The Carolina Hurricanes made 6 Picks at NHL Draft. Let’s take a look at those picks and talks and look at some pros and cons.
With another unfortunate year in the books, the Carolina Hurricanes are hoping to start the next season off on a positive note. And what can be more positive than a quality draft? Now, if I wanted to, I could make this painfully long, but I won’t. Whenever I read a draft article, I just want a quick rundown, because we have no idea how our draftees will develop. We’ve got tons of prospects to go over, so let’s get right to it!
Carolina Hurricanes – Andrei Svechnikov (RW)
With the 2nd pick in the NHL Draft, the Hurricanes selected the most talented forward available, Andrei Svechnikov. This came as no surprise to most people. I even wrote an article about it 8 weeks ago.
Svechnikov played with the OHL’s Barrie Colts, where he scored an incredible 72 points in 44 games. With 40 goals in total, he is scoring nearly a goal per game. He obviously still has some elements he has to iron out, but that’s what development is for. The Hurricanes were extremely lucky to land the 2nd overall pick, and Svechnikov could eventually be the centerpiece of an exciting, young offensive core. I can’t wait to see how he develops.
Carolina Hurricanes – Jack Drury (C)
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With the 42nd pick, the Hurricanes selected center, Jack Drury, from the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL. This, for me, was an interesting pick, and probably a good 2nd round snag. Drury had a breakout season this year, scoring 65 points in 56 games, having only scored 12 in 44 the year before.
Drury appears to have a bit of trouble staying out of the box. He picked up 83 penalty minutes this year, making him 4th on his team. But, when he’s actually on the ice, he can play some impressive hockey. Again, this is what development is for. Hopefully, we can smooth the rough spots, and turn him into a legitimate NHL player.
Carolina Hurricanes – Luke Henman (C)
From the… oh boy… from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL, the Carolina Hurricanes selected, center, Luke Henman, with the 96th overall pick. The Marcus Kruger trade ended up pushing the Hurricanes to the 4th round, so this would’ve actually been the Coyotes’ pick.
I had never heard of Luke until this draft because I don’t have the energy to keep up with everybody eligible for drafting. I’m sorry. Henman scored 47 points in 61 games with the Armada, this year. He is only 18 years old, so he has lots of time to develop. Another year in the QMJHL probably wouldn’t hurt.
Also, I really hope I can call him Hen Man. I bet he’s never heard that one before.
Carolina Hurricanes – Lenni Killinen (RW)
With the 104th overall pick, the Carolina Hurricanes selected RW Lenni Killinen from the Epsoo Blues of SM-liiga. Standing at 6 feet, 2 inches, Killinen scored 42 points in 38 games with Epsoo’s u20 team. At the u18 WJC, Killinen failed to score a single point in 7 games. Killinen still has a lot of developing to do.
His height, however, might give him an edge over similarly skilled players. Oh yeah, his name’s pretty great too.
Carolina Hurricanes – Jesper Sellgren (D)
With the 166th pick, the Hurricanes finally selected a defenseman: Jesper Sellgren, from the Modo Hockey of HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden. EliteProspects describes him better than I can.
"Two-way defenseman. Likes to join the rush and has good puck handling skills and passing ability. Very good mobility. Reads the game well."
With 12 points in 43 games, one way of his two-way game obviously has some developing to do. Regardless, this was a decent late pick.
Carolina Hurricanes – Jacob Kucharski (G)
With their final pick in the NHL draft, the Carolina Hurricanes selected goaltender Jacob Kucharski, at 197th, from the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL. I really love when teams go for a goalie in the draft because I really hate the idea of just hoping a goalie will pop up eventually in free agency. It’s always a good idea to have a large system of goaltending talent on your roster.
That being said, choosing Kucharski was a real stab in the dark. This year, Kucharski put up an underwhelming .881 save percentage with the Buccaneers, in 26 games. Goalies do generally take long to develop, but this selection came off as a bit random. I really hope that management didn’t draw a conclusion from his 6’4″ height and .934 save percentage in 3 games at the u19 WJAC.
But, the 7th round is the perfect place for stabs in the dark. Let’s hope this one works out.
Conclusion
I love leaping to conclusions before we know anything about draftees as much as the next person. But really, take any opinions about non-first rounders with a grain of salt. We have no idea how well anyone is going to develop. Svechnikov will be an exciting guy to watch, and I hope the other selections pan out as well. Sorry to end on a downer, but that’s just the way of the draft.
Next: A GM's Guide for Next Season (Part I)
An article on the Hanifin trade is coming so stay tuned. I’ll let you ponder over whether I’ll be crying or celebrating.
A big thank you to eliteprospects.com and Wikipedia. They’re great, so go check them out further.