Best Later Round Picks of the Carolina Hurricanes

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RALEIGH, NC – MAY 14: Jaccob Slavin #74 the Carolina Hurricanes leaves the ice following warmups prior to Game Three of the Eastern Conference Third Round against the Boston Bruins during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 14, 2019 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /

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).

Related Story. 2019-20 Outlook: Brett Pesce. light

Who’s your top late-round pick?

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