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: Brett Pesce
Position: Defense
Date of Birth: November 15, 1994 (20)
Birthplace: Tarrytown, New York (USA)
Height/Weight: 6’3″/200 lbs.
2015-2016 Team: Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) and/or Charlotte Checkers (AHL)
Scouting Report:
"Pesce is a large, offensive-minded defenseman that thinks the game exceedingly well. He is an excellent skater with speed, agility, and great feet. Pesce has puck-moving ability and offensive skills and rarely makes bad decisions with the puck. He shows great patience with the puck under pressure. Pesce has a good shot and can get the puck to the net. He possesses great on-ice vision and reads plays well. Pesce is capable of quarterbacking the power play. He will need to continue to add bulk and strength to his frame to compete at the pro level. He is solid in his own end; wising his stick and taking away lanes. He’s good in one-on-one situations but his lack of strength betrays him in trying to effectively shutdown opposing forwards at times. (HOCKEY’S FUTURE)"
After foregoing his senior year at the University of New Hampshire to sign an ELC with the Carolina Hurricanes, Brett Pesce is set to become a professional hockey player in the 2015-2016 season.
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Pesce not only performed at a high level at UNH during his collegiate career, but he was also a leader on and off the ice for the Wildcats.
As a freshman in 2012-2013, Pesce showed plenty of promise. He tallied just 8 points in 38 games played in a very limited role on the blue line, but he was a +6 player. Following the season, the Carolina Hurricanes drafted him in the 3rd round of the 2013 draft.
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In 2013-2014, Brett Pesce got a much bigger role as a sophomore, and that is when he started to shine as a star for UNH. He tallied 7 goals and 21 points in 41 games, producing points at over a .5 points per game clip.
His Sophomore season really put him on the map as far as Hurricanes prospects go. He wasn’t a highly recognized player in the organization prior to that season, but the 2013-2014 season was very good for him, and he followed it up with an equally as impressive year as a junior.
In 2014-2015, Pesce played in just 31 games due to injury, but he still produced points at over .5 per game like the year before. He picked up 16 points as a junior and logged a career-best +10 rating.
Following his junior campaign, Brett Pesce player in 4 games with the Checkers in the AHL, tallying 1 assist and logging a +2 rating.
The New York native then decided to bypass his senior season at UNH and turn pro this season. He inked an entry level deal with the Carolina Hurricanes on March 27.
Pesce entered UNH as a skinny offensive minded blue liner, but since then he has not only developed physically, but his all around game has improved remarkably.
He now stands at 6’3″, 200 pounds, and he has proved himself to be an incredibly reliable two-way defenseman. Warren Foegele, fellow Hurricanes prospect and UNH sophomore, said that Pesce was the best player on the team last season.
"“It was nice to see him again at camp,” Foegele said. “I believe Brett was our best player during the year. He’s a really good teammate and person, and also an exceptional hockey player. He has bright future.”"
Carolina Hurricanes
Brett Pesce is a big, talented defenseman that has a great blend of skill and situational awareness which can make him a force in all three zones. He is, by no means, a one dimensional player. Overall, Pesce is an effective two-way defenseman with good size and hockey instincts. He is one of the many very good defensive prospects that the Hurricanes have coming up the pipeline.
He will attend Hurricanes training camp in September, but he faces an uphill battle to make the club. He has no pro hockey experience, and he isn’t a top-end guy like Noah Hanifin, so it is a safe bet that he will see nearly all of his first season with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL.
Pesce’s two-way skill and size will likely get him a pretty significant role with a very young Checkers team this season, and a lot of ice time will do him good as he will look to crack the NHL in the years to follow.
If injuries kick in at the NHL level and Pesce impresses in his rookie season, it’s definitely not impossible to see him in a Carolina Hurricanes jersey at some point this season.
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Down the road, Brett Pesce projects to be a good option as a number 4 defenseman at the NHL level who can man the powerplay effectively. He could also be a good option on the penalty kill with his good positioning and size.
Pesce will be a big name to watch this season as he looks to translate his great play at the college level to the pros.
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