Carolina Hurricanes: Martin Necas leads Canes’ class of prospects

The Sizzlin’ Charlotte Checkers

My God, have you seen this team? They’re absolutely picking the AHL apart. They sit at 30-10-4 for 64 points and hold an 11-point league lead, *double checks notes*, yeah I wrote that right.

So, what’s been the key to all of this success for the Checkers? Well frankly, it’s hard to attribute this success to just one or two players, as it truly has been a team effort. Still, some players have managed to stand out for this powerhouse club.

Janne Kuokkanen, Trevor Carrick, and Coach Mike Vellucci were all named to the AHL All-star game in Springfield, MA. It was also announced that Andrew Poturalski (C) will take the place of Janne Kuokkanen, who is going to use the time to recover from some nagging injuries.

There is no doubt that more players from Charlotte deserve to go the AHL All-Star game but will not be. Let’s look at the contributions of each of these players who were named to the All-Star game.

Kuokkanen has been a machine, tallying 11G-20A for 31 points through 37 games. As we all know, he played a few games at the NHL level with the Carolina Hurricanes this season, but he just didn’t look the part yet. It just wasn’t the time and he needed to be in Charlotte rather than the Canes’ bottom six.

Carrick has been a stellar blueliner, boasting 7G-19A through 41 games. His game has been solid throughout the season and he always seems to contribute at the right times.

Andrew Poturalski is the type of player who, if in the NHL, would’ve been considered a noted ‘snub’ from the All-Star game. It is great to see him get the opportunity to go as he has undoubtedly earned it, having 17G-25A through 44 games. Yep, he’s at a just under a point per game pace thus far.

Let’s talk about the undisputed King of Charlotte, and the recently ranked #2 prospect by the latest Corey Pronman mid-season rankings, Czech stud Martin Necas. The Center has played 34 games with Charlotte, scoring 9 goals and tallying 19 assists. Considering that he’s been to the WJC and been in the NHL this season, I think it speaks volumes that he quickly adjusted to the AHL and became a top contributor.

Why isn’t Necas in the NHL? Well, one school of thought suggests that if he spends this season in the AHL, he becomes exempt from the Seattle expansion draft – however with the Expansion Draft rules staying the same as they were for Vegas, this season in Charlotte counts as his first for ‘professional seasons’. Keeping Necas in Charlotte does not protect him from the Expansion Draft. It may simply be that Canes brass want him to become more hardened before making the transition to the NHL – while Svech can clearly take care of himself, both Necas and Kuokkanen are less adept at handling the physical side of NHL play, and adjusting to the physical side of the AHL will put them in good stead for next season.

Lastly, center Morgan Geekie has really been heating up. In the last 16 games he’s scored 8 goals, compared to his first 25 games of the season where he scored 5 goals. His shooting percentage is high – nearly 29% – so it’s unreasonable to expect this to hold up. But it does beg the question, could he be NHL ready sooner than we thought?

This Checkers team certainly looks like a solid contender to win the Calder Cup. If you have a chance to, watch them. All the while you should pray under your breath ‘please translate to the NHL’.

Oh, and for those who haven’t seen, Cliff Pu has two points in his last two games.

Other Prospects Lighting it Up

Stelios Mattheos is still doing very well in the WHL, the 19-year-old winger and captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings currently has 30G+31A through 40 games. He is a name to keep an eye on, as it is likely he will get a chance to sign and play with Charlotte later this season.

Meanwhile in the WHL, Brendan De Jong is easily on pace for a career year, despite currently being injured. The defenseman has 6G+13A through 35 games, but it’s hard to say whether or not this will be enough to earn a spot with the Checkers. It will most likely depend on how he finishes his season.

Those guys in Harvard

Jack Drury still seems to be playing very well for his first season in the NCAA. Through 16 games, he has 6G+10A. He also represented Team USA at the WJC, although he did go scoreless in 7 games.

Adam Fox. What can I say about Fox that hasn’t been said ad nauseam? He is the definition of a points machine. Through 17 games, he has 7G-17A for 24 points. For those of you doing the math at home, that’s roughly 1.41 points per game, on average. That puts Fox at 3rd in the entire NCAA in that respective category. Additionally, Fox has been nominated for the 2019 Hobey Baker Award. If you feel so inclined, you should consider giving him your vote for this award. He is definitely deserving.

That concludes our latest prospects coverage – come back in a few weeks’ time to see how many of our prospects will be fighting for championships with their respective teams. Hopefully by then we’ll have more word on whether Adam Fox will sign with the Canes, and see whether Martin Necas can continue to turn heads in Charlotte.