Carolina Hurricanes: Martin Necas leads Canes’ class of prospects

Things may not always look bright for the Carolina Hurricanes, but we should always remember that there is a solid core of prospects working its way up through the system that we should all remain positive about.

Widely considered a top 5 prospect system, the Carolina Hurricanes have built a vast pool of prospects that are starting to show promise, especially in Charlotte. Now that we’re well over the halfway point in the season, let’s check in on how our prospects are doing.

In the NHL

All eyes are on Andrei Svechnikov, of course. Until last night’s explosion of offense – where he posted a goal and two assists on the road against the Edmonton Oilers – the rookie seemed to have hit “the wall”. His last goal before last night was on 12/31 vs. Philadelphia. In the nine games after that, he averaged 14 minutes of ice time with the Carolina Hurricanes.

So, what gives? Well, one has to wonder if he’s been being more careful as he has really struggled with minor stick penalties. He currently sits 6th in the league in total penalties this season and tied for second in the league in minor penalties (with Max Domi and Evander Kane).

I think anyone who has watched Svechnikov throughout the season will agree that he has vastly improved over where he was to begin the season. He has had some games where you just go wow, that’s why he was the 2nd overall pick. Almost all rookies go through droughts – but after last night, we may now begin to see more goals like this one he scored in Montreal:

Other Rookies in Raleigh

Warren Foegele may not always show it on the score sheet, but there’s little to no doubt in my mind he should be playing in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes. He is almost always buzzing, granted not a ton of good has come from it, as so far as he currently sits with 6G+4A through 48 Games. However, he creates chances and does everything right until it comes to shooting the puck, or so it feels at times. What will it take to help Foegele make his game more complete?

We should also talk about Saku Maenalanen, the Carolina Hurricanes’ sneaky off-season pickup. Through 11 games, he has 4G+1A. He’s looked quite solid on the ice. If he can maintain even a portion on his current production, one has to think he certainly has a role in the bottom-6 of this team moving forward.

The Carolina Hurricanes have a nice blend of youth, veterans, and fresh faces – but who will be next from the Charlotte production line?

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.