Five Carolina Hurricanes Prospects You Should Watch Closely

Janne Kuokkanen

It’s very interesting to me that Janne Kuokkanen has seemingly become a bit of a forgotten man amongst Canes prospects, despite him making the opening night roster as a 19-year old in 2017 and making a 4-game debut that season.

He didn’t stick right away, but he managed to post 40 points in 60 games as an AHL rookie in 2017-18 and really showed off his quality. He’s a dynamic player. He sees the ice extremely well and is comfortable as a distributor with pace on the rush.  He’s been a focal-point on the Checkers powerplay, where he has no problem creating from both the half-wall and down below the goal line.

His skills obviously continued to develop last season, where he was rewarded with a 7-game call-up to the Canes mid-season. Despite still looking for his first NHL point after 11 games, Kuokkanen took another step forward at the AHL level. He had 38 points in 48 games, and was evolving on the physical side of the game.

Unfortunately he suffered a season-ending injury and wasn’t able to suit up for the Checkers on their Calder Cup run, which would’ve been exceptional experience for him to gain.

Regardless, Kuokkanen came back with a vengeance, and the 21-year old has really broken out this season. After struggling out of the gate with just 11 points in his first 23 games, he’s completely caught fire recently and is riding a run of form with 24 points in his past 19 games. His 35 points lead the Checkers in scoring, and he’s been a huge part of the team’s resurgence.

Moving forward as a pro, Kuokkanen’s outlook is rather strong. He’s managed to take a step forward in all 3 years of his development in Charlotte, and considering his status as a fringe NHLer for the last 2 years, he’s likely as close as he’s ever been to the NHL. Barring injury, Kuokkanen won’t get a shot this year, but his time could be coming.

An impending RFA this summer, Kuokkanen will definitely be in for a raise at the AHL level. He’s still 2 years away from waivers, so he can continue to develop in Charlotte should Carolina feel he’s not ready to make the roster next year. Safe to say, Kuokkanen looks like he’ll eventually take a place in the middle-6 of an NHL line-up, and the hope here is that it’ll be for the Hurricanes.

Pyotr Kochetkov

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably noticed that I’m a big fan of Kochetkov – I feel like I mention him in almost every article. His upside is just very exciting, especially as he’s holding down his place in the KHL now.

It’s been a rather unorthodox year, per se, for a prospect in his first year of development in a pro organization. Factoring in the fact that he was traded mid-season, Kochetkov has appeared in just 17 total games this year, but has done it with 4 different clubs.

He’s made appearances in 3 separate leagues as well – the KHL, the VHL (which is Russia’s AHL) and the MHL (Russian juniors). He’s been relatively successful everywhere he’s played and, now with Vityaz Podolsk of the KHL, has put up a very respectable .922 save percentage in his 7 games for the team.

As history serves, the developmental path for goaltenders is far from an exact science, so exactly how long it’ll take Kochetkov to progress to a point where he’s NHL ready is anyone’s guess. He’s got a very desirable skill set however, which the Canes were obviously intrigued enough with to use their 36th overall pick in the 2019 draft on him.

Fortunately for the Canes, Kochetkov, who went undrafted twice before being selected this year, is 20 years old and therefore 2 years further along in his development. He was originally a 2017 draft prospect, but the Canes opted to pick Eetu Makiniemi that year instead.

The tape on Kochetkov is promising. He’s got ideal size for an NHL netminder, and his quickness and lateral ability are very evident when you watch him. He’s extremely flexible, and with his quick reaction time he’s got a rare ability of making desperation saves look routine. He’s also very aggressive, which can be detrimental at times, but that’s where his quickness comes in handy as he can recover quickly.

Moving forward, Kochetkov will likely remain in Russia next year, hopefully seeing more and more time in the KHL. The KHL is the top league in the world besides the NHL, so his progression is in good hands over there. His contract in Russia will expire in the summer of 2021, and I’d like to imagine he’d sign his entry-level deal with the Hurricanes that summer and come over to play in NC.

In terms of his career outlook, Kochetkov is right among the top-tier of goaltending prospects league wide. He has legitimate starting potential with elite upside, and has a real chance to be the franchise goaltender the team has been coveting for an eternity. Regardless, he’s on track to be a big part of Carolina’s crease one day, and that day might not be so far down the road.

Ryan Suzuki

One of the youngest prospects in the organization and the youngest on this list, Ryan Suzuki is the epitome of a top prospect. Born into a hockey family, his older brother, Nick, has already began his NHL career with Montreal. Ryan will hope to join him there one day.

Drafted in the first round (28th overall) by the Hurricanes in the 2019 Draft, the pick was unanimously praised by onlookers, as most analysts and scouts had Suzuki projected to go somewhere in the middle of the first round. Bob McKenzie had him ranked 20th. Even more beneficially, Suzuki fills a big need at the center-ice position among Canes prospects.

After a 25-goal, 75-point season as a 17-year old with the Barrie Colts of the OHL last year, Suzuki established himself as a top prospect. Though he’s physically very raw, his fluid, agile skating ability as well as his advanced playmaking skills make him a real threat with the puck on his stick.

“There are very few players who are as deceptive as Suzuki when he is weighing his options with the puck” said an anonymous scout.

Interestingly enough, Suzuki was teammates with Andrei Svechnikov during his lone season with Barrie, and the two have built a strong friendship. As Suzuki stated in his post-draft interview, he looks up to Svechnikov.

“He was really happy [Carolina picked me]. He’s a true professional and I learned a lot from him. I am looking forward to continue to learn from him in the next years …. Everyone saw what [Svechnikov] did on the ice [in Barrie] but they didn’t really see all the background stuff he was doing. He was in the gym all of the time, stretching, taking care of himself, being a pro on and off the ice. That’s something I can take away from him and that’s what I did and it helped me out a lot this year.” Suzuki said.

The two are likely to re-unite as members of the Hurricanes somewhere down the road and who knows, maybe even end up as linemates. The question is when. Suzuki, who was traded from a rebuilding Barrie team to the Saginaw Spirit earlier in January, is off to a torrid start with his new team – he’s got 13 points in 8 games, playing alongside top 2020 draft prospect Cole Perfetti.

Suzuki is a ways away from the NHL game – but there’s a high chance he’ll make it one day, and be an eventual impact player. He’s got all the tools to be a middle-six offensive center and powerplay specialist. In terms of improvements, he needs to find more consistency to his game, and add strength as he’s often over-matched in the face-off circle.

By scouts, Suzuki’s playing style has been compared to Nick Backstrom and Teuvo Teravainen, and while I think it’s a stretch to think he’ll ever match their production, it’s exciting to see a prospect of his caliber in the organization. He’s likely 3-4 years away from the NHL, but is likely to be noticeable difference maker when he arrives.

Jake Bean

The lone defender I included on this list, Jake “Josh” Bean is a talented young kid who’s blossoming into a fine young defender. He was drafted 13th overall in 2016 – continuing a Hurricanes trend of when they selected 3 straight defensemen with their first round picks – joining Haydn Fleury (2014) and Noah Hanifin (2015) in the pipeline.

With Fleury graduated to the NHL and Noah Hanifin banished from Raleigh last summer, Bean is the lone one of that group still looking to make his mark on the Hurricanes organization. Thus far, Bean is a veteran of just 2 NHL games.

Hindsight isn’t always pretty, but a quick look at the 2016 draft order is a bit of a tough pill to swallow. The Canes passed up on unanimously highly touted D Jacob Chychrun (who’s played 222 NHL games), Charlie McAvoy (165 games) and emerging Dante Fabbro, all of whom are also defenseman and selected within the 5 picks following the selection of Bean.

That said, the Canes’ largely stacked group of defensemen has made an NHL opportunity tough to come by for Bean, and has afforded him ample time to develop his game. He was a force throughout his junior career in the WHL, and went to 2 U20 World Junior Championships for Team Canada, and played a prominent role.

Since turning pro, however, Bean has taken noticeable strides. The 6’1″, 190lb 21-year old was a real force as an AHL rookie. He scored 13 goals and 44 points in his 70 games, and led all AHL rookie defenders in scoring. His stellar play earned him his first NHL action – he suited up for 2 games in November of 2018, though he struggled.

Now in year 2 of his AHL development, Bean has turned another corner and is arguably on the cusp of breaking into the NHL. He’s 2nd on Charlotte in scoring with 7 goals and 32 points, with his 32 points ranking 3rd best amongst all AHL defensemen. For his efforts, he was named an AHL All-Star for the first time.

As far as his game goes, Bean is extremely dynamic. His skating ability and offensive instincts make him a real possibility to be a powerplay specialist in the NHL. His vision is spectacular, he’s got a hard, deceptive shot and joins the rush smartly. He also holds up defensively, though if he’ll be a difference maker at the NHL level it’ll be through his offensive ability. He’s been compared to Keith Yandle.

And although he’s a Ron Francis regime selection, the new management committee has expressed real faith in Bean – with GM Don Waddell citing Bean’s progression as a reason they were comfortable to trade Calvin de Haan this past summer.

With Bean really emerging, he’s almost at the end of his path to an NHL roster spot. With the futures of impending UFAs Joel Edmundson and Trevor van Riemsdyk very much in question, Bean could find himself squarely in the mix for a roster spot next fall. The Canes currently project to have an open spot on D, which Bean should be viewed as the early clubhouse favourite to claim.

His arrival could even happen sooner than that. Should the Canes suffer another injury to their D unit (DOUGIE😭), Bean is likely first in line for a much deserved call-up. Regardless, his time is coming soon, as he’s slowly out-growing the AHL. His potential is likely as a second pair, puck-moving D who can quarterback a powerplay unit.

Julien Gauthier

It’s wild to me that some Canes fans had already written off Julien Gauthier a year or two ago. Even now, at 22-years old, it’s not time to do that, and history would say right about now is actually the best time to buy Gauthier stock.

Remember, Gauthier was selected 21st overall in 2016. Typically, raw, power forward types have taken longer to develop in the NHL. Let’s look at some comparables.

Denis Gurianov (12th overall, 2015) has finally just broken into the NHL with Dallas after 5 years of development. Nick Ritchie (10th overall, 2014) and Lawson Crouse (11th overall, 2015) were both prematurely rushed to the NHL and have struggled to find success. Valeri Nichushkin (10th overall, 2013) seems to just finally be figuring it out.

Compared to those recent examples, Gauthier seems to be right on track with his development, and arguably ahead of the curve considering the year he’s put together. After scoring 27 goals as an AHL sophomore last year, Gauthier still wasn’t getting the attention he deserved – so he decided to show everyone why they should believe in him.

He showed up to Canes training camp in the fall and absolutely dominated, with a lot of onlookers initially questioning Carolina’s decision to cut him in favour of Martin Necas. Obviously, that decision has paid dividends, but instead of being down about it, Gauthier has managed to elevate even more since then.

Along with playing in his first NHL game and recorded his first career point (an assist) Gauthier has absolutely dominated AHL competition. His 21 goals rank 4th in the AHL – despite him missing 6 of the Checkers’ game while with the Canes.

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His evolution has been as planned. He’s a very large man – a 6’4, 230lb forward – and he knows how to use his size to his advantage. He overpowers people physically, and is a stunningly good skater for a man of his size. He’s a good finisher in close around the net, and has real value as a net-front presence.

Though it’s a debatable point that Gauthier really deserves to be in the NHL this year, spending this season in the AHL won’t jeopardize his future and will likely help him. He’s playing top minutes for Charlotte (which he wouldn’t be doing in Carolina) and continuing to mature his game. In the long run, he’ll benefit from it.

The Canes are also likely to benefit from it. They’ve been seeking a big, hounding power forward since the departure of Erik Cole (Micheal Ferland was merely a stop-gap) and Gauthier has the tools to be that guy. He’ll likely blossom as a middle-six forward who plays an honest, rugged game and can contribute on the score sheet. I expect his permanent arrival next fall.

Question for CC Readers: Which Canes prospects excite you the most?