Carolina Hurricanes Prospects: Jake Bean Takes Home Hardware

Carolina Hurricanes Prospect Jake Bean earned himself some hardware.

The trophy case just got a nice upgrade for Carolina Hurricanes prospect Jake Bean. What accolade did the young blueliner earn this time?

After being named an AHL First Team ALL Star earlier this month, Carolina Hurricanes’ top prospect, Jake Bean added to his impressive resume by taking home the Eddie Shore Award. For those of you who aren’t too familiar with the various AHL awards, the Eddie Shore Award is given to the league’s top defenseman each season, making it the Norris Trophy Equivalent.

In just his second pro season, the 21-year-old Alberta native has amassed 48 points, 10 goals, and 38 assists, from the backend in just 59 games. A production that translates to roughly .81 points per game, he was Charlotte’s top point-getter and finished in the top 18 in scoring in the entire league.

Hurricanes fans who followed the Checkers closely got to see his potential as a future power play quarterback almost nightly. His 21 points on the man advantage demonstrated his ability to take over games offensively when given extra time and space.

Easily the MVP for the Charlotte Checkers this season, Jake’s contribution to the team goes well beyond points and point totals. As the Checker’s top defenseman he is counted upon in all situations, playing against opposing team’s top offensive lines in the process.

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Checker’s head coach Ryan Warsofsky is among the many who believe that the former first-round pick is NHL ready and is just waiting for his chance. A member of the 2018-19 All-Rookie team, a Calder Cup Champion, 2019-20 All-Star, 19-20 First Team All-Star, and Defenseman of the Year, it seems as if there’s nothing left from him to prove in the American Hockey League next year.

With a trio of pending UFAs on the Carolina Hurricanes backend, Bean might get his shot at a full-time roster spot next season during training camp. There’s also the possibility that he will be among those named to the Hurricanes roster for the playoff and play in rounds, with the league expanding the roster limit.

Now he might not make an appearance during the postseason this year, but he will be able to provide the club with added assurance should injuries occur. With only two regular-season NHL games to his name, one can only hope that his dominance at the AHL level will translate to success in the National Hockey League.

Question for CC readers: Do you think Jake Bean will be on the Carolina Hurricanes’ roster full-time next season?