Cardiac Cane
Fansided

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

By Nick Bass

Sep 17, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; Carolina Hurricanes forward Ryan Suzuki (61) during the third period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; Carolina Hurricanes forward Ryan Suzuki (61) during the third period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
LONDON, ON – FEBRUARY 24: Joey Keane #7 of the London Knights skates with the puck in the first period during OHL game action against the North Bay Battalion at Budweiser Gardens on February 24, 2019 in London, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
LONDON, ON – FEBRUARY 24: Joey Keane #7 of the London Knights skates with the puck in the first period during OHL game action against the North Bay Battalion at Budweiser Gardens on February 24, 2019 in London, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

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.

Home/Prospects