Carolina Hurricanes: 3 Potential 2nd Round 2021 Entry Draft Targets
The Carolina Hurricanes have turned a new leaf when it comes to drafting solid prospects.
After putting together a phenomenal 2nd round draft performance for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2020, Tulsky and Co. have their work cut out for them in 2021.
In 2020, the Carolina Hurricanes drafted both Noel Gunler and Vasily Ponomaryov in the 2nd Round. In 2019, their first 2nd round selection, Pyotr Kochetkov, is set to be (for the time being) the Canes’ “goalie of the future”, but is still largely a question mark when it comes to NHL-readiness and trajectory. The next player drafted by the Canes in the 2nd round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is none other than recently-signed Jamieson Rees.
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The draft class in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft is one of the best we’ve seen in a long time, and might even be as deep as the 2020 NHL Entry Draft class.
In my previous article addressing 3 potential 1st Round entry draft targets, I had the Carolina Hurricanes picking close to 25th overall or so, which would put them at drafting at 57th overall or so in the 2nd round of the entry draft if they keep their own picks and don’t trade picks to move up or down on draft day.
Two of the three picks discussed in that earlier article were defensemen, and this article will be written from the perspective of the Canes drafting one of the two defensemen (hopefully Corson Ceulemans, but that remains to be seen).
The usual caveats apply; I have no insider information regarding this topic, and am not suggesting the Carolina Hurricanes nor Eric Tulsky/Darren York/the rest of the Canes’ scouting staff are pursuing these players. This is, as usual, pure speculation.
That being said, let’s jump back into the 2021 NHL Draft class and point out three solid young players the Carolina Hurricanes could be targeting in the 2nd round.
3. Tristan Lennox
This pick might be a bit of a stretch, but I’d be remiss not to at least mention this up-and-coming goaltender out of the OHL.
Lennox, currently playing with the Saginaw Spirit (and teammate of Canes’ 2019 28th overall draft pick Ryan Suzuki), is one of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft’s top goalie prospects, behind Jesper Wallstedt and Sebastian Cossa.
Tristan Lennox of the Saginaw Spirit made four consecutive saves in this wild sequence 😳🔥. MORE @ https://t.co/sJez8STtvd
— BarDown (@BarDown) October 13, 2019
(📽️: @SpiritHockey) pic.twitter.com/oAVS4xsm7q
In his last season with the Spirit, Lennox turned in a .876% save percentage alongside a goals-against-average of 3.63. His W-L-T record showed a different story, however: Lennox registered a win-loss-tie record of 20-8-3 in 33 games played, and was on a 7-game winning streak before last season’s pause.
Lennox’s performance at the 2019-20 Hlinka Gretzky Cup was, on the other hand, phenomenal. He went undefeated in 3 games played and turned in a save percentage of .951 alongside a goals-against-average of 0.95.
Goalies are always incredibly difficult to gauge, especially when it comes to NHL ETA, but Lennox is an incredibly solid 2nd round pick. He’s currently ranked 53rd by Dobber Prospects, and if he falls to the Carolina Hurricanes around 57th overall or so, I believe the Canes (at the very least) give the kid a look or three.
2. Samuel Helenius
We all know by now that the Carolina Hurricanes love their Finns. Helenius, currently playing in the WJC (as of the writing of this article) for Team Finland, would find himself right at home in Raleigh alongside fellow Finns Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen.
Helenius is yet another player in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft that could be categorized as a “Rod Brind’amour“-style of player. He’s the true definition of a two-way forward that can score goals and play an incredibly solid game in his own end of the ice.
ICYMI: @leijonat lit the lamp 6 times against Slovakia, including two goals for Samuel Helenius. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/IypilGqM2K
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 31, 2020
Dobber Prospects currently has Helenius ranked at 64th, but I have a feeling he’ll get bumped up a few slots, especially after his performance in the WJC this year.
According to Draftin Europe,
“[Helenius] plays a hard game and likes to throw his body around.. brings a two-way presence that is inevitably felt by the opposition”
Helenius, in his 18 games played with JYP in the Swedish Liiga, has notched 5 goals and 3 assists for a total of 8 points, but has racked up an insane 41 PIMs in the same time span. In WJC contention, Helenius has scored 2 goals in 5 games, and has served 18 PIMs. Helenius’ discipline might draw a bit of concern, but I’m sure Brind’amour would be able to straighten that out in no time.
1. James Malatesta
17-year old James Malatesta rounds out my list of potential 2nd round talent the Carolina Hurricanes could be targeting in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Malatesta is largely a volume shooter, but is an incredibly effective playmaker in the offensive zone. His skating is very solid, and is only going to improve going forward.
The Quebec Remparts, Malatesta’s QMJHL team, utilize him in mainly a playmaker role, most notably for how many shots he takes and chances he generates off of those shots.
https://twitter.com/CHLHockey/status/1216200572350668800
In Malatesta’s rookie season with the Remparts (2019-20), he notched 23 goals and 22 assists for a total of 45 points in 59 games played. This season so far, Malatesta has scored 1 goal and 2 assists for a total of 3 points in 8 games played. Malatesta also holds the QMJHL record for fastest goal scored by a 16-year old (24 seconds into his QMJHL debut against the Victoriaville Tigres).
Ranked at 54th by Dobber Prospects, Malatesta could rise or fall a few spots depending on his continued performance in the 2020-21 QMJHL season, but I could absolutely see him as a sleeper in this draft, and could even see him becoming a solid impact player on the Carolina Hurricanes’ roster as early as the 2022-23 NHL season.
As I’ve said countless times before, the Carolina Hurricanes’ scouting department is in phenomenal hands with Eric Tulsky, Darren Yorke, and Co. I’m sure they’ll put together just as solid a draft class in 2021 as they did in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
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Question for CC Readers: What 2nd round draft pick eligible players could you see the Carolina Hurricanes going after?