A Review of the Carolina Hurricanes First Round Draft Picks Part III: 2018-2023

The finale! Part III of the complete review of all the Carolina Hurricanes first round draft picks. In case you missed it, here are part I and part II in this series. As the 2024 NHL draft has concluded, we wrap up our series on the good and the bad of Hurricanes first round drafting from 1997-2023.

2018: Andrei Svecnikov (W) 2nd Overall 406 GP 131 G 185 368 PIM

The Hurricanes had some lottery luck and were able to move up from their original position to second overall.  The Hurricanes only had a 3.3% chance to jump up in the lottery so they had luck on their side.  With the second pick, the Hurricanes selected Russian winger Andrei Svechnikov.  Svechnikov was the consensus number-ranked forward throughout the draft process and has been able to translate his game effectively at the NHL level.  He came into the league known as a sniper with a lethal shot, but Svechnikov has developed a true 200-foo game within Rod Brind’Amour’s system. Svech is one of the more important players on the team and as long as he can stay healthy, I believe that Svechnikov will be a consistent 35-40 goal scorer throughout his NHL career.  Svech is in the long haul with the ‘Canes, with 5 more years left on the 8-year deal he accepted back in 2021.  While Svechnikov has struggled with penalties, particularly stick infractions, he is shaping up to be the right pick.  With that being said, there are other impact players chosen after including Brady Tkachuk (4th Overall), Quinn Hughes (7th Overall), and Evan Bouchard (10th Overall).  While the Hurricanes are ecstatic with their pick, the ‘Canes would have loved any of those 3 players as well.

Note: The Hurricanes have had 4 total first-round picks from this draft in their system at various times. Along with Svechnikov, the ‘Canes also currently have Jesperi Kotkaniemi (3rd Overall) and Ty Smith (17th Overall), as well as formerly Dominik Bokk (22nd Overall)

2019: Ryan Suzuki (F) 28th Overall 0 Gp 0 G 0A 0 PIM

This draft pick is starting to look more and more like a bust as the years go by.  Suzuki is talented. He was arguably the Hurricanes' best forward at the Prospects tournament last year.  When healthy, Suzuki is a dynamic and creative forward, capable of finding his teammates in prime positions to put the puck in the net.  However, the ability to stay healthy is an issue plaguing him throughout his professional career.  Suzuki is back on a 1 year contract this year.  There is still hope that he can stay healthy and become a solid middle six for the Hurricanes. However, if the same issues rear their head again, Suzuki will likely go to another organization or make the jump to Europe.  This was a late first-round pick and the players picked after Suzuki also have made no impact. Hindsight is 20/20 but the Hurricanes could have been better served sending this pick for an NHL-ready player.

2020: Seth Jarvis (F) 13th Overall 210 GP 62 G 84 A 44 PIM

To put it very simply, this was an excellent draft choice by the Hurricanes organization. Since arriving in Raleigh, Jarvis has been everything he was advertised to be, maybe even more.  He plays with heart and grit and is not afraid to go to the difficult areas of the ice to make a play. This past season was a true breakout for Jarvis, netting the first 30-goal campaign of his career. I believe Jarvis will continue to develop and become a consistent 35-40 goal per year NHL player for the remainder of his career.  Outside of his point productivity, Jarvis is a “Heart and Soul” player for the Hurricanes team. Jarvis will be wearing a letter on his jersey sooner rather than later. After Jarvis, Dawson Mercer (18th Overall) is seeing similar success with the New Jersey Devils. However, the ‘Canes made the right pick in Seth Jarvis.

2021: No First Round Pick

The Hurricanes traded their first round selection in 2021 to the Nashville Predators. These picks are still far too young and early in their professional careers to give a proper evaluation. With that being said, the Predators used this selection  (27th Overall) to select Zachary L’Heureux out of the QMJHL.  L’Heureux had a decent first professional season in the AHL, producing 48 points in 66 games.  His player profile is defined by his physicality.  While not the biggest player, L’Heureux does not shy away from contact and is not afraid to drop the gloves if necessary (he was second in the AHL in penalty minutes and fought 6 times).  While we still do not know if L’Heureux will become a regular NHLer, the Hurricanes need a player with that profile.

2022: No First Round Pick

No first-round pick again in 2022 as the Hurricanes lost the pick to Montreal in the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet.  This was another late first-round pick, which can be a bit of a crap shoot sometimes.  In what is considered a strong draft, the pick ended up in the hands of the San Jose Sharks, who selected Filip Bystedt 27th overall.  Bystedt is seen as a very strong skater with a quick release.  He made his debut in the SHL, arguably the 3rd best league in the world after the NHL and KHL, as a 16-year-old and played a significant role on a team full of veterans as an 18-year-old. Bystedt made the move over to North America after his SHL season in 2024 and had a great start with the Sharks AHL team, scoring 7 points in 8 games.  It is still too early but I think he projects as a middle 6 player who will play a responsible 200-foot game.  As a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, it is smart to use these late first-round picks as capital to get immediate team improvement.  If Bystedt continues to develop, the basic swap of KK for Bystedt might not look great.