NHL Entry Draft: Carolina Hurricanes select Ryan Suzuki with 28th Pick

With the 28th Pick, the Carolina Hurricanes have selected Center Ryan Suzuki in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. So who is this young man?

The 2019 NHL Entry Draft is already upon us. That was fast. Well the offseason does happen to get compressed when your team goes all the way to the conference finals like the Carolina Hurricanes did. The NHL awards were just two nights ago and now the NHL Draft is taking place where the Carolina Hurricanes have 10 picks.

The offseason will feel even shorter when you realize that many of the selections along with other prospects will on the ice for the prospect camp in just a week in the summerfest celebrations hosted by the Carolina Hurricanes just next week. Free Agency is just the week after that.

Before we know it the preseason will be on us and opening night as well which is on October 3rd vs the Montreal Canadiens. Who will be on the starting lineup come that thursday? Will it be the 1st round draft pick?

But with a shorter offseason comes a later first round pick. And the Carolina Hurricanes selected 28th in the NHL Entry Draft. With that pick they selected Center Ryan Suzuki from the OHL. A Canadian playing for the Barrie Colts, Suzuki is the first Carolina Hurricane to be drafted lower than 14th since the 2009 draft that saw them pick Philippe Paradis at 27th overall.

An excellent skater and a very intelligent player with the puck, Ryan Suzuki was supposed to go in the top ten before his draft stock fell as his play fell during the season. The good news is that he is still young with plenty of development to do. But he has played incredible enough and with enough skill that he is an absolute steal at 28 overall.

Ryan Suzuki may not be an immediate impact player for the Carolina Hurricanes, but he will be in a year or two so as he continues his development in the OHL with the Barrie Colts and perhaps a year in Charlotte afterwards. For now all we can do is watch as the Canadian player prepares himself to be a Carolina Hurricane. Hopefully he will develop better than Paradis did.

At 6’1″ and 180 Lbs, there is still plenty of development left for the young center as he grows into his body. He absolutely fits the mold of a Carolina Hurricane and will do very well under Rod Brind’amour’s system when he gets up here as soon as the 20-21 season.

We look forward to the first of perhaps up to ten or more prospects that will join the prospect training camp next week. Tomorrow we will see who the Hurricanes will pick with their other nine picks. Or if they conduct any trades that will change the landscape of the draft. Only time will tell. For now, let’s congratulate Ryan Suzuki and discuss which number he will pick to wear in Hurricanes Red.

Question for CC Readers: Should Carolina have traded up to pick up guys like Cole Caufield or Peyton Krebs?