Carolina Hurricanes 2019 Draft Update: The Final Segment
The Hurricanes selected 12 players in the 2019 draft. How have their seasons gone, and what could their futures hold? Join us the final installment of this 3 part series!
Before we get started and conclude our 2019 Draft update with the final 4 prospects selected by the team, making sure you get caught up with Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven’t read them yet!
Today we’ll go over the final four prospects they drafted – the late-round guys – with all 4 of these guys being drafted late in the process. As such, the expectations should be limited, and they all have question marks surrounding them, but they all have unique skill sets that could make them factors in Carolina’s plan one day down the road.
F Kirill Slepets (5th round, 152nd overall)
Kirill Slepets is one of the rare Russian forwards drafted by the Hurricanes in recent memory. Before the arrival of Don Waddell in 2018, the Hurricanes had not drafted a Russian-born player since 2001, and had not drafted a Russian-based forward since the Hartford Whalers took Dmitri Gorenko in the 9th round back in 1993.
Slepets is what you’d expect from the prototypical Russian forward. He’s undersized (5’10, 154lbs) but has extremely fast breakaway speed, a good release on his shot and some solid puck skills. His skating really jumps off the tape when you watch him – this kid is seriously RAPID.
He was twice undrafted, so he’s 20 years old now and a decent way into his progression. After he outgrew the VHL this year (which is the Russian AHL) he’s been plying his trade with Dinamo Riga of the KHL, and he’s got 4 goals and 7 points there in 29 games. He’s worn an A for them as an assistant captain on multiple occasions, so he’s got some leadership quality. And man, he is QUICK.
I know those numbers don’t seem overly impressive, but Riga is an awful club (they sit dead last) and Slepets has performed well in comparison to a lot of his veteran teammates. He’s also a 20-year old playing in the 2nd best hockey league in the world, so there’s reason for hope.
His minor hockey coach, Maxim Survilov, worked extensively with Slepets for years to develop his game.
“You could already see the characteristics which his strong sides are today, [such] as speed and determination.” Survilov said.
The Athletic scout Corey Pronman thinks Slepets has a chance:
“Pace defines his game. Slepets skates and plays fast. He’s often a player asked to carry the puck up the ice. He also competes well, pressuring defenders at his blue line, and he can be an excellent penalty killer.”
Reading this, you’re probably thinking “we get it Alex. he’s fast”. I just need to hammer it home that this kid is an absolute missile. Just take a took for yourself:
Kirill Slepets turns on the jets, splits the D, sinks a dagger 😱 The Russians are half a period away from #WorldJuniors Bronze.
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2019
🇷🇺 4 - 2 🇨🇭 pic.twitter.com/OC8XosP6cn
Beyond that, he has really good hands in tight, and can really throw goaltenders off with his patience and deking ability:
Kirill Slepets walks right in and dangles for the goal! It's 1-0 Russia. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/jmVbumIolK
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2019
There’s a lot to like about Slepets. His overall game is coming along quite nicely, and he probably has a chance at an NHL spot sometime down the road. The big question will be if Carolina can convince him to come abroad from Russia, where’s he’s spent his entire playing career and life to date.
I wrote a real in-depth piece back in October that includes Slepets’ backstory and hockey journey, and you can read that right here if you’d like.
To wrap up on Slepets, he was the 40th ranked prospect by ISS Hockey in 2017 and went undrafted. He’s a kid who has real talent, but has always been overlooked (size and region play a huge factor). If he puts it all together, he could find himself in a middle-six role for the Canes down the road, but it all depends on if he’s willing to come over from Russia and potentially start off in the AHL.
Estimated NHL arrival: 2+ years
Kevin Wall. by Matt Sniegowski | Onward State
F Kevin Wall (6th round, 181st overall)
Kevin Wall is kind of an unknown to me. The Canes took him 181st overall after he played last year in the USHL, which is a league I don’t watch at all. He was orginally undrafted in 2018, and he exploded with 31 goals and 64 points in 49 games for Chilliwack, and the Hurricanes gambled on him in the 6th round.
He’s since moved to Penn State, which is a top-notch hockey program, although he hasn’t played much yet. In defense of Wall, Penn State has a deep hockey team and as a freshman he’s in tough there. However, at 20-years old, the fact he can’t crack a lineup with a fair number of players unaffiliated by NHL teams is a bit of a concern.
I really can’t find much from the way of scouts on Wall, but I mean, he did do this at prospects camp:
Kevin Wall with the speed and the finish! pic.twitter.com/sCHyuiKfk6
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) June 29, 2019
As far as I know, he’s got a lethal release to his shot and isn’t afraid to shy away from physical play. He’s got good enough size at 6-0 190, and is a coveted right-shot. What he supposedly lacks is quickness, and doesn’t have a real dynamic element to his game.
I’ve never actually seen Wall play, so I can’t really offer much in the way of projections. However, it seems plausible that if he does make it to the NHL (which is a huge if) he likely projects to slot into the bottom-6.
As far as his development goes, he’ll spend the next 3 seasons after this one at Penn State and hopefully progress to a point where he’s worth being offered a contract by Carolina. I think this kid is a long shot, but for a 6th-round pick he has some tools that are worth taking a chance on.
Estimated NHL arrival: Unlikely
F Blake Murray (6th round, 183rd overall)
Murray is another guy who was divisive among scouts, mostly for his consistency. However, it seems like that’s become a thing of the past for Murray. After a 30-goal season last year with Sudbury in the OHL that got him drafted by Carolina, he’s picked up right where he left off. He’s got 28 goals and 60 points in 55 games with Sudbury in the OHL.
Murray, who’s projected as a center, is a pretty large lad at 6-2 190. Early in the 2019 draft process, Murray was getting some first-round buzz from scouts but concerns about his overall consistency and strength led him to tumble down draft boards and into the Canes’ lap at 183rd overall.
He’s got a July birthdate, so he’s one of the younger players from the 2019 class and has some room to develop. Future Considerations, a well-respected draft site, had Murray ranked as their 9th best prospect in their initial preliminary draft rankings (they also had Ryan Suzuki 5th!) – and had Murray fall all the way to 149th in their final ranking.
OHL expert Brock Otten described Murray’s as follows:
“He’s a good skater, but not a great one. His physical game is inconsistent. He has a good shot, but at times he hangs on to the puck too long. There are just too many shifts where he is not a factor.”
Otten was quite excited about Murray’s upside though:
“I think that as he fills out his 6’3 frame, he could develop into a real beast in the offensive zone. [And] 6’3, goal scoring centers do not grow on trees. If you’re drafting outside the first round, aren’t these the type of guys you take a chance on in hopes that they can put everything together?”
Dominic Tiano of OHL Writers is also high on Murray:
“Murray isn’t afraid to take the puck to the net himself. He’s surprisingly strong on his skates and uses body position extremely well to protect the puck, and he can do that at top speed. Despite being a shooter first, Murray does have soft hands and very good vision and the ability to become an effective playmaker.”
All things considered with Murray, it seems the deficiencies in his game are minor things that can be fixed with hard work and patience in his development. If he can fill out his frame and add an element of consistency to his game, I think he’s got a real shot.
Obviously, this kid is a long-term project, but he’s the ideal type of guy to use a 6th round pick on. He’s got a lot of untapped upside, great measurables and a nice skill set. He’ll need some real seasoning, but there’s reason for optimism here. Best case, he develops into a nice middle-six center who can score some goals.
Estimated NHL arrival: 4+ years
Cade Webber, who has committed to playing with the Penticton Vees this upcoming season, was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes at the NHL Entry Draft in Vancovuer on the weekend. (Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/nhlcanes)
Cade Webber (7th round, 216th overall)
Last but not least, I present you Massimo Rizzo. Aside from having a great name, Rizzo has equally inspiring skills. He’s got some offensive flair, and plays a heart-on-sleeve type game. He’s a hard worker, and has some leadership qualities.
Overall though, his offensive game hasn’t taken the next step this season like I was hoping it would. He’s basically exactly on par with his totals from last season, and against relatively weak competition in the BCHL it’s a bit of a cause for concern.
He’s got 19 goals in 39 games, along with 42 points for the Coquitlam Express. He’s a natural centerman, and has decent enough size at 5-10 180lbs at 18 years old. Rizzo was actually projected to be a mid-round pick, so Carolina was praised for drafted Rizzo as late as they did.
As far as a scouting report, Corey Pronman recently said this about Rizzo:
“Rizzo has an interesting skill set. He’s got great hands, he skates well and can break open any given shift. He competes fine, too. I liked his hockey sense and vision in the BCHL. But at the World Jr. A Challenge, he really struggled to make plays, raising concerns about whether he can elevate at a better pace. His mediocre numbers [with Coquitlam] also don’t inspire confidence”
Rizzo is a long ways away as a player. He’s committed to the University of North Dakota, where he’ll likely head next year to continue his development at the next level. He’ll likely need to use all four years of his eligibility there if he’s to have a chance at the NHL.
Projecting him in the NHL, I see Rizzo as a bottom-six, gritty, all-situations center assuming he can put his package together. The risk vs reward is very likeable for a seventh-round draft pick, but he looks like a player I wouldn’t hold out a ton of hope for.
Estimated NHL arrival: Very far in the future, if at all
Full Draft Recap
And with that, we wrap up the final article of the 3 part saga. If you’ve been following along, you’ve likely come to the conclusion that the Canes brass did extremely well in this draft, and … you’re right. They really look to have hit a home run on this one.
With the entire lot of the class included, they got a few potential top-6 forwards (Suzuki, Rees, Puistola, Tieksola), some high-upside guys with question marks (Honka, Fensore, Slepets, Murray), an elite goaltending prospect (Kochetkov), as well as some long-term developmental projects (Wall, Webber, Rizzo).
More from Cardiac Cane
- 2023 Southeast Rookie Showcase: Takeaways from the Canes’ Strong Showing in Florida
- 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
Even if a majority of these guys don’t pan out, the Canes will all but surely get a few difference makers from this class, and they have the potential for more with some very quality selections.
“In six years of doing this, I have never been as impressed with a team’s performance at the draft as I am by Carolina’s this weekend.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic.
As of now, I would give the Canes an A letter-grade for their selections, and only time will tell, but they’ve given fans a lot of hope with this group. The future of the Carolina Hurricanes has never looked better.
Question for CC readers: How would you rate the team’s 2019 draft class?
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