Jaccob Slavin
- 4th Round (120th overall) in 2012
- Games Played: 309
- Goals-Assists-Points: 23-92-115
The Carolina Hurricanes’ first playoff appearance in a decade served as a coming-out party for Jaccob Slavin. The stalwart defenseman quickly made his talents known to Hurricanes fans after making his NHL debut along with Brett Pesce in the 2015-16 season.
With another strong season in which he tied his career-high in goals, Slavin took things to another level in the postseason, picking up 11 assists in 15 games. Leading all Carolina defenders with an average ice time of 26:10 in the playoffs, Slavin was tasked with shutting down the opponent’s top offensive threats, and he did so without picking up a single penalty.
One of the greatest examples of Slavin’s defensive acumen is the fact that he sits at 48 total PIM after 4 seasons, a testament to his hockey sense and strong positional play. Seriously, a defender who faces the best attackers that the opposition has and not only does so expertly but does it while averaging 6 minor penalties per season.
And making plays like this:
To reiterate how volatile the draft is, there are 16 defensemen who were taken ahead of Slavin in 2012, including Hurricanes pick Erik Karlsson (no, not that one), who have yet to play a single NHL game. Now, seven years after drafting Slavin, the Carolina Hurricanes have both he and Pesce signed for a combined $9.325 million through 23-24 (Slavin is signed through 24-25).
Who’s your top late-round pick?