Prospect System Ranking – 13th (Previous Rank - 11th)
GM: Eric Tulsky Hired: May 2024
COACH: Rod Brind’Amour Hired: May 2018
Sporting three top 75 ranked prospects is a position any organization strives for, and the Carolina Hurricanes are no exception. Their prospect pipeline boasts not only depth but high-end talent, with one of their prospects sitting comfortably within our top 10. Now former GM, Don Waddell had a history of targeting high-upside, trajectory picks, and Alexander Nikishin (ninth ranked) is a prime example. Taken in the third round of the 2020 draft, the heavyset Russian defender has exploded into one of the top young two-way defencemen in the game. Over the last two seasons, Nikishin has contributed 28 goals and 111 points in 132 games, earning the title of top point-scoring KHL defenceman for two consecutive years. He also led the league with a plus–32 rating in 2023-24.
In addition to Nikishin, the Hurricanes have a wealth of defensive talent, with eight of their top 15 McKeen’s prospects patrolling the blueline. Scott Morrow (65th), who signed his pro contract last year, Aleksi Heimosalmi (137th), and Dominik Badinka (141st) represent the club’s top options. Morrow, in particular, is expected to make immediate contributions, either with the Hurricanes or the Norfolk Admirals.
On the farm, the Hurricanes are integrating three important prospects who could see NHL stints this season. Bradly Nadeau (47th), Jackson Blake (124th), and the aforementioned Morrow are poised to be key players. Nadeau made the jump to pro hockey after just one season in the NCAA, where he earned Hockey East All-Star honors with 46 points in 37 games alongside his brother at the University of Maine. Blake, a former NCHC Player of the Year, regular-season champion, and Hobey Baker finalist, was a dominant force for North Dakota, putting up 38 goals and 102 points in just 79 games over two years.
Under Don Waddell's leadership, the Hurricanes have reached the playoffs and won at least one round in each of his six seasons, all while managing to stockpile draft capital. With new management and a core group featuring Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov, Martin Nečas, Sebastian Aho, and goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov, alongside a strong and youthful cavalry on the way, it's easy to believe that this team’s championship window is just beginning to open.
Carolina Hurricanes Top-15 Prospects
1. Alexander Nikishin
Not only has Nikishin emerged as one of the best defence prospects in hockey, he is also arguably the best defenceman anywhere in the world outside of the NHL, at any age. This season he was named the captain of the storied KHL franchise SKA, he ended up as that team’s leading scorer, and he had the most points out of any defensemen in the league, all of which are simply incredible for a prospect who is still just 22 years old. The way that he is able to leave a huge impact with both his skill and his physical play, in all zones and all situations, is so rare. Carolina landing him in the 3rd round, 69th overall, in 2020 is looking like one of the biggest draft steals in recent history, and they have to be licking their chops about getting him to the NHL as soon as possible.
2. Brad Nadeau
You could give Nadeau the nickname Mr. Coast To Coast, both for his extreme continental criss-crossing over the past few seasons, as well as for his ability to make highlight-reel plays in transition. What he accomplished this year was nothing short of incredible, entering the NCAA as an 18-year-old and then leading his team in scoring with well over a point-per-game average. However, his success unfortunately flew under the radar a bit because Maine is usually a weaker program with a lower national profile compared to other schools that are top threats most seasons. He's a shifty, multi-faceted offensive weapon, and his high-end proficiency and deception as both a shooter and playmaker make him hard to defend against. Luckily for other college teams, the Hurricanes wanted him to turn pro sooner rather than later and already got him signed to his entry-level contract.
3. Scott Morrow
Morrow was a little bit of a risky pick for the Hurricanes at 40th overall in the 2021 draft, but he has rewarded their trust admirably in the years since, emerging as one of the best defense prospects in all of hockey. The program at UMass-Amherst turned out to be an ideal environment for his development, and after two consecutive seasons as his team’s leading scorer he signed his entry-level contract. Even more impressive, he joined Carolina’s roster immediately and made his NHL debut only a few short days after leaving college. He has sublime all-direction skating ability, crisp puck skills, and a big shot from the point. There were prior concerns about his defensive play and his risky, freewheeling style, but those have mostly abated. Don’t be surprised if he never sees time in the AHL at all and starts next season with the Canes.
4. Jackson Blake
Yet another recent alumni from the vaunted Chicago Steel prospect factory, Blake played like a man possessed this year for North Dakota. He was one of the top offensive producers in all of college hockey, and scored a staggering 31 more points than his nearest teammate, which goes to show just how integral he was for his squad. His efforts also made him a finalist for the Hobey Baker award, and rightfully so, though he did lose to the fully deserving wunderkind Macklin Celebrini. His dad, former NHLer Jason Blake, overcame his short stature with outsized perseverance, craftiness, and work ethic, and the apple didn't fall far from the tree here. He’ll get a good, long look from the Hurricanes in training camp in the fall to see if he's ready for full-time NHL duty, but some duty in the AHL instead shouldn’t slow down his current rate of progression.
5. Aleksi Heimosalmi
There has never been any doubt that Heimosalmi is a highly skilled defenceman. His talents as a skater are superb, and so are his abilities at controlling and making moves with the puck while flying around the ice at his highest gear. The difficulty, however, has involved him figuring out how to actually make the most out of his given gifts. His production this season was almost identical to what it was last year with the exact same team, and it’s never great to see stagnation in a young prospect instead of improvement. He has the physical tools to be more of a difference-maker on the scoresheet, but he needs to get a little more crafty and aware when it comes to dissecting opposing defensive structures. He’s already under contract for a few more years, so Carolina has plenty of time to help his offence come along.
6. Dominik Badinka
Badinka has been on something of a European tour over the past three seasons, going from his native Czechia over to Finland, and then Sweden. But his arrival in Malmö last year paid huge dividends for him, as he began playing against professional competition for the first time and more than proved that he belonged amongst them. His game is built around his rangy skating ability, using his long and powerful strides to aggressively close gaps or blaze up the ice in transition. His point totals are misleading to a casual observer, as he loves to attack offensively and has the wheels to create opportunities, but his whole team struggled to finish plays and score goals last year. There's a safe floor here as a supporting defensive piece, as well as some potential still bubbling beneath the surface that could still turn him into so much more than that.
7. Jayden Perron
Perron didn't necessarily have a seamless transition to the NCAA this season while following the same path as Blake, going from the star-studded Steel in the USHL to a more blue collar North Dakota group. The good news is that things eventually started to come together for him. That was fully expected, too, considering how great are his hockey IQ and drive to improve. He still likes to play bigger than his size and is already showing a proficiency for getting back into high-danger scoring areas against the bigger and older opponents he is now facing. He'll likely still need a few more years in college before he's ready for the pro leagues, but that will provide him plenty of time to keep adapting his offensive tools and add other elements to his game, which will both be essential for bolstering his chances of becoming an NHLer.
8. Nikita Artamonov
Artamonov really burst onto the scouting scene this past season, going from a middling junior-level prospect at the junior MHL level to one of the most successful teenagers that the KHL has seen in recent memory. Playing under Hall of Fame head coach Igor "The Professor" Larionov sure seems like it helped him learn a lot, and quickly. He's a smart, tenacious winger who always seems to know where to be and what he needs to be doing during every shift. He’s around the puck a lot and can be a bit of a pest to play against because he’s always grinding away. There are, however, limitations to his size, skating ability, and overall skill level, which cause concerns about his long-term ceiling. If he makes the NHL it will be in a depth role and he'll try to work his way up the lineup from there.
9. Gleb Trikozov
Trikozov is an electrifying winger who has consistently produced points over the past few seasons in Russia, in spite of regular shuttling up and down levels, albeit within the same parent organization. He has as deep of a bag of puck tricks as any other forward prospect out there, and always relishes beating enemy defenders one-on-one in dramatic fashion. And if that wasn’t enough, he can absolutely bury shots, including when others feed him for the one-timer. There are questions about how his loose playing style and tendency to try doing everything himself will translate to the NHL or just how well he can play within a greater structure, and his defensive commitment often isn’t where it needs to be. However, Carolina just signed him to an entry-level contract this spring, so they’re willing to see how everything unfolds, which is the right call for such an inherently talented prospect.
10. Noel Fransén
Fransén was one of the best-kept secrets in the scouting world last season. For some strange reason he really flew under the radar of NHL Central Scouting, the Swedish national program, and prospect fans at large, in spite of him having produced some electrifying play in Sweden's top junior league, including the rare feat of scoring 20 goals as a defenceman. He also finished the campaign as the top scorer on his entire team, which speaks volumes about how much of a difference-maker he is. He's fast and assertive, loving to turn on the jets in transition or activate from the offensive blueline with explosive bursts of acceleration. He might not get full-time duty at the professional level once again in 2024-25, but make no mistake, this is a player with a lot of future upside if he keeps advancing at his current rate.
11. Felix Unger Sorum
Unger Sorum is a highly entertaining player to watch because he's so slippery and elusive. He loves to attack east-west in the neutral and offensive zones and slants heavily towards passing instead of shooting. There are undoubtedly still some major adjustments that he will need to make before being NHL-ready, especially the extra strength and sturdiness needed to bounce off checks on the smaller North American ice, but there’s no rush for that to happen.
12. Ronan Seeley
Seeley is one of the few Hurricanes prospects who stuck around with the Chicago Wolves after the minor league organization severed ties with their former NHL affiliate, and it seemed to cause a step backwards in his development. Once a steady and trustworthy defender, he now looks like a shell of his former self. He has one year left on his contract, and he'll need to solidify his professional identity and reaffirm what kind of value he provides.
13. Domenick Fensore
It's very rare to see defensemen of Fensore's small size succeed in pro hockey, but he has a better chance than most because he always plays quicker than almost everyone else. He will need to maintain that quickness to continue moving forward as a defender who can exit the zone with control or apply pressure on opponents through tight gap control, which might allow him to contribute enough overall to offset his lack of reach and strength.
14. Anttoni Honka
Honka crossed the pond to North America for all of 2022-23 but then returned home for 2023-24 because of Carolina's lack of an AHL affiliate. Those globe-trotting circumstances didn’t do him any favours, as his development seems to have stalled. It's not easy to make a living as an undersized puck-moving defenceman, and he needs to demonstrate an elite proficiency in that role soon, because only the very best of the best are able to make it.
15. Justin Poirier
Poirier was the first 17-year-old player to produce a 50-goal season in the QMJHL since Sidney Crosby in 2004-05, which is an incredible feat. His shot accuracy and shooter’s instincts are impeccable. But will he be able to score at the NHL level? That's the big question, stemming from his small stature and poor skating ability. If nothing else, he will be one of the most fascinating development case studies to follow in the sport.