Carolina Hurricanes Top 10 Prospects: Trade Deadline Edition
The Carolina Hurricanes are trending upwards in the NHL, but so is their increasingly talented farm system.
As of February 23, the Carolina Hurricanes sit 4 points out of a a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Recent success has been big for this team, and they will look to make a playoff run this season, but there’s a lot more to be excited about.
More from Cardiac Cane – Hurricanes Trade Deadline Predictions
Carolina’s farm system has improved exponentially since Ron Francis took over at the helm of the organization back in April of 2014.
Back in July, we had our pre-season prospect rankings. That listed included the likes of Noah Hanifin, Brett Pesce, and Jaccob Slavin. They have now graduated from the list and will not be featured on the mid-season ranking.
Hanifin, Pesce, and Slavin have all proven to be NHL-level players, and good money says that they won’t be seeing much time in a league lower than the NHL again.
The mid-season top 10 prospect list will take into account all Canes draftees/signees in the American Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, NCAA, and European hockey leagues at or under the age of 25.
Without further ado, here are our top-10 Carolina Hurricanes prospects at the mid-way point of the 2015-2016 season.
Next: Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Daniel Alsthuller
Position: Goalie
Age: 21
Acquired: 3rd Round (69th overall), 2012 NHL Draft
CC Preseason Rank: Not Ranked
The evolution of young goalie Daniel Altshuller not only improves his stock amongst prospects, but it has also made a big impact on the state of the organization.
After a concerning rookie season as a professional hockey player in 2014-2015, Altshuller has bounced back and played big time hockey in 2015-2016.
He started the season with the Florida Everblades in the ECHL, posting a 10-3-0 record in 14 appearances. He logged an ECHL best 1.58 goals against average and a .941 save percentage before being called up to the Charlotte Checkers in December.
Early in his run with the Checkers, he had taken over the starting job while keeping up his impressive numbers. Unfortunately, his sub-1.50 goals against average and save percentage north of .940 after 11 starts has dropped off hard as of late, seeing his AHL goals against average rise back up to 2.51 with a .916 save percentage.
Altshuller earned his first NHL call up on January 20 in wake of Cam Ward’s concussion. He served as a backup for three games prior to being sent back to the Checkers heading into the 2016 NHL All-Star Break. He, again, was called up for backup duties in mid-February. He has yet to get into any NHL games.
Despite an up and down sophomore season, this young goalie is on the rise. He is a big bodied goalie (6’3″, 205 lbs.) who takes up a lot of the goal. He thrives on his good positioning and his calmness in net. For being as young as he is, he has very good poise.
NHL ETA: 2017-2018
Projected Ceiling: NHL Backup
David Cotton
Position: Center
Age: 18
Acquired: 6th Round (169th overall), 2015 NHL Draft
CC Preseason Rank: Not Ranked
A late draft pick from this past June, David Cotton is a player that has serious sleeper upside.
Cotton is a big power forward who has great hands and solid skating ability for a player who stands at 6’3″ and north of 200 pounds. He has a great net-front presence, and he uses that to pick up dirty rebound goals and create trouble for opposing goalies.
He isn’t a big player with a low skill set. His combination of hands, shot, and skating ability make him a dangerous offensive player all over the ice, not just when he is camped in front of the goalie. He also has a good faceoff acumen and is reliable in his own end.
He is in the midst of his first year in the USHL with the Waterloo Black Hawks. He has netted 13 goals and 25 total points in 36 games. He ranks third on the club in both goals and points.
Cotton will play his college hockey at the prestigious Boston College next fall. Carolina players Noah Hanifin and Nathan Gerbe both played at BC in college.
If Cotton can keep developing his two-way game and adding muscle to his already massive frame, he could jump up the prospect rankings quickly. He is still very raw and has a lot of work to do, but the base is there for him to turn into a good player down the road for the Hurricanes’ organization following what will likely be a four-year stint at BC.
NHL ETA: 2021-2022
Projected Ceiling: Bottom-Six NHL Two-Way Center
Josh Wesley
Position: Defense
Age: 19
Acquired: 4th Round (96th Overall), 2014 NHL Draft
CC Preseason Rank: Honorable Mention
Josh Wesley has the hockey roots that most prospects would be jealous of. The son of Hurricanes legend Glen Wesley, he has established himself in the OHL as a reliable shutdown blue liner.
In his first two OHL seasons, Wesley was fairly one dimensional. He has great size (6’3″, 201 lbs.), and he used that and his defensive instincts to be the number one stay at home defenseman for the then Plymouth Whalers (the Whalers moved to Flint and became the Firebirds following the 2014-2015 season).
Now in his third OHL season, Wesley has seen a big uptick in his offensive production. He tallied 12 points in 24 games and was a +2 for a bad Flint team prior to being traded, alongside fellow Canes prospect Alex Nedeljkovic, to the Niagara Ice Dogs on December 7.
He has picked up 7 points in 29 games with Niagara since the trade, and he is a +6 with his new team.
Wesley is still a pretty raw prospect, but he is starting to show his upside on both sides of the puck. Ultimately, he projects as a big, physical shutdown defenseman, but it is good to see that he is chipping in a bit more offensively at the junior level.
He will play another year with the Ice Dogs in 2016-2017 prior to making the jump to professional hockey, so he has another year and a half to really up his game and become a more well-rounded player.
NHL ETA: 2020-2021
Projected Ceiling: Third Pairing NHL Shutdown Defenseman
Next: 10-8
#10 – Lucas Wallmark
Position: Center
Age: 20
Acquired: 4th Round (97th overall), 2014 NHL Draft
CC Preseason Rank: Honorable Mention
There are many Swedes that are currently making a big impact in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes. Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm, Eddie Lack, and Joakim Nordstrom are examples of how good young Swedish players have become, and Lucas Wallmark could be the next Swede coming up the Canes organization.
Drafted just one selection after the aforementioned Josh Wesley, Wallmark is a crafty and talented offensive center that has used his highly touted vision and playmaking ability to make an impact with Luleå HF in the Swedish Hockey League this season.
In his third SHL season, Wallmark has shattered his previous career highs in goals, assists, and points. He currently has 7 goals, 20 assists, and 27 points in 42 games in Sweden. He is also on track to finish with his first ever positive plus/minus in the SHL.
He has below average size at 6’0″, 176 pounds, and he will need to add on weight before he makes his transition to North America, which will likely be next season.
He will see a good role with the Checkers when he does reach the AHL level, but he is still a ways away from making an NHL impact.
NHL ETA: 2019-2020
Projected Ceiling: Third-Line NHL Playmaker
#9 – Warren Foegele
Position: Left Wing
Age: 19
Acquired: 3rd Round (67th overall), 2014 NHL Draft
CC Preseason Rank: Honorable Mention
Warren Foegele is a player that has already gone through a little bit of controversy in his young hockey career.
He was a Canadian high school standout with St. Andrews University, and he committed to play his college hockey at the University of New Hampshire like Canes blue liner Brett Pesce did. He played alongside Pesce in a good freshman year at UNH in 2014-2015, tallying 16 points in 34 games in a third-line role.
Foegele returned for his sophomore year this past fall, but it ended quickly. He decided to leave the University just 5 games into the season. Shortly after, he signed on to join the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL.
So far so good for Foegele in his rookie year as an OHL player. He has 41 points in 42 games while seeing a lot of good minutes with the Frontenacs, a team captain by fellow Canes prospect Roland McKeown.
He has become a big offensive difference maker for their squad, but he is also upping his all around game in the process. His defense is improving, and that has only increased his stock in the Canes organization.
Warren Foegele is a great offensive threat. He has great vision in the offensive zone, which leads to him creating some great scoring opportunities. He has an accurate shot as well, which makes him more than just a pure playmaker. He isn’t a standout goal scorer like he was in high school.
He’s an all around solid offensive player with good upside, but the thing that stands out the most for him is his skating. He is quick and agile, which makes him extremely difficult to cover at the OHL level.
Like all prospects, Foegele still has a lot of work to do. He will return to Kingston next year before making the jump to the AHL in 2017-2018.
NHL ETA: 2019-2020
Projected Ceiling: Top-Nine NHL Playmaker
#8 – Sergey Tolchinsky
Age: 20
Position: Left Wing
Acquired: Signed as undrafted free agent on 8/22/2013
CC Preseason Rank: #8
Sergey Tolchinsky is the most interesting prospect that the Carolina Hurricanes have.
Tolchinsky is a small (5’8″, 170 pounds) Russian forward with high-level hands and offensive vision. He isn’t afraid to embarrass a defender with his quick hands and skating ability, and he tore up the OHL for three years by doing just that.
Over his three OHL seasons, Tolchinsky racked up 237 points in 189 games, including a pair of 90+ point seasons. He won the OHL rookie of the year award following the 2012-2013 season.
It was a surprise to many people that he went undrafted. He is small, but his offensive instincts are as good as they come.
There is a question, though, of just how well his skill set will translate to the professional hockey leagues. He is in the midst of his rookie season in the AHL, and he has 16 assists and 24 points in 50 games while playing in a pretty limited role with the Checkers and head coach Mark Morris.
If Tolchinsky can continue to adapt to the pros well, he can be a big time player at the next level, but that is a big “if”. He isn’t a very aggressive player like Nathan Gerbe, but at the same time, he is slightly taller than Gerbe.
He needs to put on more weight over the coming years while hanging on to his skill and skating ability. If he can do that and learn how to play around big opponents, he can make an NHL impact. We are still far away from finding out if he can do that, however.
Tolchinsky is a low-risk, high-reward player for the Hurricanes. If he pans out, he can be a legitimate scoring threat in the NHL. If he doesn’t pan out, the Canes likely won’t lose too much sleep over it.
The key here is to let the player develop and get bigger minutes in the AHL. He’s a project player. There is no reason to rush him into the NHL.
NHL ETA: 2018-2019
Projected Ceiling: Top-Six NHL Forward
Next: 7-5
#7 – Roland McKeown
Age: 20
Position: Defense
Acquired: Traded from LA to CAR on Feb. 25, 2015 with 2015 conditional 1st round pick for D Andrej Sekera
CC Preseason Rank: #7
Roland McKeown was the prospect that came back to Carolina in last year’s Andrej Sekera trade, and he appears to be a great addition for this organization.
The Kingston Frontenacs captain has made his presence felt in his four-year OHL stint. His standout year was back in 2013-2014 where he put up career-highs in goals (11), assists (32), points (43), and plus/minus (+38).
Kingston saw a drop off in success in 2014-2015, which led to McKeown’s number dropping as well, but he has bounced back in a big way in 2015-2016.
Through 49 games this season, McKeown has tallied 37 points and is a +12. He has continued to become a very good two-way defenseman, and his offense has been very impressive. He is on pace to set career highs in both assist and points.
The highlight of the year for McKeown was his appearance on Canada’s WJC team back in January. He failed to tally a point in the tournament as Canada was eliminated in the first round of knockout elimination, but he was a +4 in 5 games played.
McKeown is a great skater and a very talented offensive player. He has started to become a more well-rounded blue liner through his time with the Frontenacs, but he still has steps to take in that regard.
He isn’t a physically dominant player, so he has to rely on his positioning and stick play when playing defense, but he has started to be very effective in that area, which is promising for his future.
He will move up and play for the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL next year in what we will likely be a pretty decently sized role. He will likely man the powerplay and see a lot of minutes on Charlotte’s blue line, which will be very good for his development.
NHL ETA: 2017-2018
Projected Ceiling – Top-Six NHL Two-Way Defenseman
#6 – Brock McGinn
Age: 21
Position: Left Wing
Acquired: 2nd Round (47th overall), 2012 NHL Draft
CC Preseason Rank: #5
A fast and aggressive forward, Brock McGinn has had a breakout season with the Charlotte Checkers this season which has opened the door for him to get multiple looks at the NHL level.
The 2012 2nd round pick had a very average rookie season in the AHL in 2014-2015, tallying just 27 points in 73 games in Charlotte and registering a -18 plus/minus.
He entered his sophomore season knowing that it would be a big one for his development, and he has delivered in a big way.
Through 36 AHL games, McGinn has netted 14 goals and has 27 total points. He has also seen his plus/minus go from a -18 last year to a -2 so far this season.
His improved play at the AHL level earned him his first NHL call up back in October. In his first NHL shift, McGinn scored a goal against the Detroit Red Wings, and by the end of the night, he was able to tally an assist.
The story book beginning of McGinn’s NHL stint didn’t last long, however. In his next 18 game with the Hurricanes, spanning over a pair of call ups, he had just 2 assists and a -12 plus/minus.
Despite his struggles at the NHL level, he has still proven a great deal. He has played with constant physicality and aggression, and he has put himself in great scoring opportunities in the offensive zone.
McGinn’s game shapes all around his ability to make things difficult for his opponents. He has done that all year in the AHL, and has also done that at times in the NHL. This year has been big for him thus far, and if he can build on it going forward, he should become a key piece of the club’s future. Expect him to play a majority of next season in the NHL.
NHL ETA: 2016-2017
Projected Ceiling: Top-Nine NHL Two-Way Forward
#5 – Nicolas Roy
Age: 19
Position: Center
Acquired: 4th Round (96th overall), 2015 NHL Draft
Preseason CC Rank: Not Ranked
A steal for where he was selected in June’s draft, Nicolas Roy has the size and talent to turn into a special player for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Roy is a massive player. He stands at 6’4″, 196 lbs. at the age of 19. This size gives him the ability to be a true force on the ice, both with his offense and his defense.
The young power forward uses his big frame to drive the net and make things difficult for opposing goalies and defenses, and he can also get back and play well in transition defense with good skating ability and back checking. He is also aggressive on the forecheck, which makes him very difficult to play against on almost all shifts.
Nicolas Roy is also a right-handed center, which is an asset that Carolina doesn’t have a lot of outside of Elias Lindholm.
Roy is in the midst of a big breakout season with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the QMJHL. Through his first two seasons in junior from the 2013-2014 season through the 2014-2015 season, he tallied 91 points in 131 games (.69 points per game). This season, Roy has netted 37 goals and has 74 total points in just 51 games (1.43 points per game). He is also a +17.
This player has taken big steps forward this season, and if he continue to trend this way, he could end up being one of the biggest steals from the 2015 draft.
His size and style of play should translate extremely well to the professional hockey leagues. Nicolas Roy is a great two-way player with a big future.
NHL ETA: 2018-2019
Projected Ceiling: Top-Six NHL Power Forward
Next: 4-2
#4 – Trevor Carrick
Age: 21
Position: Defense
Acquired: 4th Round (115th overall), 2012 NHL Draft
Preseason CC Rank: #3
After busting onto the scene for the Charlotte Checkers in his rookie season of professional hockey in 2014-2015, 2012 4th round draft pick Trevor Carrick has come back even better in his sophomore year.
Carrick is a defenseman with good size and good all around skill, but what stands out the most with him above all else is his cannon of a slap shot and his offensive instincts, and that’s what made him an OHL standout with Mississauga Steelheads and Sudbury Wolves.
In his 4-year, 192-game OHL career, Carrick tallied 101 total points and logged 237 penalty minutes in the process. His brand of hockey is pretty unique, and that’s what drew the Hurricanes to drafting him in the middle round of the 2012 draft.
His high-point, high-penalty minute game translated well to the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers last season. Along with 91 penalty minutes, he netted 7 goals and 32 total points in 72 games as a rookie, and those numbers have only improved this season.
Through 50 games in 2015-2016, he already has topped his numbers from his rookie campaign with 9 goals and 34 points. He has also been more disciplined, bringing his penalty minutes down to just 45. If that rate holds, it will be the first time since his rookie season in the OHL that he has averaged under 1 penalty minute per game over a full season.
Carrick is a big goal scorer with a very well-rounded offensive game, but his play in his own end is still a concern. He posted a -19 plus/minus on a bad Checkers team a season ago, and this year, it is a -14 on a much improved team in Charlotte.
If the young blue liner can continue to iron out the kinks in his own end, he will turn into a key contributor for the Carolina Hurricanes down the road. He is already proving that down in the AHL, and he was recognized for it with being named to the AHL All-Star Classic in January.
He has undeniable offensive upside, which makes him a potential NHL powerplay quarterback down that road, and those types of players don’t come around often.
NHL ETA: 2017-2018
Projected Ceiling: Top-Four NHL Defenseman, Powerplay Quarterback
#3 – Alex Nedeljkovic
Age: 20
Position: Goalie
Acquired: 2nd Round (37th overall), 2014 NHL Draft
Preseason CC Rank: 10th
Carolina’s top goalie prospect, Alex Nedeljkovic, continues to impress in junior hockey, even on a huge, pressure-filled stage.
Nedeljkovic is currently playing for the Niagara Ice Dogs in his 4th season of OHL play. He spent his first 3.5 years of junior hockey with the Plymouth Whalers/Flint Firebirds, where he emerged as a legitimate goalie prospect.
He took over the starting goalie job in very little time for Plymouth/Flint, despite the lackluster play in front of him. That changed in December of 2015 when he was dealt, alongside Josh Wesley, to the Niagara Ice Dogs.
Since joining the Ice Dogs, his numbers have reached new heights and then quickly came back down to earth. As of now, Nedeljkovic has posted a 2.60 goals against average and .907 save percentage with the Dogs.
On top of being the 2013-2014 OHL goalie of the year and WJC U18 gold medal winner, Alex Nedeljkovic earned the starting goalie job in the World Junior Championship for team USA this year, and he showed, on a grand international scale, how good he really is.
He led his WJC club to a bronze medal finish this past January while sporting a 1.66 goals against average and .943 save percentage. This launched him into the spotlight of the hockey world, and it was well-earned.
Nedeljkovic isn’t your typical goalie. He is a smaller netminder at just 6’0″, 190 lbs. but he plays big. His positioning and athleticism more than make up for his small stature, and his skill set puts him at an elite level for his age.
He will turn pro next season either with the Florida Everblades in the ECHL or the Charlotte Checker in the AHL. Given how well he has played in junior and WJC this year, don’t be surprised if he comes in and steals a lot of playing time away from the likes of Daniel Altshuller and Drew MacIntye in Charlotte.
This young goalie still has a ways to go with his development, as does every goalie in his late teens and early 20’s, but he has a high ceiling. When your looking at Alex Nedeljkovic, you’re looking at Carolina’s future in net for a very long time.
NHL ETA: 2019-2020
Projected Ceiling: Top-10 NHL Starting Goalie
#2 – Haydn Fleury
Age: 19
Position: Defense
Acquired: 1st Round (7th overall) – 2014 NHL Draft
Preseason CC Rank: #1
The Carolina Hurricanes have the most stacked pipeline of young defensemen in the National Hockey League, and 2014 top-10 draft pick Haydn Fleury headlines the list of NHL-hopefuls.
Fleury has been a star in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels for nearly 4 seasons. Through the process, he has made his name widely known through his great two-way game.
Starting out as a defenseman who had legitimate ups and downs in trying to blend together his offense and defense, Fleury has done an admirable job at becoming a well-rounded player at the junior level.
For a while, there was a question if his offense would catch up to his defense, and that answer has been discovered. It’s a resounding yes.
Fleury has great offensive vision and a good, hard shot from the blue line which makes him a threat with the puck on his stick. He backs it up with good defensive instincts, positional awareness, and the ability to use his big 6’3″, 207 lbs. frame to impose his will on opponents when he needs to. This season, he has tallied 33 points in 45 games, which puts him on pace for the best point producing season in his WHL career.
He was a top-pairing defenseman for team Canada in January’s World Junior Championship. Unfortunately, Canada faltered and was eliminated in the first round of knockout elimination.
Haydn Fleury has found a lot of success at the junior level, but despite this, some scouts still question his upside and whether his offense will translate to the next level. His skating and mobility also isn’t up to the level of many top defensive prospects across the league.
That being said, Fleury’s ceiling is still very high. His two-way game can still rival a vast majority of the top defensemen of his age, and if he can break out next year with the Carolina Hurricanes or Charlotte Checkers, it will likely silence all his critics.
He will turn pro next season in the Hurricanes organization. It is crucial for the Canes to be patient with his development. You can’t rush a young defenseman with as much talent as Fleury has. If he needs a full year in the AHL with the Checkers, that is perfectly fine, but he will make a legitimate run at the NHL roster next season at the age of 20.
NHL ETA: 2017-2018
Projected Ceiling: Top-Two NHL Two-Way Defenseman
Next: #1
#1 – Sebastian Aho
Age: 18
Position: Left Wing
Acquired: 2nd Round (35th overall), 2015 NHL Draft
Preseason CC Rank: Not Ranked
Through an absolutely remarkable season overseas, Sebastian Aho has become one of the hottest names amongst all hockey prospects.
Aho, a 2nd round draft in last June’s draft, has had a season to remember in Finland’s Liiga, posting 35 points and a +23 rating in 39 games played with grown men in the the top hockey league in Finland.
This great success carried over in a big way in January’s World Junior Championship. Aho finished 2nd in the entire tournament in points, tallying 9 assists and 14 points in 7 games on Finland’s top forward line alongside 2016 top prospects Jesse Puljujärvi and Patrik Laine.
Aho was the player that made things run on that line. He showed off his great playmaking and two-way play game in and game out. He brought great pace to the line with his dynamite skating and physicality.
Even before the 2015-2016 season, the young Fin showed promise. He scored the game-winning overtime goal in game seven for Kärpät in last season Liiga championship game. He did that as a 17-year-old.
Scouts rave about Sebastian Aho’s ability to wear down opponents. He is a tough player to play against, which will be a major asset for him once he turns pro.
The 18-year-old winger looks like he will turn pro sooner rather than later. When asked about Aho making a big impact for the Hurricanes down the road, general manager Ron Francis dismissed the “down the road” portion of the comment and said that he could even make an impact next year with the Canes.
The fact that he is actually close to making a run at the NHL at the age of 18 is incredibly promising, and while he doesn’t project to be a star, point per game player as a pro, he looks like a player that can be a key difference maker for the Hurricanes for a very long time.
Next: 2016-2017 Hurricanes Roster Preview
There is a lot to be excited about with Sebastian Aho. In the next few seasons, he could start to overshadow young forwards like Elias Lindholm, Brock McGinn, and Phil Di Giuseppe.
NHL ETA: 2017-2018
Projected Ceiling: Top Line NHL Two-Way Forward