2015-2016 will not be the year of Haydn Fleury, but what’s next for him and the Carolina Hurricanes?
The Carolina Hurricanes have cut down their training camp roster to just 22 players as they inch closer and closer to the 2015 regular season opener on Thursday, a game which will not feature young defenseman Haydn Fleury.
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Fleury was among the final 5 cuts from the preseason roster, falling to the likes of Ryan Murphy, Noah Hanifin, and Michal Jordan, all of whom remain on the 22-man roster for Carolina.
The Canes drafted Fleury with the 7th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, making him the 2nd highest selected defenseman behind 2014-2015 rookie of the year Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers.
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Just a year after his top-10 selection, many expected Fleury to make the jump to the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes, but given the incredibly stiff competition, that did not come to fruition.
Fleury has been assigned to the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL for his final year of junior eligibility, which means the 2016-2017 season will be his first season as a professional hockey player.
Many interpret Haydn Fleury’s lack of NHL readiness as of today as a red flag for his development, and that is far from accurate.
Haydn Fleury, 19, has made massive strides since last year’s preseason and training camp. He’s bigger, faster, and much more efficient both offensively and defensively compared to a season ago, and if it wasn’t for the addition of a truly special talent in Hanifin, Fleury could be on the opening night roster.
The addition of Hanifin, if anything, is helping Fleury. Haydn Fleury will return to the Red Deer Rebels, a team that looks very talented entering this season. He will have the chance to anchor that defense and lead that club to a successful season in the WHL. Then, after what is expected to be a good season for the Rebels, Fleury can step into 2016 training camp with a wealth of quality experience gained from his junior career and really compete for not only a fringe defenseman job with the Carolina Hurricanes, but maybe even step into a bigger role with the club as a rookie.
Carolina Hurricanes
If Fleury still isn’t quite ready, he can see time in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers and work his way up to the NHL.
Being sent down to the WHL this season isn’t a red flag at all for the young blue liner. Most projections back in 2014 said that he was still 2-3 years away from cracking an NHL lineup, which means he is still on the right track, especially after an impressive training camp over the past few weeks.
Haydn Fleury still has an incredibly high ceiling. His reliability in his own end gives him a great platform to build on, and he has already done a lot of building since being drafted.
The Hurricanes have a very special player on their hands with Haydn Fleury, but patience is the key when it comes to his development. So far, so good for Ron Francis and the rest of the organization.