Carolina Hurricanes 2019 Draft Update: Part 2
The Hurricanes selected 12 players in the 2019 draft. How have their seasons gone, and what could their futures hold?
Before you start reading, this article is part 2 of a 3-part saga, and a continuation of this article that I released two days ago. If you’ve yet to read that one, I recommend you do before continuing
Today we’ll look at Carolina’s picks 5 through 8 in the 2019 draft, which include 3 defenseman and a very-high upside forward who’s been overlooked. As always, enjoy, and feel free to discuss with me on Twitter @FutureCanes.
D Anttoni Honka (3rd round, 83rd overall)
One of the most electrifying and scout-dividing players in the 2019 draft, Anttoni Honka is also one of my favourite Canes prospects to track. A 5’9, 170lb right-shot defender with insanely good offensive instincts and skating ability is what i’m here for.
I mean, this kid is just fantastic. His skill set is as dynamic as any prospect in the organization. Super quick acceleration combined with his lateral movement and great edges make Honka a tough player to defend. He’s a great puck mover (stretch pass SZN), great hands and very poised. Very confident player.
Honka does take a lot of risks, which is what scouts have questioned him for. He can be turnover prone at times, and he’s not an overly large player (he’s really quite tiny) so defending bigger people can be problematic for him at times. If paired with someone steady and defensively responsible, Honka can be a real difference maker if he’s playing his game freely.
Perfectly placed one-timer from Anttoni Honka gives Finland an early 1-0 lead over Switzerland. pic.twitter.com/7wh7vrYI6E
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 31, 2019
A testament of his skill, Honka (who is just 19 years old) is leading his team, JYP, in scoring amongst defensemen with 3 goals and 16 points in 36 games. He plays alongside his 24-year old brother Julius, who’s a former Dallas Stars first round draft choice.
Honka, who’s early October birthday had him just a few weeks away from being a 2018 draft pick, is quite far along in his development at this stage. He’s signed over in Finland for two more years after this one, so he’ll likely finish off his contract there before coming overseas.
Depending how his development keeps tracking, Honka’s skill set will likely find him a route to the Hurricanes roster eventually. His dynamic offensive skill gives him PP1 quarterbacking ability, and with some added bulk and a stable defensive partner could be a very key player for Carolina someday.
Estimated NHL arrival: 3 years
D Domenick Fensore (3rd round, 90th overall)
American-born *defenseman* Domenick Fensore is an exceptional talent. He was largely considered one of the best skaters in the 2019 draft. Combine that with his elite elusivity, puck skills and hockey sense, this is a kid that really has the whole package.
Oh wait… the whole package except for …. size. This kid is currently listed at 5’7, 150lbs which is, by all accounts, smaller than ME. Hence why i put the asterisks around Fensore being a “defenseman” – a lot of scouts have wondered if he’d be better off at forward at the NHL level.
I hate to use a comparable like this, because the likelihood of Fensore reaching this ceiling is probably unlikely – but his skill set and size reminds me a lot of Johnny Gaudreau, which is obviously huge praise.
“There may not be a faster player in this draft class than Fensore, who is also one of the youngest players in this draft with a September 7 birthdate. In addition to his blazing speed and outstanding agility, his edgework is excellent, which does help him bounce off and avoid checks.” – Adrian Szkolar (NHL writer)
He’s playing at Boston University this year, and is the youngest player on that squad. Despite that, his 3 goals and 15 points rank 6th on the team, and 2nd among defensemen. An elite puck-moving presence, he has PP1 quarterbacking ability at the NHL level if he remains a defender.
But I’m not going to try to twist or sugarcoat the facts in any way – Fensore at his listed size, is a long shot to make the NHL as a defender. His instincts and usage of leverage aside, he’s tiny, and guys his size have trouble making it as a forward; let alone as a defenseman. The odds are highly stacked against him, regardless of his skills.
That said, not only can I not project what Fensore could become at the NHL level, I also can’t offer an estimated arrival because I have no clue. Is he a forward? Is he a defenseman? Will he be the first player to be a hybrid all-purpose weapon? Or will he be another player held victim to his size? Who knows at this point.
But with his skill set, it’s tough to bet against the Hurricanes doing everything in their power to find him a role, as he is truly dynamic as a player.
Estimated NHL arrival: To be determined
D Cade Webber (4th round, 99th overall)
When you watch a player, there’s always usually a certain aspect of their game that just jumps out at you. Maybe their puck skills, maybe their skating ability. For Cade Webber, you just notice it right away. The man is a mammoth on skates – a 19-year old kid who stands a towering 6’7, 210lbs.
I have a feeling that Webber will soon really establish himself as a fan favourite prospect, because I mean who isn’t intrigued by a defenseman who’s that large? Even if his progression stagnates, he’s a guy that people will hold out hope for just because of his size.
Webber, who was drafted out of prep school, is understandably extremely raw as a prospect. It doesn’t help him that after just 23 games with Penticton of the BCHL, he suffered a season-ending injury. He had 2 goals and 5 points in those 23 games, but he’s thought of as more of a stay-at-home defensive presence.
Webber is regarded as a pretty good skater for his size, and has raw physical tools that could make him a force at the pro level. Scouts however, seem rather cautious about him.
Corey Pronman of The Athletic offered the following on Webber:
“Webber has elite athletic tools at 6-foot-7 with good skating ability, but he has little offense in his game. His puck playing ability is limited to basic passes, and he struggles when he goes beyond that.”
His head coach in school, Peter Masters, believes that if Webber adds some muscle, he has a real shot in the pros:
“Cade is a big-time prospect because he has a great stride and light feet for someone his size,” Masters said. “He is smart with the puck and if he fills out over his time at BU like I think he will he will be a big time, shutdown defenseman in the NHL.”
Webber is committed to play at Boston University next season, but that’s all assuming on how his recovery goes. If he does make it to BU, he would play alongside Domenick Fensore – which would make an extremely fun pairing (Webber is literally a foot taller than Fensore!).
In terms of NHL future with Webber, I really have no idea. I’ve only seen him play once, and while he was rather impressive, he has yet to play against real quality competition and is very, very raw in his developmental stages.
Assuming he continues on at Boston University, he’ll likely need all 4 years of his eligibility to continue progressing. At that point the team will have a clear view on what he can amount to in the NHL, if at all. That said, he’s a long-term project and a long, long ways down the road. At best, a half-decade.
Estimated NHL arrival: 5+ years
F Tuukka Tieksola (4th round, 121st overall)
Here was an awesome value pick at 121st overall. Tuukka Tieksola; another Finn in the Canes organization; has a skill-set far better than where he was selected, after he unfortunately slipped down draft boards because of his size (5’10, 160lbs).
As a player, Tieksola checks a lot of the boxes you’d look for in a player. He has very good burst and agility, overall he’s a fantastic skater. His puck skills are quite good, and his hockey sense is among the highest of all players that were in the draft.
A lot of scouts raved about Tieksola prior to the draft and commended Carolina for selecting him that late, and went as far as calling him the potential steal of the draft.
Jokke Nevalainen, a Finland-based scout, said about Tieksola:
“I’m a big fan of Tieksola. [He] could end up being the biggest steal of the draft. [Tieksola] can drive the offense, and has legitimate top-6 upside. [His NHL arrival will be a bit of a] wait because he needs to mature physically” – Nevalainen said when CAR drafted Tieksola.
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic said if Tieksola gains some muscle mass, he could be a solid middle-six and powerplay forward at the NHL level.
“He can create separation from a standstill, gain a top speed off the rush that backs defenders off, crossover to control the puck off of the cycle or cut to the net, score with a quick release or throw a hard pass through traffic to the backdoor. I’m a huge fan.” – Scott Wheeler
Tieksola, who’s playing in the Finnish junior league, has absolutely dominated that league this year. He’s got 50 points (24 goals, 26 assists) in just 37 games, and his 1.35 points-per-game clip ranks him 2nd best in that league.
He’s gotten into a handful of games for Karpat of Liiga (Sebastian Aho’s old team) but at just 18-years old and physically raw it’s a tough league for Tieksola to crack at this point. He could definitely fit in skill-wise, but he’s fine to finish the year off in junior and continue physically maturing before hopefully making the full time jump next year.
Tieksola could be loaned to the Mestis league (Finnish equivalent of the AHL) where he had 1 goal in 2 appearances earlier in the year. However, Nevalainen speculated that Tieksola doesn’t want to play there, and is hoping to be loaned out to another Liiga team.
As a player, Tieksola routinely makes defenders look foolish, with his impressive lateral ability and his dynamic presence as a creator.
Corey Pronman summed up his game perfectly:
“He uses edges to create separation well and makes plays while moving. His combination of speed and edge work make him very difficult to check. He’s got high-end vision, with the ability to hit seam passes routinely and run a power play due to his vision, skill and decision-making.”
More from Cardiac Cane
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- Week Two Coverage Of College Hockey In NC
- Derek Stepan Ends His On Ice Career As A Hurricane
- The Southeast Rookie Showcase Will Be a Good Look at Carolina’s Future
- Noesen Ready To Provide Depth For Canes
As it stands, the only real thing separating Tieksola from being a quality NHLer player in the future is size. If he can add some muscle and overall strength, his raw abilities definitely give him a chance to be a real player who can theoretically slot in anywhere up or down the Canes’ lineup.
Obviously he’s a bit of a ways out, but he’s in good hands overseas with a spectacular Karpat program that already spawned Sebastian Aho into a Hurricane. Tieksola would likely love to follow Aho’s trail, and with some patience and proper development, it looks like the Canes might have something there.
Estimated NHL arrival: 3+ years
Recap
The Canes have some great developmental prospects with these four, and though they’re pieces with longer-term projections, they seem likely to give Carolina some hope and stability in the future.
There’s still four more prospects from the 2019 class to take a look at tomorrow, so be sure to check back as we wrap up the 2019 draft update with a bang – led by one particular prospect who may be on the verge of the pros!
Question for CC readers: Which prospect from today’s group excites you the most?
dark. Next. Justin Williams' Final Canes Corner