The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the best-drafting teams in the NHL for the past several years, thanks in no small part to Eric Tulsky’s analytical wizardry. The 2021 NHL Entry Draft, rife with talent, should be no different.
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Before we dive too deep into my mock draft for the Canes this season, I’d like to take a look back at just what Tulsky’s genius (alongside Don Waddell’s proclivity to swing for the fences) has gotten the organization so far.
For starters, picking Seth Jarvis at 14th overall in 2020 was a pure stroke of genius. To be fair, the Carolina Hurricanes got supremely lucky that he was even available that far down; most scouts had him going in the Top 10, and he likely should’ve. Jarvis can very easily develop into a bona fide superstar goalscorer in just a few short years, and could very possibly crack the NHL roster as soon as this upcoming season.
Picking Vasily Ponomaryov at 53rd overall again took a bit of luck; a large percentage of scouts had Ponomaryov going in the 1st round. When he fell basically halfway down into the 2nd round, selecting him was a no-brainer. Ponomaryov is another likely Tulsky-selected forward with genuine superstar potential, though we might not see him in the NHL for another 2 years at minimum.
Noel Gunler, selected 41st overall in 2020, and Zion Nybeck, selected 115th overall in 2020 are two other promising prospects to keep an eye on that were absolute steals, especially when it comes to Nybeck. These two are a bit further down than even Ponomaryov; we likely won’t be seeing them in the NHL for around 3 years or so, barring any massive jumps in development.
The Canes are also no stranger to drafting solid defensemen, although under Dundon, they seem to have bucked the Ron Francis trend of taking a defenseman high in the 1st round. Alexander “Boom” Nikishin, drafted 69th (nice) overall in 2020 is one of the more notable defensive options the Canes have drafted in recent years.
All this being said, what could the Carolina Hurricanes be looking for in this draft? In the 1st round specifically, there are a wealth of incredibly solid defensemen, and even more talented forwards in the first three rounds of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. There are even a few opportunities to draft a legitimate starter-level goaltender in the first three rounds as well.
The Carolina Hurricanes have a wealth of options at their disposal, especially when it comes to forwards in the pipeline, so I have a feeling they’ll be looking at expanding their prospect pool of defensemen and goaltenders; however, if the opportunity presents itself, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pick up a prolific two-way forward.
Now that all that is out of the way, let’s dive in to the first three rounds of my 2021 NHL Mock Draft for the Carolina Hurricanes.