Carolina Hurricanes: 5 Prospects That Can Make the Jump to the NHL

5. Joey Keane

The closest defenseman to the NHL that is probably ready now but stuck behind 7 NHL defenseman is Joey Keane. Keane, acquired in a trade that sent Julien Gauthier to the New York Rangers, has a really good two-way game that could probably use the refinement in the AHL that he is getting now, but is the most NHL ready defenseman the Carolina Hurricanes have in their system.

Keane was drafted by the New York Rangers 88th overall in the 3rd round of the 2018 NHL draft. In 2017-2018 with the Barrie Colts in the OHL, Keane put up 44 points in 62 games, 12 of those points being goals. Also needed to be mentioned, this was his second year for the Barrie Colts and he wore an A for the team, which potentially shows his maturity level at said time.

In 2018-2019, Keane got traded mid-season to the London Knights. Altogether, Keane managed to total 39 points in 66 games, 16 of those being goals. This would be his last year in the OHL, as in 2019-2020, Keane spent his first year in the AHL with the Hartford Wolfpack where he amassed 30 points in 49 games before being traded mid-season. His production didn’t stop though, as he had 7 points in 9 games with the Charlotte Checkers, good enough to earn him a spot on the All-Rookie team.

In the AHL for the Chicago Wolves, he generally plays top line or top 4 minutes with either David Warsofsky or Max Lajoie as his partner. That top pairing with Max Lajoie has been the best pairing the Wolves have had all year as they both impact both sides of the puck, as both play penalty kill and on the power play.

As I’ve mentioned, Keane has bounced between the taxi squad and the Chicago Wolves. But, in 21 games with the Chicago Wolves he has 12 points, all assists. He probably needs a little more time in the AHL before making a jump full time to the NHL, but the team clearly has some faith in him, as he was given a shot to make the roster during training camp this year and he’s been going back in forth between the taxi squad and the Chicago Wolves. If the Carolina Hurricanes need someone to play on the right side defensively next year, he should have a good chance for the role.

As I was writing this article, Keane got called up and made his NHL debut in the last game of the regular season against the Nashville Predators. Paired with Jake Gardiner, Keane played 19:34 minutes of the game, behind only Jake Bean and Jake Gardiner. He played OK on both sides of the puck, his lack of physicality showing, but played well enough to not be the worst defenseman in the game; he was actually probably one of the top defenseman that played in whatever that game was.

4. David Cotton

I really feel like the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t going to try and find a center and just have an absolute battle in camp between some of these center prospects that are close to being ready, like David Cotton, another 2 guys on this list, Steven Lorentz, and Morgan Geekie. Cotton is definitely an option for the 4th center spot after this year and he has had an interesting trip to where he is now.

David Cotton is a 23-year old, left handed center who is currently playing in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves. Cotton was drafted 6 years ago in the 6th round out of the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL. Cotton would put up 30 points, with an even split in goals and assists, in 48 games. He then went to play at Boston College where, in his freshman year, Cotton put up 24 points in 40 games. His sophmore year was better, as he had 28 points in 37 games, only 9 of those being goals.

His junior and senior years are where he made a massive jump in his development. Cotton, in his junior year with Boston College, put up 36 points in 39 games, 23 of those points being goals. In his senior year, Cotton was given the captain’s C on his jersey and he proved why he was deserving of that. He ended up putting up 39 points in 32 games, 15 of those points being goals as he led Boston College to winning the Hockey East conference; Cotton was then named to the third team all-conference.

Now, in the AHL being given top 6 minutes constantly, Cotton has 17 points in 25 games, 11 of those being goals. He has consistently shown that he can play on both sides of the puck; Cotton has logged minutes on both the top power play unit and the top penalty kill unit in Chicago. Cotton’s ceiling probably isn’t as high as some of the other guys on this list, but he is arguably more pro ready.

3. Jack Drury

As I’m going on, it’s becoming increasingly harder to find images of these prospects. Jack Drury is no exception. Drury is another center prospect that I can definitely see making the jump to the NHL next year and playing in that 4th line center role, as his development took a huge step this year. Yes, Jack Drury is related to Chris Drury; the current New York Rangers GM is his uncle.

Jack Drury is a 21-year old, left handed center that is currently playing for the Vaxjo Lakers in the SHL. Drury was drafted in the 2nd round, 42nd overall in 2018 and in his draft year, he put up 65 points in 56 games, 24 of those points being goals, with the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL. Drury then went on to play for Harvard and in his freshman year put up 24 points in 32 games, 9 of those being goals. He was named to the all-rookie team in his conference and played for the US National Team for the World Juniors, but he didn’t have a single point in 7 games.

Drury’s sophomore year was much improved, as he put up 39 points in 28 games, 20 of those points being goals. He was once again invited to the World Juniors and he did better, putting up 2 points in 5 games. Unfortunately, this is where he hit a bit of a roadblock. The ECAC, the conference that Harvard plays in, had its season in jeopardy. As a result, Drury made the decision to forgo the last two years of his college career as the Carolina Hurricanes loaned him out to the Vaxjo Lakers in the SHL.

Drury began the year as the team’s third line center but eventually worked his way up to the second line, where he stayed for the majority of the year. Production wise, Drury had 30 points in 41 games, 10 of those being goals. This lead to him being named the SHL’s rookie of the year over prospects such as potential 2021 first round pick William Eklund and Chicago Blackhawks prospect Fredrik Olofsson.

In the playoffs, Drury has elevated his play enough to where he is now Vaxjo’s top line center. Drury has put up 11 points in 14 games, 5 of those points being goals. He recently won the SHL championship with the Vaxjo Lakers and scored the championship-clinching goal. Drury will more than likely come back to North America to compete for a spot on the NHL roster, but even if he doesn’t make the roster, he’ll get valuable time in the AHL. His potential is around a middle 6 center, a la Jordan Staal.

2. Ryan Suzuki

Hey look, another talented Carolina Hurricanes center prospect that can and will compete for the 4th line center role next year. Ryan Suzuki is the cream of the Canes crop for center prospects and he might have the best chance out of these centers to make the NHL roster next year.

Ryan Suzuki is a 19 year-old, left-handed center that the Canes lucked into drafting at #28 in round 1 of the 2019 NHL draft. Some scouts had Suzuki as high as 14th in the draft and as low as 22nd, so to say the Carolina Hurricanes got lucky to grab him at 28th is a understatement. His draft year , Suzuki had 75 points in 65 games, 25 of those points being goals.

In 2019-2020, Suzuki spent about half the season with the team that drafted him in 2017, the Barrie Colts, where he had 23 points in 21 games, 5 of those being goals. He then got traded to the Saginaw Spirit, where he put up 35 points in 23 games, 13 of those points being goals. This is due to him having Cole Perfetti as a teammate and the overall quality of that Saginaw team being better than Barrie.

Now since the OHL season never came to fruition this year, Suzuki has had the chance to play in the AHL for the Chicago Wolves. He has 10 points in 23 games, an even split of goals and assists. Suzuki has the potential to be a long-time contributor for the Carolina Hurricanes, as his potential can be as high as a middle-tier top 6 center. His two way game is pretty solid, and Suzuki is super good with his hands; his puckmoving and playmaking abilities are top-notch as well. He probably has the best chance out of all the center prospects that I listed to make the NHL team next year.

1. Seth Jarvis

Now, if there was an “I’m almost certain this dude will be playing for the Carolina Hurricanes next season” category, Seth Jarvis would be the only player in said category. This whole article was just an excuse for me to talk about Seth Jarvis. Jarvis is the certified top prospect in the Carolina Hurricanes pipeline and also the closest to making the NHL roster.

Seth Jarvis is a 19-year old, right-handed winger who was gifted to the Carolina Hurricanes courtesy of Kyle Dubas. The Canes only held a pick in the first round of the 2020 NHL draft because the Toronto Maple Leafs wanted cap relief and Don Waddell decided to weaponize the cap space that the Canes had, acquiring Patrick Marleau and a first round pick (13th overall) in the 2020 NHL draft for a 6th round pick in the 2020 NHL draft.

That trade, along with the fact that the Maple Leafs lost in the play-in round of the 2020 NHL playoffs, gifted the Carolina Hurricanes the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft. To the ire of many Maple Leafs fans, the Hurricanes selected Seth Jarvis and Patrick Marleau was bought out, making the trade complete.

The year before Jarvis’s draft year, he had 39 points in 61 games, 16 of those points being goals before absolutely exploding in his draft year. In 2019-2020, Jarvis had 98 points in 58 games, 42 of those points being goals, for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. Covid had given Jarvis a chance to play in the AHL, as the WHL season was put on pause and Jarvis did not waste his chance.

But before Jarvis made it to the AHL level, he was given the opportunity to make the NHL roster as he was invited to the Canes’ training camp. According to people who had the chance to watch a scrimmage that took place during the 2021 training camp, Jarvis was really good and showed flashes of being that goal scorer that the Canes drafted him to be. He was so good that he actually scored in the Red-White scrimmage.

Seth Jarvis in 9 games with the Chicago Wolves had 11 points, 7 of those points being goals. Sadly for Carolina Hurricanes fans who were enjoying watching Jarvis, the WHL season kicked back up recently and Jarvis, due to the NHL-Junior agreement, had to head back to the Portland Winterhawks, where he has returned to form as he has 25 points in 23 games, 15 of those points being goals.

Seth Jarvis has super high-end potential as someone who can be a top line goal scorer but with players like Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen, he probably won’t end up playing on the top line. Put Jarvis on a line with Martin Necas and Vincent Trocheck, though, and my lord you have two first lines undoubtedly.

Like I mentioned before, Jarvis has my near certainty that he will be in the NHL next year with a few Carolina Hurricanes wingers needing new contracts and the hope to possibly grow physically. The Canes could give Jarvis the Andrei Svechnikov treatment, which is to throw Jarvis on the 3rd line with bigger and known protector Jordan Staal to help him in the physicality game while letting him in on the power play and sometimes moving him up in the lineup to let him grow offensively.