The Carolina Hurricanes New Arrivals: The Forwards
By Cory Fogg
If there is any major concern for Hurricanes fans, it would be the forward group. Losing the likes of Guentzel, Teravainen and Noesen is a huge blow to any top 9. Like with our group of solid defensemen that we looked at last week, we have several new faces to welcome in trying to soften the loss for Canes fans
Again, as with the defensemen, perhaps the biggest move the Hurricanes made this offseason was bringing someone back. Jordan Martinook is a consistent ball of energy on the ice, but his locker room leadership and the younger players' mentorship make him vital to Rod Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes. Oh, and he plays goalie. Still, the Canes bring in five free agent forwards and three top prospects to vie for these three open forward spots (four if Jesper Fast is not ready to return). Let’s meet them.
William Carrier
Get used to the name, he’s here for the next six years. The 29 year-old forward, originally a 2013 2nd-round pick of Buffalo, was an original Vegas Golden Knight and has made his name as a grinder in the NHL. For the last several years, he was a mainstay on one of the best fourth lines of the NHL and won the Cup with Vegas in 2022-23. He has only scored more than 20 points one time in his career, but as Jacob Walters of Vegas Hockey Knight says, “There's much more to Carrier's Vegas career than what's on the surface. He was a big body who could deliver huge checks, making him an imposing threat.” It would not be a surprise to see Carrier anchored to Jordan Staal’s wing to begin the season.
Jack Roslovic
Jack Roslovic is a forward name who is already pretty familiar to Hurricanes fans (He assisted on two of the three third-period goals for the Rangers in Game 6). A 2015 1st round pick (25th overall) of the Winnipeg Jets, Roslovic has developed into a solid depth scorer at the NHL level. While he will make no one forget about Teuvo Teravainen, let alone Jake Guentzel, Roslovic has scored double-digit goals four times in his career, including 22 goals in 2021-22 with the Blue Jackets. At his best version, the Canes could see a pesky 20-goal 40-point forward, who will get power play time, if he can come in and adapt to the Hurricanes' style of play.
Tyson Jost
It’s funny to think about the fact that just 8 years ago, Tyson Jost was a top 10 NHL draft pick. It hasn’t been an easy path for Jost since then. He has struggled to find a groove at the NHL level, and he has endured some dark times in the process. He was on the Colorado Avalanche during their Cup-winning season of 2021-22, but was traded to the Wild at the trade deadline missed out on the Cup, and struggled as well in Buffalo last season. It is fair to expect Tyson Jost probably be what he is (a depth NHL player) at this point, but if he has that chip on his shoulder to overcome the adversity he has faced, I would not be shocked to see Jost (still just 26) become the next reclamation project success story from the Hurricanes.
Eric Robinson
My first reaction to this signing was probably similar to many of yours. Who the heck is that guy? Researching him a little further and you start to see a direction where the Hurricanes might be trying to go with their fourth line this year. The main thing you need to know? This guy hits. Not always cleanly. Like Carrier (and the re-signed Brendan Lemieux), Robinson is 29, and brings a tiny bit of offense and a lot of scrap to his game. He also played four years at Princeton and worked his way into an NHL career with the Columbus Blue Jackets after going undrafted. So we’re likely looking at a smart guy who knows how to work hard. Another low-risk signing for the Canes that looks a lot more interesting on the second look.
Josiah Slavin
Hey! We know that name. Yes, Jaccob Slavin’s brother is now with the Hurricanes organization on a two-year, two-way contract. Unlike his big brother, Josiah is a 25 year old forward who was drafted in the 7th round in 2018 by the Blackhawks. Most likely to be with the Wolves, as he has only played 15 NHL games in his career, he brings some more size at 6’3” and is (surprise, surprise) known as a two-way forward who can play center. Given what we already know about the Slavin family, it might be the perfect depth signing.
The Prospects
The Canes have three top prospects who will be heavily involved in the competition for Hurricanes forward slots this season.
Bradley Nadeau, the Hurricanes 2023 1st round pick, joined the Canes as a black ace during the playoffs after an excellent freshman season at the University of Maine. Nadeau is an excellent skater with a excellent wrist shot that will endear him to Canes fans real quick. At 5’10, he’s a little small, and his ability to pick up the Canes system at only 19 years old will see how far he can go in his rookie year. It will take an excellent camp from him to do it, but he will have an opportunity to earn a significant role for the Hurricanes right out of the gate.
Jackson Blake is right on Nadeau’s heels though. A year older and an inch taller than Nadeau, Blake was a Hobey Baker finalist last year at North Dakota. He doesn’t have quite the shot that Nadeau does, but he is still a smart player with a high hockey IQ, a willingness to go to the net and playmaking skills. He will come in with every opportunity to play a role, and Hurricanes fans can be sure that he will be fighting hard for it.
Felix Unger Sorum, one of the final cuts from last season’s training camp, will be playing in the United States this year and is ready to put in another hard fight. Unger Sorum reminds me of a Swedish Teuvo Teravainen to a ridiculous degree. Quite soft-spoken, Unger Sorum passes. A lot. He’s good at it too, racking up 12 assists for Team Sweden at the World Junior Championships. Of course, he also played for Team Sweden at the men’s World Championship, the youngest player on that team. For a Canes team that needs more goal scoring at present, it does seem like Unger Sorum might be better suited for heavy minutes in the AHL, but I’m guessing that he won’t accept that lying down.
For all the losses the Hurricanes forward group has taken, Rod Brind’Amour has a ton of options at his disposal right now and a lot of flexibility with his lineup. It is going to be a ton of fun to see how training camp shakes out.