Carolina Hurricanes: 2014 Draft Class One of Best in NHL
The Carolina Hurricanes have had draft gold and draft busts in the last several seasons. Luckily more gold than busts. Today we take a look at perhaps their best Draft Class, the 2014 Draft Class.
The Carolina Hurricanes have many ways to put together a roster each year, but the most important part of the process is the draft. This year’s NHL draft is set for June 21-22 in Vancouver.
While General Manager Don Waddell prepares for this year’s draft (Carolina will have the 28th, 36th and 37th overall picks), I’m going to spend the next few weeks reviewing the last few Carolina draft classes, beginning with the Class of 2014.
Foegele breaks out in playoffs, Fleury steady
The deepest draft class for the Carolina Hurricanes in terms of NHL players occurred in 2014. Five players taken that year have already made it to Raleigh, with two making major contributions this season and potentially setting themselves up for long runs in the NHL. Two more could wind up with lengthy professional careers.
Speedy forward Warren Foegele could be the best of the bunch. Taken in the third round from St. Andrews H.S., Foegele spent one year at the University of New Hampshire and two seasons in the OHL before moving to Charlotte last season. In 73 games with the Checkers, he scored 28 goals and added 18 assists.
Promoted to the Hurricanes this season, he had an up-and-down rookie season that saw him total 10 goals and five assists while playing on the fourth-line. His breakaway goal against Washington was one of the team’s best goals of the campaign, and he finished with a flourish, scoring three goals in the final six games.
Given a chance to play in the top six in the postseason after a series of injuries, he showed off his dynamic skills and strength, scoring five goals and totaling nine points in the run to the Eastern Conference finals. He could develop into a top six forward.
The Canes’ spent their top pick in 2014 on defenseman Haydn Fleury. Only 17 when he was chosen seventh overall, he spent the next two seasons in the Western Hockey League and made it to Charlotte for 2016-17. He played most of last season with the Hurricanes, tallying eight assists in 67 games but failing to establish himself as an NHL defender.
After the club acquired Dougie Hamilton and Calvin de Haan last summer, Fleury became the seventh defender on a deep blue line. He spent most of the season in Charlotte, but a late-season injury to de Haan opened a spot on the postseason roster, and Trevor Van Riemsdyk’s shoulder injury against the Islanders turned Fleury into a regular in the playoffs. He wound up playing in nine postseason games, although his minutes were limited, compiling a +1 rating.
In 87 NHL games he has yet to score a goal. Given the depth on Carolina’s blue line – all six starters are signed through next season – and the development of Jake Bean, Fleury may wind up going elsewhere to make his name in the NHL.
Wallmark, Nedeljkovic and Bishop add depth
Lucas Wallmark was the team’s fourth-round pick and has become a pleasant surprise. The 23-year-old Swede played in all but one of Carolina’s games this season and finished with 10 goals and 18 assists. He chipped in a goal and four assists in the postseason. If Wallmark continues to develop, he should provide capable minutes on one of the bottom two lines for years to come.
Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic was the team’s second-round pick and has emerged as one of the top goaltending prospects in the AHL. Since goalies generally take longer to develop, his progress is right on track. He could easily serve as the team’s No. 2 goalie next year behind Petr Mrazek (assuming the Canes’ re-sign Mrazek and decide not to re-sign veteran Curtis McElhinney).
Clark Bishop also contributed this season. The fifth-round pick appeared in 20 games, scoring a goal and adding two assists. He could get a look next season for a spot on the fourth line, but he may also get lost in the shuffle with the bevy of frontline prospects (Martin Necas, Janne Kuokkanen, Nicolas Roy among others) moving through the system.
Carolina’s other picks that year were Josh Wesley (fourth round) and Kyle Jenkins (seventh-round). Wesley, the son of former Hurricanes great Glen Wesley, split the 2018-19 season with Florida and Charlotte but has struggled to establish himself as an NHL prospect.
Grade: A-
Carolina and Vancouver are the only teams with five 2014 draft picks to see NHL ice time, but one of Vancouver’s selections has already returned to Russia and another was traded before playing for Vancouver. The lack of a superstar keeps the Hurricanes from receiving an A, but any class that produces four players who could enjoy lengthy NHL careers is a success by any measurement.
Missed out on: David Pastrnak was the 25th pick in the first round. In 320 career games for Boston, he has tallied 132 goals and 154 assists. Viktor Arvidsson (102 goals, 84 assists) was taken in the fourth round by Nashville, and Brayden Point (91 goals, 107 assists) was taken in the third round by Tampa Bay.
Bust: Connor Bleackley was the 23rd pick in the first round by Colorado. He failed to sign with the Avalanche, which traded his rights to Arizona, which couldn’t sign him either. He went back into the draft and was taken by St. Louis in the third round in 2016, but he’s yet to make it out of the minor leagues with the Blues. He’s the only first-round pick from 2014 not to play in the NHL.
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Question for CC Readers: Who should the Carolina Hurricanes draft with the 26th Pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft?