Carolina Hurricanes: The David Cotton Saga

Drafted almost half a decade ago – way back in 2015, it’s been a long wait for David Cotton. But will the Carolina Hurricanes’ patience ultimately pay off for the team?

When teams elect to draft a player bound for the US College Hockey ranks to develop their game, there’s always a chance that the wait for that player’s arrival into the organization will be a long one. David Cotton, the Hurricanes’ 6th round pick from way back in 2015, is a fitting example.

In the Hurricanes hockey world, 2015 seems like almost a millennium ago. For the sake of you marvelous Cardiac Cane readers, I went back and checked out the Canes roster from the 2014-15 season, the season that ended right before the Canes drafted Cotton. From that team, only ONE player (Jordan Staal) remains. Think about that for a second.

Despite the roster seeing an absolute overhaul (seriously – none of the prospects recalled that year even remain!) since then, David Cotton has yet to progress to the pro level. Of course, he’s had some choice in that fact – but he’s developed his game dramatically at a storied Boston College program, and seems poised to take the next step.

Luckily, we know when that next step will be. Cotton is now in his senior season at Boston College, and won’t be able to return there for another year. That means he’ll be turning pro after their season finishes up. So the questions that remain are: what will that next step for Cotton be (NHL/AHL?), and most importantly – with whom?

Before I get into the hypotheticals, sit back and enjoy a detailed look into the journey and history of David Cotton, who’s undoubtedly become one of the Canes’ most talented and mysterious prospects.