade deadline, and they did. They really did.
On top of a conditional 1st round, a pick that will now be a 2016 1st round pick, the Canes acquired former 2nd round pick Roland McKeown, a very talented two-way defenseman currently with the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL.
McKeown had a huge season in 2013-14 with 43 points in 62 games played with Kingston with a baffling +38 rating. The 2014-15 season saw drop offs in those categories. It wasn’t a coincidence that the team also had a much less successful season. The team just was not as good this past season, which lead to McKeown not having as much support. That being said, McKeown donned the captain’s “C’ last year and played very well in that role.
So, we see McKeown has great two-way ability and good leadership. He also has decent size a 6’1”, 194 pounds. He does need to get better in his own end to go along with his good offense. Other than that, it is just a matter of continuously improving and working on the little things.
Roland McKeown has all the talent necessary to be an NHLer, and a pretty good one at that. There’s a reason why Ron Francis went out and got this guy in the Sekera trade.
He will likely go back and finish out his OHL eligibility this year in Kingston. After that he will move up to the AHL and work from there.
NHL ETA: 2017-2018
Projected Ceiling: Second-pairing two-way defenseman
6. Brett Pesce
Position: Defense
Age: 19
Acquired: 3rd round (66th overall), 2013 NHL Draft by CAR
When it comes to reliable defensive-minded defensemen, Brett Pesce is as good as it gets in the Hurricanes system. Over the past three seasons at the University of New Hampshire, Pesce has consistently been one of their most solid and consistent players.
When he was drafted, many labeled him as a solely defensive-minded defenseman, and while he certainly excels at this, he has also shown flashes of offense in the two seasons since he’s been drafted, which has certainly propelled him up the prospect rankings.
Pesce is also a tall player at 6’3″, but is pretty thin at 200 pounds. He can stand to gain some weight as he enters the AHL next year. He signed an entry level deal in March with the Hurricanes.
He played well in a short, 4-game AHL stint at the end of last year with an assist and a +2 rating in 4 games.
Yet another American-born collegiate player is featured on this list, which is a testament not only to how the Hurricanes have been drafting lately, but also how far American hockey has come in its development of young players.
NHL ETA: 2017-2018
Projected Ceiling: Second-pairing Stay-at-home defenseman
5. Brock McGinn
Position: Left Wing
Age: 21
Acquired: 2nd round (47th overall), 2012 NHL Draft by CAR
Brock McGinn has been Carolina’s top-ranked forward prospect for a few years now, and it remains that way entering the 2015-16 season.
McGinn turned into an elite OHL scorer in 2013-2014 when he picked up 85 points in 58 games as an alternate captain with the Guelph Storm under head coach and former Carolina Hurricanes winger Scott Walker. This created a lot of hype for McGinn’s first year as a full-time pro last year. The hype was not met.
The 6’0″, 181 pound forward tallied just 27 points in 73 games on a straight up bad Charlotte Checkers team last season. He was also a -18 and went on a 29-game goalless streak.
This slight let down from McGinn makes this year even bigger for him. He will certainly have a chance to make the NHL team out of training camp, especially with the departure of Patrick Dwyer from the bottom-six. McGinn’s energy and tough play could make him a great option for the third line as soon as October.
If you want a comparison, think a much more talented Chad LaRose. Brock McGinn has a “hit anything in sight” attitude, but he also has shown a lot of offensive flare. His play is also reminiscent to former Hurricane Tuomo Ruutu.
Obviously, the Hurricanes would love for Brock McGinn to turn into a Tuomo Ruutu. At this point, it is hard to tell if that will actually happen, though. He still has a lot of work to do and a lot of time to grow as a player.
NHL ETA: 2015-2016
Projected Ceiling: Energetic top-nine forward
Next: No. 4-2
4. Jaccob Slavin
Position: Defense
Age: 21
Acquired: 4th round (120th overall), 2012 NHL Draft by CAR
One of my favorite players in the system for the Carolina Hurricanes is defenseman Jaccob Slavin, a product of Colorado College in the NCAA.
The Erie, Colorado native broke out in his freshman year at Colorado College, scoring 25 points in 32 games and winning the NCHC (National Collegiate Hockey Conference) rookie of the year award. He was also awarded with first-team rookie team and second-team all-star honors by the NCHC as a rookie in 2013-2014. Slavin was also selected to play for the United States in the U20 World Junior Championships He tallied 2 points in 5 games and was a +1.
His production went down a bit as a sophomore, but he was still given first-team all-star honors in the NCHC.
Slavin will make his transition to pro hockey next season. He inked an entry-level deal with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 1, 2015. He will likely start the year in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers. He has great two-way ability, and he excels at making plays with the puck and skating smoothly with the puck on his stick. He is a very talented defenseman that has the potential to be a an affective NHL defenseman in the near future. He appears to be a steal of a 4th round draft pick.
NHL ETA: 2016-2017
Projected Ceiling: Second pairing two-way defenseman
3. Trevor Carrick
Position: Defense
Age: 21
Acquired: 4th round (115th overall), 2012 NHL Draft by CAR
Trevor Carrick is the second-oldest of four hockey-playing brothers, and his hockey roots have been apparent over the past few seasons.
Carrick had an awesome final year in the OHL, scoring 51 points in 70 games split between the Mississauga Steelheads and the Sudbury Wolves in the 2013-2014 season. This offensive production was huge for him, and he was able to carry it over in a very impressive way into the American League last year.
The Stouffville, Ontario native had 32 points in 70 games played with the Charlotte Checkers last season. He also had 94 penalty minutes.
Trevor Carrick has a cannon of a shot from the blue-line. He can fire the puck past anyone, which can be a great weapon for any team on the man advantage. His overall offensive play has been very good. He also has the frame, standing at 6’2″, 184 pounds, and two-way ability to become a very affective NHLer. Though he does need to put on some weight.
What makes Carrick so good of a prospect is the fact that he transitioned so well to professional hockey last year with such an underwhelming team around him. It will be interesting to see if he can fast track to the NHL like he did to the AHL. If he can, he may be a part of the blue-line as soon as this year. The defensive competition will be very tough.
NHL ETA: 2016-2017
Projected Ceiling: Top-four two-way defenseman and potential powerplay quarterback
2. Haydn Fleury
Position: Defense
Age: 19
Acquired: 1st round (7th overall), 2014 NHL Draft by CAR
Haydn Fleury was the 2nd best defenseman in the 2014 NHL draft, behind only Aaron Ekblad, the 2015 NHL rookie of the year.
Fleury has a great blend of size and skill which makes him a very good young defenseman. Haydn Fleury is listed at 6’3″, 203 pounds. He has NHL size already, and after an impressive prospect development camp, he may be a candidate to make this year’s roster with a good training camp.
Carolina Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters has raved about how improved Haydn Fleury is, saying he is bigger and much more confident. His confidence was pretty obvious when he made this sick move to beat a goalie in Canes development camp this week.
ICYMI, @fleury96 made sure Tolchinsky wasn't the only #CanesCamp prospect to go viral this week. https://t.co/pDdDIG1kUb
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) July 10, 2015
Haydn Fleury has skill, size, toughness, and solid two-way talent. With his good development throughout the past year, don’t be surprised if he sneaks on to the opening night roster.
The kid is very good and very sound as a young defenseman. He has a lot of work to do in order to reach his full potential, but so far, so good for the Regina, Saskatchewan native.
NHL ETA: 2015-2016
Projected Ceiling: Top-pairing two-way defenseman
Next: N0. 1
1. Noah Hanifin
Position: Defense
Age: 18
Acquired: 1st round (5th overall), 2015 NHL Draft by CAR
The Carolina Hurricanes hit the jackpot when 2015’s top-ranked defenseman fell to them at #5 overall in late June. Noah Hanifin, now the NHL’s top defensive prospect, may be the future for the Carolina Hurricanes on the blue line.
Noah Hanifin has that ultra rare mix of size, skating, skill, defense, toughness, and leadership. Scouts say they have a hard time finding something wrong with his game.
The Boston College product was the 3rd ranked player in the 2015 Draft following Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, which means that him falling to Carolina at 5 was a God-send for a team that already had some good guys in the pipeline on defense.
Here is what eliteprospects.com had to say about Noah Hanifin:
“A dynamic two-way defenseman that has no holes in his game. An exceptionally strong skater who isn’t afraid to take the puck himself and move it up-ice. The confidence that he has in his abilities lets him thrive under heightened competitive levels. The skilled defenseman’s undeniably high level of hockey sense is showcased whenever he touches the puck in the offensive zone. Defensively, he is aggressive, constantly pushing for puck possession and a quick transition to offense, but at the same time steadfast, reliable, and patient. He is poised beyond his years and mature in his decision making. All-in-all, Noah Hanifin is the ideal all-around defenseman that leaves no area of his game untended. (Curtis Joe, EP 2015) Noah Hanifin is a star in the making. A true two-way player that coaches want to leave on the ice as long as they have juice left. His game is reminiscent to that of the NHL player Drew Doughty: a truly versatile defenseman and a catalyst for positive happenings at both ends of the ice. – [EP]”
Don’t believe the scouting report? Take a look at the highlight clip:
On top of Noah Hanifin’s amazing on ice play, he also fast tracked his high school educated and became the youngest player to ever play for the legendary Boston College hockey team. He also became the highest draft pick to ever come out of Boston College at fifth overall. He beat out the likes of NHL legend Craig Janney (13th overall in 1986) and 798-game NHL veteran Marty Reasoner (14th overall in 1996).
The Boston, Massachusetts native signed a three-year entry-level contract on Saturday, slating him to be a pro hockey player this year.
Noah Hanifin has a long, bright future in the NHL and with the Carolina Hurricanes. He is the best prospect for the Carolina Hurricanes.
NHL ETA: 2015-2016
Projected Ceiling: Franchise Defenseman