Carolina Hurricanes Prospects: Hudson Elynuik Flying Under the Radar

Carolina Hurricanes second pick in the third round of 2016 NHL draft is quietly putting up a good season

Oh, the 2016 draft was an interesting time.  The Toronto Maple Leafs won the number one overall pick in overall collusion.  Some people point to Edmonton winning McDavid as proof the NHL didn’t rig the lottery, but this was just a to throw people off the trail.  Everybody butchered saying Puljujarvi, especially the Columbus Blue Jackets who pronounced it as Pierre Luc-Dubois.  Add in the collective freakout over the Carolina Hurricanes taking another defenseman with their first overall pick and laughs were had by all.

Related Story: Prospect Profile: Jake Bean

That draft showed a Ron Francis following the ultimate draft strategy.  Although the strategy was still a work in progress as Carolina could only amass a measly nine picks compared to this year’s eleven.  Nine picks are still quite impressive though and two of those extra picks were in the third round.  Francis used his three picks to select a wide range of players: winger Matt Filipe, center Hudson Elynuik, and goalie Jack LaFontaine.

Elynuik is the only one of those picks that are improving at an impressive pace.  (Surprising right? It’s not like his name is in the title or anything).  With impressive performances by Julien Gauthier and Jake Bean in the CHL and World Juniors, Elynuik is easy to overlook. Well, that ends today with this in-depth look at the physical Spokane Chiefs center.

The Scouting Report

This season Elynuik is playing on the Spokane Chiefs first line.  Last season the young center scored 19 Goals and 44 points.  This season he’s shown a dramatic increase in his scoring potential with 25 goals and 64 points.  That’s an increase from .79 points a game to 1.14 which is pretty good for a player taken as late in the draft as Elynuik.

Here’s what Dobber Prospects said about the Carolina Hurricanes prospect last December:

"Elyniuk has had an offensive breakout this season, as he is currently just eight points shy of his career high of 44 from 2015-16. His 36 points have come in just 28 games, increasing his points-per-game rate from .79 a year ago, to 1.29 this season. The lanky pivot centers Spokane’s (WHL) top line alongside 2017 potential first round draft pick Kailer Yamamoto. He will need time to develop, but it’s good to see a potentially higher offensive ceiling."

Before last year’s draft, the guys over at Canucks Army gave Elynuik a 26.3% chance to make the NHL using their Prospect Graduation Probabilities System.  For a third round draft pick, those are

More from Cardiac Cane

• 2023 Southeast Rookie Showcase: Takeaways from the Canes’ Strong Showing in Florida
• Week Two Coverage Of College Hockey In NC
• Derek Stepan Ends His On Ice Career As A Hurricane
• The Southeast Rookie Showcase Will Be a Good Look at Carolina’s Future
• Noesen Ready To Provide Depth For Canes

great odds at making the NHL.  The continued with their praise of him as a player, “Elynuik has all the tools and frame to make a team take the risk on him.”

Add in a massive improvement in scoring plus impressive natural talents this year those odds have most likely increased.  This is looking more and more like another shrewd late round pick the Carolina Hurricanes are becoming known for.  Elynuik turns twenty 10-12-2017 so he should graduate to the Charlotte Checkers after this season.

Elynuik turns twenty 10-12-2017 so he should graduate to the Charlotte Checkers after this season. If so then fans and scouts can really start to see if he can use his big frame and become that net-front pest many fans want.

The Film

Next: Tuevo Teravainen Got His Groove Back

On this goal, Elynuik puts his big body to work by posting in front of the net and cleaning up the garbage.  This could be a hint of future things to come.  Elynuik would score another goal in the exact same way that game by posting up in front of the net and cleaning up the trash.

Unfortunately, there is little more film on Elynuik other than those two clips.  At least film that is publicly available.  But the idea that there is another potential NHL center, even if a depth center, up and coming has to be comforting.  Especially one committed to getting to the dirty areas to score goals.