The Carolina Hurricanes rank 13th in the NHL prospect pool for 2024.
Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2024 prospect rankings for each NHL team. We are counting down every day from No. 32 to No. 1, and you can view the full ranking and further details on the criteria here. The series, which runs from January 30 to February 29, features in-depth analyses and insider knowledge on about 500 possibilities.
Despite selecting ten players in 2023 and maybe selecting a top-six winger with the highest pick, the Hurricanes’ pool actually falls this year by one spot. This is a result of how too many of their prospects have experienced the season in a predictable manner without an AHL affiliate.
They lead their group with three genuine elite prospects and have depth into the 20s with players of some interest (more in sheer quantity than some of the teams ahead of them). As a result, their pool is robust overall nonetheless. However, if quality and quantity aren’t developed properly, they always run the risk of just becoming quantity. As a result, several of their prospects have had worse seasons this year than they did the previous one because they are being dispersed throughout the AHL, ECHL, and Europe, where their development is being negatively impacted and they aren’t given the priority they deserve.
Ranking of the 2023 prospect pool: No. 12 (change: -1)
1. St. Petersburg’s Alexander Nikishin, LHD, 22
Nikishin, one of the most promising young players outside the NHL at his position in recent years, has now recorded the two most productive U23 seasons by a defender in KHL history. He surpassed Kirill Kaprizov’s U22 point record last year. He is the youngest captain in the league and leads SKA in scoring this season. He was the league’s top scorer on defense in both seasons. Every season, he has accomplished this while playing significant minutes for one of the league’s top clubs.
At 6 feet 4 inches and 216 pounds, Nikishin is a physically powerful defender whose strength is demonstrated by his quick release of the ball, his ability to win board fights, and his ability to box out in the net. I enjoy the
2. Bradly Nadeau, University of Maine, LW/RW, 18
As a multi-dimensional forward whose hands, skating, and shooting all receive high marks, Nadeau was the BCHL’s top scorer while playing on a line with his older brother Josh (a player I endorsed as a worthy late-round flier ahead of last year’s draft). He was also one of the top-producing freshmen in college hockey. He can generate offensive opportunities in a number of ways, such as using his quick feet to break free from defenders in transition, slicing and attacking, taking the puck at or through coverage, or leaning into a precise shot (whether off of catch-and-releases, standstill shooting mechanics off of the flank on the.
3. Scott Morrow (UMass-Amherst), RHD, 21
While playing better defensively in significant minutes (almost 25 per night) as a junior, Morrow—one of the most productive freshman defensemen in college hockey two seasons prior—led the Minutemen in scoring as a sophomore and was a point per game defenseman as a junior. Morrow is a genuine talent who, despite some maturing and growing up on and off the ice, made the transition from high school hockey to the NCAA look easy from a skill standpoint.
He plays courageously within the offensive zone, moves the puck with confidence, and has amazing handling ability for a defenseman. He is a terrific transition defender. With his head fakes and side steps, he is an entry/exit machine that slices teams across the neutral zone.
4. Jackson Blake, R.W., 20 (North Dakota University)
Blake led the Steel in scoring in his post-draft season after dominating the Minnesota high school circuit and getting his start on a championship run with the team in his draft year. At the age of 18, he was one of the best playmakers in the USHL, and at the ages of 19 and 20, he led North Dakota in scoring as a freshman and sophomore.
He is an enthusiastic, fast-moving worker who makes up for his rather modest 5-foot-11 frame—he was born in August and has had time to grow into it—by playing hard and quickly and demonstrating a wealth of skill. I adore his strategy, which seeks to penetrate the interior and make
5. Jayden Perron, RW, 18 (North Dakota University)
One of the most gifted and cerebral offensive players in the USHL during his draft year a year ago, Perron had a great start to the season, but an eight-game stretch in December that saw him record just one assist temporarily put a stop to it. Towards the end of the run, he really turned it on, playing some of his finest hockey. Although his offensive production in his freshman year hasn’t been as strong as he would have wanted, considering his height (5-foot-9 and light, without dynamic skating), he was always going to have to learn how to adapt his style of play to the collegiate level.
He is a player that has gained the admiration of people in the USHL on both.
6. Vasili Ponomaryov (C), 21 (Wolves of Chicago)
Over the last three seasons, Ponomaryov has shined in the AHL, outperforming prospects with stronger previous pedigree to become a call-up candidate for the Canes. previous to that, he was a likeable player who many thought was a better pro potential than his respectable but not spectacular production in the QMJHL suggested.
Having seen him play a lot over the years, I find it difficult to detest him as a player. He can kill penalties, passes the puck expertly, is constantly on the ball, has excellent hands, and opens up to become an offensive weapon. He’s not the tallest, strongest, quickest, or most gifted child, but he knows how to play at a high level. He’s more powerful than you, too.
7. Ville Koivunen, 20 (Kärpät), RW/LW
Though Koivunen disappointed me in Halifax after impressing in the first two games of the postponed World Juniors in Edmonton, he is a very entertaining and gifted winger who has been one of the more productive young players in Liiga over the last three seasons (especially considering his June birthday).
When he plays with confidence, he can be a joy to watch with the puck on his stick. Though he can hang, he has to improve his defensive skills to become a more dependable player. He is a cunning problem-solver with an offensive bent. Off the perimeter, he can create offense in a variety of ways, such as by playing pucks into space with the ideal weight or drawing defenders into
