Carolina Hurricanes: Best/ Worst Case Scenario for 2019 NHL Draft Picks

Round 3-4

Tuukka Tieksola: Right Wing, Picked 121st in the 4th Round

Best Case: 2nd or 3rd Line NHL Forward

Worst Case: 2nd or 3rd Line AHL Forward

Tuukka Tieksola is interesting. There are many scouts who praised the Finn’s ability to think the game and operate in the Offensive zone; yet, many scouts did not believe in his development enough to consider him inside the top 100.

There seemed to be two camps heading into the draft; either you believed in his 60 points in 50 games in the Jr. A SM-liiga as the beginning of his development, or you don’t. For either opinion, taking a flyer on a player with that kind of potential outside of top 110 is a display of savvy and intelligence for the Hurricanes.

Cade Webber: Defensemen, Picked 99th in the 4th Round

Best Case: 2nd Pairing NHL Defenseman

Worst Case: Bottom Pairing AHL Defensemen

Webber is an 18-year behemoth at 6’6. He’s got a good build that looks to be capable of adding more strength and produced 29 points in 26 games for the Rivers School in Massachusetts. Webber will eventually be joining Boston University hockey program which elevates his potential slightly.

Recent history has shown the talent that can come from Boston University. For Webber, the kind of player he becomes depends on how he uses the next four or five years. Playing professionally before playing collegiately should help him immensely in developing his body and a adding more consistent offensive game.

Dominick Fensore: Defenseman, Picked 90th in the 3rd Round

Best Case: 3rd or 4th Defenseman/ Top Powerplay Pairing

Worst Case: Bottom Pairing AHL Defensemen

Fensore is an interesting defenseman for Carolina. He is reminiscent of Jake Bean, a highly skilled offensive force who is a little undersized for NHL play but boasts speed and puck moving capabilities; yet, Fensore stands at a much slighter 5’7. Fensore has made a commitment to Boston University as well, and should benefit from their excellent tutelage

The mold that has been successful for Carolina this season was the big, defensively responsible, and offensively capable defenseman in the mold of a Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, or Dougie Hamilton. Fensore brings a unique skill set which could bode well for him in the future, as his offensive skill could develop him into an organizational necessity.

Anttoni Honka: Defenseman, Picked 83rd in the 3rd Round

Best Case: 2nd Defenseman/ Top Powerplay Quarterback

Worst Case: 6th Defenseman

Honka is an incredibly intriguing prospect. He has a lot of attributes that you covet in a modern NHL defenseman; he is right handed, which could catapult his place in a defensive corps., he has excellent hockey feel in the offensive zone, and he has the innate ability to see the play unfold before making things happen.

The negative side to a player so good in the offensive zone is, more often than not, going to be their play defensively; that is no different for Honka. Those shortcomings could push him down the order, as Carolina looks to be stacked with defenseman who excel in the defensive zone. Honka’s offense, however, should be good enough to earn him a roster spot eventually.

Patrik Puistola: Right Wing, Picked 73rd in the 3rd Round

Best Case: 2nd Line Winger/ Top Powerplay Forward

Worst Case: 3rd Line Winger/ 2nd Powerplay Unit

The pre-draft rankings for Puisola seemed to vary greatly depending on where you get your information. Some scouts had him later in the third round, some had him as an early day two pick; but both recognized that there are things about Puistola’s game that you just can’t teach.

The 18-year-old winger has decent size and loads of production with 26 points in 22 games during his last season in Finland before the Entry Draft. Many scouts define Puistola as a pure goal scorer. The most skeptical scouts note the Finnish forward may be one-dimensional, but that one-dimension is a deadly one. Development could turn him into an eventual 30 goal scorer with the playmakers the Hurricanes boast.