Since I have haven’t really written about current prospect musings since Development Camp, I haven’t gone over a ton of things. Including (but not limited to) the KHL offseason, recent ELC signings, the World Junior Summer Showcase, and maybe 1 or 2 other things. With that out of the way, let’s get into the Offseason Musings.

1. It’s imperative that I mention that you shouldn’t read a ton into summer tournaments. It’s a time where a lot of prospects haven’t been training and are going to play with guys they haven’t played with in a while. But I’d be remiss to not mention that each representative of the Carolina Hurricanes seemed to have a standout game or two (or more) and have really helped their International stock.

2. Starting with probably the only guy that already was in good standing with his country, William Hakansson was great. Everyone that has listened or read what people say about Hakansson, they know about his defensive ability. But his play this tourney showed a lot more of the offensive side of his game, picking up 4 assists in 5 games. A hefty sum of his offensive ability still relies on shots from the point, but the comfort level with the puck on his stick was much improved. The defense and physicality was as present as always and I think he’s cemented a spot in Sweden’s top 4 heading into World Juniors.

3. Sticking with Sweden, Filip Ekberg is showing something that I didn’t really see from him last year. One thing that really helps with projectability to pro (to a certain extent) is the desire to get to the middle of the ice and the success level related to that. Ekberg showed that in heaps this tourney. He was getting to the front of the net and the middle of the ice and scoring, something that I didn’t see a ton of last year. The skating is improved and his offensive ability showed in a big way. I’d imagine and hope he’ll be a good part of Sweden’s middle 6 going into World Juniors.

4. Sometimes with goalies, size doesn’t matter. The number one question a goalie should have to solve is “Can you stop the puck?” Ryder Fetterolf does that in spades. Heading into the show match with Canada, Fetterolf had already had a nice tournament. He made a statement in that game, making 32/34 saves in a 7-2 USA win. Fetterolf understands how to stop pucks, which I think puts him in a nice position for a role at the World Juniors with the US.

5. I’m not saying that it came out of left field that Mikey Berchild was one of the better forwards on the US roster, but it was a welcome surprise. Inserted on the top line with first round pick Wyatt Cullen and college standout Ethan Wyttenbach, Berchild was the perfect complimentary piece that was able to connect plays and do the dirty work to give those two time and space. He got extended time on the power play, got some short handed time, and was dangerous offensively almost every time he stepped on the ice. With the US toting a stacked forward group, I was interested to see how he’d make a case for himself and I think he nailed it. The Athletic did a mock up of what Team USA could look like come World Junior time and they kept Berchild-Cullen-Wyttenbach together as the top line.

6. Off to Russia where I must remind everyone that rumors are rumors for a reason. Until its official, it is nothing but hearsay.

7. The timeline of events for Nikita Artamonov read out like Owen Wilson trying to explain something to Tom Hiddleston in Loki. First, he returns to Torpedo from his loan. He’s then in rumors to SKA, but nothing comes about. He’s then officially moved to Avto, where he signs a one year extension. Finally, he’s loaned out to Severstal. At the end of the day, Severstal is a nice place for him to try and restart. I think he’ll fit this system better and should get a nice role.

8. I had selfishly hoped that Fyodor Avramov would sneak his way to North America but alas, he was moved to Spartak where he signed a 2 year deal. Realistically, him finally getting consistent game time in the VHL is the best thing possible and I have zero complaints about it. Maybe him and Stanislav Yarovoy can unite on a line.

9. Staying with Khimik, there’s a real chance Semyon Frolov gets his VHL debut this year. Good amount of competition but he’s got the talent to hang. In any case, I want him to play more than 10 games this year to showcase his talent.

10. A sneaky fun player to track (and see his personality), Roman Shokhrin is primed for his professional debut this year. I think he’ll have success, as I really hold stock in his defensive ability. Probably the best defensive defenseman I saw at Dev Camp this year.

11. I was happy to see Andrei Krutov head back to Amur on loan, thought he had good success and development with them last year. I want to see his skating improve and maybe see if he can have more success at center.

12. Timur Kol still hasn’t signed with Dynamo Moscow. That seems interesting, no?

13. Last one in Russia, I don’t know if there is a prospect I’m more bullish on than Alexander Siryatsky. It’s really, really early to say what he can be, but I see a lot of good qualities built into a prototypical modern day NHL defenseman. I see a decent power play quarterback (PP2 at peak), I see a decent penalty killer (probably unit 2 at peak), and I see a really solid puck mover who’s able to defend at a good level. I want him to add weight and some physicality in his game, but I have high hopes for him. Again, really early to assign potential, but I can see a world where Siryatsky can be a solid 2nd pairing defenseman.

14. The more I’ve talked to people and the more I’ve watched footage, Zach Lansard is someone that continues to stand out. Excellent forechecker who does the dirty work and excels in the small areas. Also, for people who enjoy high end talent for the next few drafts, he plays on a line with Liam Pue and Maddox Schultz, two guys who will go really, really high in the upcoming drafts.

15. To Chicago, where we have 2 newcomers from the pipeline joining the Wolves. Let’s tackle the easy one first, that being Yegor Velmakin.

This one caught me off guard for the sole reason was that I thought the time had passed for him to come to North America, but I’m not complaining. He’s been a pretty solid Russian pro goalie for the past 2 years, having decent success in the VHL and KHL. He’s not the biggest goalie, standing at 6’1, but he’s really solid from a technical standpoint and he doesn’t have the same aggressiveness that Russian goalies normally have (to a certain extent). He’ll probably end up in between Chicago and Greensboro, more so being in Greensboro.

16. The other, unless Eric Tulsky was lying in the press release of him signing his ELC, is Noel Fransen. The only reason why I say this is because EliteProspects has Fransen listed as playing next season with Farjestad on loan, while in the press release, it says:

I’ll go off the assumption that the team knows more. Fransen has the chance to replace Domenick Fensore in the offensive output, as they both base their game off very similar styles. Fransen is an effortless skater, being able to explode with speed while being able to weave in and out of forecheckers. His offense is great, known more for his playmaking ability. He’ll be able to fill in a power play quarterback role, something the Wolves need with Fensore gone. I want to see the defensive game keep coming around and I want to see him engage more physically, but he’s got a good baseline game and I’m interested to see how his game translates to North America.

Thank you for reading! I’ll be back next week for positional rankings leading into the Prospect Showcase (where the Canes should host and I should be attending) and the start of a few European seasons. Also, I’ll have some Lansard tape coming soon once I have a chance to watch it (moving back to school for my last semester).

I also should mention the Greensboro Gargoyles, who played in their inaugural season this year. It was, well, less than successful to say the least. But there was one big main positive that came out of the season and another pretty nice one, so it wasn’t all for nothing. Going by position groups (and alphabetical order) here, so let’s get into this behemoth of a final written piece for this season.

Forwards

Bradly Nadeau, W

Going into this season, Nadeau claimed the top spot in the prospect rankings because of what he did in the AHL as a U20 player. But there were still some things he needed to work on to really cement his status as Top Dawg. To the shock of no one, he became a much better player, one that is much more well rounded and NHL ready.

While last year was an insane year from a statistical standpoint, he still had some struggles. Mainly, his defensive game needed a good amount of work and I wanted to see him get stronger in board battles and, well, in general. Not only did he start to win board battles at a good rate plus flash the improved physical game, Nadeau became an extremely important penalty killer for the Wolves. He also improved his point per game total while finishing just two points shy of his total from last year in 8 less games. Combine that with 17 points in 21 playoff games and one can easily come to the conclusion that Nadeau had a much improved season.

Outlook for 2026/27: With the injury to Seth Jarvis that will take him out of action for the first part of the season, Nadeau could have a great opportunity to further prove himself at the NHL level (even though he looked fine in the NHL this year).

Justin Robidas, C/RW

You know exactly what you can expect from Justin Robidas, who has become an extremely important player for the Wolves due to his all around play. In 79 games played this year, he had 30 goals and 46 assists for 76 points.

A perfect bottom 6 NHL winger who can take faceoffs, Justin Robidas is the go-to man for anything the Chicago Wolves need. Need an extra attacker with the goalie pulled? Robidas. Need a top unit penalty killer? Robidas. Need someone to take important faceoffs? Robidas. He does it all and has good success doing it too. Robidas is just the pillar of a solid forward.

Outlook for 2026/27: Another year of being a tweener between top line in the AHL and 4th line in the NHL. Since he is 23 years old and 5 years post draft, Robidas has aged out of prospect status.

Ivan Ryabkin, C/W

Since I completely forgot during the CHL section of that Year in Review, I’ll split Ryabkin’s year into three sections, First AHL stint, QMJHL stint, Second AHL stint. In 52 AHL games, he had 5 goals and 14 assists for 19 points. In 26 QMJHL games, he had 17 goals and 34 assists for 51 points (holy cow).

First AHL Stint

To be frank, his first stint stunk. He was heavily undisciplined and struggled to hang with the skating level. He had some nice flashes of what could be, but never could put it together for a consistent few games.

QMJHL Stint

Flat out unbelievably good for his offensive confidence. He was better than about 95% of players at this level and showed it, having incredible performances in both the regular season and the playoffs. He also remained physical and showed that a lot, while also getting suspended twice? I think? I know he got suspended at least once.

Second AHL Stint

To say that Ryabkin looked like a completely different player is an understatement. If you compared a game from his first stint to a game from his second stint, you’d be amazed at just how much better he’s gotten. The discipline improved tenfold, he was much more involved in the game both offensively and defensively, and most importantly, he became a Rat. Every team wants Rats, and Ryabkin has started the development into a Rat.

Outlook for 2026/27: A full year in the AHL, hopefully at center.

Gleb Trikozov, W

A player whose name has turned into a bit (with no ill will or malice involved, to be clear), I just really, really wanted to see a fully healthy season from Gleb for the first time in North America. He was healthy for the majority of the season, playing in 46 games, but just had 7 goals and 4 assists for 11 points in those games.

I don’t know if I fully fleshed out just how traumatic trying to come back from what Gleb went through last year. Suffering 2 broken legs in the same year is one thing, the same leg breaking twice is another thing entirely. To play hockey this year wasn’t a miracle, but it was a great feat of determination. There were good stretches of hockey and there were not so good stretches of hockey for Gleb. Sometimes, he’d look like a solid complimentary piece on a scoring line, sometimes he looked a little lost. I also have to remember sometimes that even though he’s now 4 years post draft, he’s just 21 years old who became a first time father this year while also battling back from 2 traumatic injuries.

Outlook for 2026/27: A fully healthy season playing as many games as possible.

Felix Unger Sorum, RW

The winner of the Canes Prospects’ award for Most Improved Player (and I'm pretty sure he also won Best Overall Year), Felix Unger Sorum was flat out unbelievable this year for Chicago. In 86 games this year, he had 22 goals and 56 points for 78 points.

Felix was crazy good this year and was, honestly, probably their best forward in the playoff run. Hell, I’d even go as far to say he was the important forward on their team during the regular season just for his consistency. I’ve sang his praises all throughout the year but the Canes really don’t have a player like him in the system. Ehlers has the ability to change the pace of play with the puck, but he goes faster rather than slower. Felix loves to slow the pace down to his level and make the plays at his pace. He’s elite with his playmaking and has a good shot, but has the Teuvo Teravainen trait of “would rather do anything else than shoot willingly”.

Outlook for 2026/27: While he wasn’t mentioned in the conversation when Jarvis’ injury was brought up, I think Felix has a solid chance to break through to the NHL next year and play more than one game. If that isn’t the case, another year of being a top 6 player in the AHL.

Defense

Dominik Badinka, RHD

Badinka during the year looked like a solid AHL defenseman. The defense was holding up nicely and there was some good physicality that he was able to bring on a daily basis. In 74 games played, he had 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points.

Badinka had weeks of good games in a row, playing disciplined and being able to contribute defensively is what Badinka is making his North American name off of (right now). He became a staple in the lineup and went up and down the defensive pairings, looking most at home with Juuso Valimaki before going down with a broken back, in which he was even able to come back from! I want to see some more offense come out from Badinka, because he’s flashed it. He’s able, and incredibly willing, to join the rush in transition and is able to pick out the correct lanes and fill them. Also want to see the passing and decision making take another step.

Outlook for 2026/27: Another consistent piece on the blue line in Chicago.

Aleksi Heimosalmi, RHD

The former second round pick back in 2021 just finished up his second tour in Chicago, where he saw his +/- flipped from -29 to +11 in just one season, a nice showing of development. In 59 games played this year, he had 5 goals and 14 assists for 19 points.

One of the better skaters you could lay you’re eyes on, Heimosalmi uses his skating as a way to avoid pressure and find empty space. Big fan of the way he can walk the blue line to make the right play. The defensive development has continued, being able to stay with his man or the puck. Added bonus of being able to help in transition, whether leading it or being able to make the breakout pass from his own zone.

Outlook for 2026/27: Seeing as he was re-signed, another year in Chicago for the Finnish defenseman. Since Aleksi is 23 and 5 years post draft, he has aged out of prospect status.

Charles Alexis Legault, RHD

Charles Alexis Legault (no hyphen, I remember) has had some crazy development since being selected out of Quinnipiac in 2023. Since being drafted, he almost tripled his NCAA point total in his DY+1, played a full AHL season and was a mainstay in the top 4 in his DY+2, and then made his NHL debut in his DY+3. In 40 games in the AHL this year, he had 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points. In 12 NHL games this year, he had 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points.

Everyone got introduced to what Legault can bring to a lineup in the 2024 preseason, where he went toe to toe with NHL enforcer Michael McCarron and held his own. He followed that up with a really solid AHL season where he was relied on heavily at even strength and on the penalty kill. He moves well, is able to shut down opponents in a variety of ways, and is HYPER physical. I must stress hyper because this guy lays down the hammer as often as he can and his teammate’s number one protector, never failing to stand up for himself or a teammate. He still has offensive growth yet to be seen in his game, as I remain steadfast in my believe that he can move the puck effectively and efficiently. He’s shown a good ability with joining the rush, too.

Outlook for 2026/27: Another year in the AHL being the number 1 shutdown guy.

Bryce Montgomery, RHD

One of the nicest people I’ve met, Bryce has turned out a nice career for himself. The big, physical defenseman has become an extremely important piece for Greensboro and has gotten a nice run of AHL games in the process. In 24 AHL games, he had 4 assists for 4 points. In 28 ECHL games, he had 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points.

Montgomery is almost a throwback style of defenseman. He’s gigantic, standing at 6’5 and 220 pounds, and he moves really well for his size. There are flashes of offense, mainly on passes from the blue line. But the defense and physicality is the sticking point. Combine being the size of a linebacker with the willingness and desire to disrupt plays by hitting incredibly hard. He’s also able to use his reach to break up passes and shots.

Outlook for 2026/27: Maybe a full year in the AHL? Or top pairing in Greensboro. With him being 23 and it being 5 years post draft, Bryce Montgomery has aged out of prospect status.

Joel Nystrom, RHD

“The Pillar of Consistency”, “The Rock of Rosemont”, “Joel Nystrom”. Nicknames I’ve heard (or made up in my head, probably that one) for Joel Nystrom, who’s carved out the play style that can get him consistent playing time in the NHL, while getting top pairing minutes in the AHL. Hell, he played more regular season NHL games than regular season AHL games! In 48 AHL games played, he had 3 goals and 13 assists for 16 points. In 38 NHL games played, he had 1 goal and 9 assists for 10 points. Funnily enough, if you take out AHL playoff games, he had the exact same point stat line in the AHL and NHL.

When you think of “consistency”, you think of Nystrom. When you think of “solid”, you think of Nystrom. You know exactly what you can get from Joel Nystrom on a night on, night out basis. He plays a steady game, one in which you don’t really hear his name called. He makes the smart play 90% of the time and doesn’t let the offense do anything to create chaos. He flashed offense this year, being able to wire shots and even do Jeff Skinner-esque spin moves for quality chances.

Outlook for 2026/27: The perfect NHL 7th defenseman. But since he’s 24 and 5 years post draft, Joel Nystrom has officially aged out of prospect status.

Goalie

Ruslan Khazheyev

To me, Ruslan was the one big bright star on the inaugural Greensboro Gargoyles roster. On a lot of nights, he was the main reason that he games stayed close because of his ability.

On the surface, a 3.52 goals against average and a .894% save percentage is rather ugly to look at. But my live viewing(s) of Ruslan gave me much more belief in his development that just the counting stats, something EVERYBODY needs to take into account. He reigned in some of that “Russian Goalie Aggressiveness” and really refined his technique. Again, the counting stats don’t tell the whole story and this story was a rather uplifting one.

Outlook for 2026/27: Well, I had hoped for more AHL starts. But unless Primeau is moved or not re-signed, that could become a problem as Zach Sawchenko will eat into those starts. But hell, I know nothing.

• Stop me if you’ve heard this before, Kurban Limatov is an absolutely unbelievably skater. It’s insane watching him in person because you can see just how effortless he makes it look. Consistently the fastest out of his group (the other Russian defenseman), he also did well in the resistance skate. A shocker, you’ll hear me rave about him later on.

• Mikey Berchild did really well on the resistance skate. Coaches were giving him props on his run at the highest level of resistance. Zach Lansard also had some good runs.

• Was nice to see Charlie Cerrato have some good runs in the resistance skates. Not that I was nervous, necessarily, about him coming back from injury but he looks real good.

• Got to see the first sighting of Justin Poirier as he was just walking around and talking/chirping the Russian defenseman while they were doing the resistance skate.

• Some idiot left early and missed the goalies getting technical work in, what a dummy (my apologizes there).

There really wasn’t a lot to talk about coming out of Day 2. It was mainly test scores that the Canes will keep internally to have a baseline on these guys (or update scores from last year). Day 3 had a LOT more to talk about.

• In the absence of the normal “Jussi Jokinen” award (given to the prospect who always scored in the shootout), I’m going to give out camp MVP. The recipient this year is Kurban Limatov

• This kid Kurban impressed on every single day of camp. Day 1 he was leading skating drills and showing off his explosive movement (including a viral post that I got harassed for). Day 2 he was getting love from the training staff and coaches for his ability in the top speed/blue line to blue line and back drill. On Day 3, it was his ability to defend off the rush and in odd man situations. His skating carries him in the regard, being able to cover so much ground and keep up with the fastest forwards the prospect group had. Even threw in some physicality on the boards. I know I’ve said in the past I need to pump the brakes on Kurban because his hype was getting out of control, but his play next year at the pro level will give a great baseline on what he can be at the NHL level.

• Roman Shokhrin was easily the best defensive defenseman today. His foot speed might not be the fastest but he’s incredibly good at reading and anticipating plays. Multiple times he knew exactly what the forward was going to do and was able to break up the play. Interested to see where he ends up playing this year in Russia.

• I never really saw the hands part of William Hakansson’s game but man, he’s got sneakily good hands. Scored two beauty goals in the shootout. Large Fella who was able to dish out some fun (and light, will stress light) physicality today. Should mention he’ll attend the World Junior Summer Showcase with Sweden in late July.

• Mikey Berchild had some really fun shifts, including getting stonewalled by Limatov on a rush and still managing to get around him and get a good chance on Ryder Fetterolf. He’s got really solid hands and good skill, interested on what David Carle can mold him into.

• Speaking of Fetterolf, that kid just stops pucks. He does well to get out to the top of his crease to challenge shooters and does a good job fighting around screens. Again, importantly, he’s good at stopping the puck.

• Zachary Jovanovski had some nice moments as well. He’s the larger of the two goalies and has some nice patience. Able to recover well and make the save the second time if he needs to.

• “Guy who has the best straight line speed” goes to Zach Lansard. When he gets moving, he can absolutely fly. Solid skill on him as well, fun combination of a player. I’ve lucked into some game tape of his that I’ll try and get some videos from over the next week or so.

• Timur Kol looks and plays like a pro. Good at defending the rush and has some solid offensive ability.

• Cerrato impressed heavily today as well. He’s able to make the offensive play happen and play off contact, while also being a leader on the ice. Multiple times you could hear him clearly calling out plays or asking for the puck. After the session was over, he got almost every single player for a game at one end of the ice and you could hear him explaining the rules. Interested on if he continue to develop his 200 foot game in Chicago, because I think he’s going to have a really good rookie AHL season. He seems to have put his previous injury behind him.

• Was good to see Justin Poirier get out on the ice after the session and get some loose skating in. Only was skating for about 10ish minutes but it was still nice to see. Reminder that he’s coming off hip surgery.

That’ll be all for Development Camp. It’s always a fun time seeing the prospects in person and this time was no different. With the season finally over, I plan on taking a small break from writing after finishing the “Year in Review” for the Chicago Wolves. I’ll be back sometime before the Prospect Showcase (which SHOULD be in North Carolina this year, emphasis on should) to do the positional rankings but until then, thank you for reading!

• As of now, there is currently only one player slated to play in North America in the defense group for next year. That player is Noel Fransen, who I think Wolves fans will enjoy. The guy moves super smooth, having a super quick first few strides to be able to get up to top speed rather quickly. He moves the puck quickly and with pace. Interested to see how else he performs this week.

• Kurban Limatov, holy hell that guy can skate. It’s fluid, it’s fast, it’s insane to watch. His stick handling is also really quick and twitchy.

• I mentioned it before but Timur Kol has a very “pro-like” approach. It’s smooth, the passes are quick, good at retrievals.

• Roman Shokhrin was the best in the retrieval drill, able to break up aerial flips into the corner and able to get the puck out quick. The hands are a little awkward right now, but that’s something that can easily be worked on.

• In the most loving way possibly, William Hakansson is a unit. He lumbers when he skates (not a bad thing), and he looks like a guy who would throw a rather heavy hit. There’s some potential in the pucks skills as he had some good moments and some awkward moments.

Session 2

Session 2 focused mainly on skating, with a dedicated skating coach helping them through drills that most people don’t normally see. This, specifically when I posted a few videos, was getting some weird attention because it doesn’t look like a normal hockey drill. Shocker, that’s the point.

These drills were much more technical in nature, almost figure skater-esque drills, focusing in edge work, single leg drive and mobility, and explosiveness. I thought it was interesting that they leaned further into the figure skater like drills because it gets these guys to do something uncomfortable and learn and develop new techniques.

• Kurban Limatov is the best skater in the prospect pipeline. Roman Bausov could lay claim to that but Limatov moves so smooth and he has that agility you’d covet. He probably could’ve been a figure skater in a past life.

• Noel Fransen also excelled at these drills. Silky smooth skating ability.

• It was great to see Cerrato moving as well as he did today. Not that I was worried but I didn’t know where he’d be with the injuries he dealt with this year

• Zach Lansard is QUICK. Has great straight line speed.

Deeply apologize for not having anything about the forwards during the skills session this morning. I wanted to see the defensemen more because I hadn’t gotten in real life viewings on 4 out of the 5 (Fransen being the lone exception since he was at development camp last year). Same with the goalies, as I was locked in with the defensemen, even though they were working on the same sheet of ice.

Only one thing on the agenda tomorrow, which is the on ice testing at 1 PM. Expect a shorter post tomorrow.

Pick 1 - William Hakansson, LHD (Lulea, SHL)

DY Stats: 60 GP, 3 goals, 13 assists, 16 points

In a fun twist, when I was doing the Names to Know for defenseman, I took off Hakansson because I thought he go much higher than he did. Little did I know that he’d be available at 51.

Canes draft history shows they love taking the defenseman who has a strong skating base and one or two other good to great traits. Hakansson fits that to a tee. Hakasson is a 6’4 who skates really well who also understands that he’s 6’4. Hyper physical, able to use the frame he has to separate man from puck and keep possesion. Good at breaking the puck out, the offensive skills aren’t as developed as the defensive ability, but the potential for Hakansson as a number 1 penalty killer and shutdown D at the NHL level is extremely intriguing. A real solid pick at 51, and a real solid pick for the only defenseman in this class.

Pick 2 - Wiggo Sorensson, W (Boro/Vetlanda, Division 2)

DY Stats: 59 GP, 61 goals, 52 assists, 113 points

Ended up having to pull out the calculator to try and do all the math with the points and games played, but man, Wiggo lit up everywhere he played this year. Will mention that the points and games played comes solely from domestic games (including playoffs) and not international competition. This player, while playing everywhere, has the highest potential of any player here.

As people can figure out, I’m a big fan of the Canes taking the hyper skilled forwards no matter the size. Wiggo fits that perfectly, as he’s a good skater with really good puck skills. He’s got great speed and the ability to get around defenders with that and his ability with the puck on his stick. While people might have concerns about competition level, Wiggo consistently performed at every single level of play. Great showing in the 4th division of Swedish hockey, good performances in both the U18 and U20 Nationell, and had a great performance at the U18 World Juniors with 6 points in 6 games. That’s good enough for 2nd on Sweden only behind first round pick Elton Hermansson. There will be concerns with translatability and size, but this is the type of high upside bet the Canes like to take and Wiggo gives a lot to like.

Pick 3 - Zach Lansard, W (Regina Pats, WHL)

DY Stats: 73 GP, 27 goals, 32 assists, 59 points

Hands up, I had no clue who Zach Lansard was and for that, I deeply apologize because there is a LOT to enjoy with Lansard’s game. Also, if you are a person who gets a little nervous when the Canes take players under 6 feet tall (Lansard is around 5’10-5’11), don’t worry about that with Lansard.

As soon as I saw that Elite Prospects gave him the “Got that dog in him” trait, I was almost sold. When I got to watch a highlight tape of him and saw what he was doing on the ice to be productive, I fully bought in. It’s the small things, even with the flashy plays. It’s getting to the middle of the ice, it’s getting around defenders, it’s being able to play off the puck. Combine that with a high motor and you create a player that was built for the Carolina Hurricanes. Would love to see him continue to work on the transition game.

Here’s that highlight tape:

Pick 4 - Mikey Berchild, W (US National U18 Team, NTDP)

DY Stats: 69 GP, 31 goals, 41 assists, 72 points

Would you believe me when I say the Canes took a 3rd super skilled, slightly undersized forward in one draft? You should, because Berchild has unreal skill while also being 5’10.

Once again, Berchild’s tape is super enjoyable to watch. Ability to get to the slot, not afraid to shoot, good ability off the puck, silky hands, good skating, and a nice motor. Oh yeah, and he’s off to college to get coached by one of, if not, the best coach in all of college hockey in David Carle at the University of Denver. Also had a really good U18 World Juniors (6 points in 5 games), coming in 3rd on the US team behind 1st round pick Wyatt Cullen and Lucas Zajic.

Pick 5 - Ryder Fetterolf, G (Ottawa 67s, OHL)

DY Stats: 50 GP, 2.65 GAA, .912%

I am STOKED to talk about Fetterolf because it’s a goalie I actually got to watch a good amount of this year when I’d watch Filip Ekberg. I know people are immediately going to be worried about the size, but let me explain why that shouldn’t be a concern.

This is the first goalie the Canes have drafted from the CHL since Jeremy Helvig in 2016. Former Canes Prospects Jakub Vondras and Jakub Hamrla both played in the CHL post draft, but they weren’t drafted from the CHL. The Canes haven’t taken a goalie that was sub 6 feet tall since Alexander Nedeljkovic in 2014 (depending on where you find your measurements). The thing with Fetterolf is that he stops the puck at a high level. He makes sure that he gets in front of the puck by any means necessary and he has that ability to make the explosive movement and the spectacular save. Very interested to see how he does at Penn State next year. I’ll leave you with his award list from this year:

That ain’t bad.

Pick 6 - Zachary Jovanovski, G (Guelph Storm, OHL)

DY Stats: 56 GP, 3.80 GAA, .888% save percentage

In a turn of events I never saw coming, 3 out of the 6 Carolina Hurricanes draft picks came from the CHL. 2 of those picks were goalies, something really rare for the Hurricanes. But the goalie position was a position of need, seeing as the only 2 prospect goalie (by my standards and rules) are Ruslan Khazheyev and Semyon Frolov. Jovanovski has some interesting traits.

Jovanovski has the prototypical size that you like to see in a goalie, standing around 6’3. He’s got solid quickness and good technique, alongside a nice glove hand. Scouts still have concerns about his movement and tracking. The stats aren’t bad on a Guelph team that struggled in the OHL this year. It’s a pure bet on him developing the rest to round out his game while already having some solid traits and good size.

With that said, the Canes prospect pool for goalies currently stands as Ruslan Khazheyev, Semyon Frolov, and two goalies entering their last year of prospect status (Yegor Velmakin and Nikita Quapp). With just two goalies under the age of 22 in the pipeline, the Canes should take a goalie. Luckily, this years goalie class is slightly weaker than last year, so they can probably get value down the board.

Yuri Ivanov, MHL (MHK Spartak Moscow)

It’s kind of funny to put him first but wouldn’t it be funny if the Canes could somehow have 2 goalies on the same team, or even in the same system? When Frolov went down with injury, Ivanov stepped up and looked good. He’s 6’2 and 165, so slightly undersized, but he’s also a super late birthday, being a September 08. He should be available in the middle rounds.

Yegor Rybkin, MHL (Chaika)

This one is slightly different, as Rybkin looked really solid to open the year and then went down with an injury, only getting in 11 games this year. But the 6’7 goalie has shocking athleticism and good technique. He might be the highest drafted goalie on this list, going around the 3rd round.

Dmitri Ivchenko, MHL (Omskie Yastreby)

He’s 6’3 with decent stats in his MHL games. There’s an obvious trend here if you haven’t seen it, with all goalies being Euros/Russians except for one that’s an honorable mention. The Canes haven’t taken a goalie from the CHL since Patrik Hamrla in 2021 and I doubt the trend changes this year.

Vladimir Proskurin, MHL (MHK Atlant Mytishchi)

The smallest goalie out of the bunch, standing at 6’2, but also the one who’s played the most games this year with 41. He posted a respectable 2.97 goals against and a .921% save percentage in those games.

Honorable Mentions

Roberto Henriquez, USHL (Green Bay Gamblers)

Matt put me on to this re-entry and he should be mentioned. Not 100% sure where he’s going in the draft but he should at least get a mention.

Gleb Peshkov, MHL (Taifun Primorsky Krai)

He’s 6’2 with really good regular season MHL stats. Plus, Gleb!

Ryder Fetterolf, OHL (Ottawa 67s)

Watching Ekberg led me to getting a good amount of viewings of Fetterolf, who ended up winning OHL and CHL goalie of the year. Undersized at 5’11.

To the shock of no one, that trend will be HEAVILY repeated here. The smallest defenseman I’ll mention today is 6’0 (which is small for Hurricanes standards but it’s at Matt’s insistance). Most of them have good skating grades, besides one very specific player that Matt mentioned that has stuck in my head who will be an honorable mention. With that, let me introduce some defenseman to keep in mind.

Tommy Bleyl, RHD (Moncton, QMJHL)

This and the next guy I’ll mention are both the “stretch” picks, guys that projected to be around in the late 20s but will most likely be gone by the time the Canes eventually pick. For Bleyl, he’s a divisive prospect.

Bleyl is a great skating right handed defenseman. He had 81 points in 63 QMJHL games and was an extremely important player for Moncton’s deep run this year. Moves the puck well and has become exceptional at running a power play. The downside is the defense and his height, standing a shade under 5’11. The height make me think the Canes won’t think too hard about him, but the skating and offensive game make him an intriguing prospect.

Nikita Shcherbakov, LHD (Toros, VHL)

The other guy who has a good chance to be gone by the time the Canes pick, Shcherbakov is an easily projectable player.

Sometimes, all it takes is being a rangy defenseman with good size who can skate really well and make the smart play and you’ll get a lot of praise. Shcherbakov fits all of this, standing just a shade under 6’4 and being a dependable defender who fits a good amount of roles. He’s also Russian, which the Canes have shown no hesitancy in drafting over the years.

Alexander Grunin, LHD (Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk, MHL)

The only scouting service (as of writing this) that has Grunin ranked at all is EliteProspects. They have him at 82, in that sweet spot of late third round. They even describe him as “one of the draft’s best kept secrets.”

(I couldn’t find an image of Grunin, sorry!)

If you remember why Limatov and Bausov felt like prototypical Canes picks, it’s because they are extremely fluid skaters who had another aspect working for them. Grunin is the exact same. He’s a fluid skater whose other trait is his physicality. Grunin feels like an extremely prototypical Canes pick in the mid rounds.

Mans Gudmundsson, RHD (Farjestad BK U20, U20 Nationell)

Elite name aside, Gudmundsson has the size you’d like to see in a defenseman while also having the defensive side of his game more well rounded than others on this list.

Projected in the late 2nd round, Mans is a physical defender who has good range with the combination of his skating and stick work. While he had 25 points in 35 games, he only had 3 primary points at even strength. The defensive ability will carry him in terms of what he can be at the NHL level.

Lincoln Kuehne, RHD (Arizona State, NCAA)

While on the slightly smaller size for defenseman the Canes have drafted over the past few years, standing just under 6’2, Kuehne has a play style that just makes sense.

Kuehne has a simple game. He does nothing over the top, just keeps everything simple. He’s got good skating ability and has played against good competition while at Arizona State. He’s a later round prospect and with the safer projection, it sounds like a decent player to take on chance on.

Landon Nycz, LHD (UMass, NCAA)

Again, another player who has played college hockey already and one that has good size and good skating. His last name is pronounced like “eyes”, by the way.

Like I mentioned above, Nycz’s skating propels him into 4th or 5th round conversations, even while getting limited ice time on UMass. Scouts rave about his mobility and defensive ability, specifically with his stick.

Ben Macbeath, LHD (Calgary Hitmen, WHL)

Besides having one of the cooler last names in this draft (one that I’ve already butchered one or two time), Macbeath checks a lot of boxes of defenseman the Canes draft, even while being in a league the Canes haven’t drafted from since Seth Jarvis in 2020.

I had to double check but that’s a real stat, Macbeath (if drafted) would be the first Canes pick from the WHL in 6 years. There’s a legit case for him in the late 2nd or early 3rd, as he’s another strong skating big defenseman who defends rush chances really well. A neat stat that EliteProspects has is that he was 5th in points by first time draft eligible defenseman.

Jakub Floris, RHD (Lukko U20, U20 SM-sarja)

For the last name, let’s look at fun project player currently playing in Finland. Floris is a raw, mobile defenseman who has the size and physicality to be an NHL defenseman farther down the line.

Floris has some interesting traits in his game. His skating is a big one, being able to move fluidly and quickly. The offense has some intrigue, nearly producing at a .5 ppg pace while getting 10 goals in 38 games. The rest of his game is a work in progress, which leads him to being in the early 3rd round talks. With Floris, my reasoning is that the Canes don’t need a young defenseman to be ready soon. They have their core and have younger players (Legault and Nystrom) ready to play full time when needed. Taking the long term approach with someone could be a good idea.

Honorable Mentions

Alexander Karmanov, LHD (North Bay Battalion, OHL)

Ok, I’m breaking my self-imposed rule of skating well defenseman only because I have to mention Karmanov. If you shockingly don’t know about him, Karmanov went viral for being the tallest hockey player ever, standing at 7 feet tall. This is his draft year and his tape in the OHL has shown promise in his game, so some team will take the chance that his skating drastically improves. I will say, if you check out his Instagram, he’s got pictures with Andrei Svechnikov.

Yaroslav Matyev, LHD (Amurskie Tigry Khabarovsk, MHL)

He’s 6’5, 220 pounds. He plays a super physical game. He skates decently and has some defensive projectability.

Vslevolod Matveyev, RHD (MHK Spartak Moscow, MHL)

He’s 6’2 with great skating ability and the offense has some real intrigue. Biggest concern is his hockey sense.

Alexander Ivanov, LHD (Bars Kazan, VHL)

A player who just turned 18 three days ago, Ivanov didn’t play another MHL games this year, playing all year in the VHL and KHL. He’s big and well rounded but nothing stands out.

It’s funny looking back at my list last year and seeing who I chose for the forwards to know. I nailed 2 of them (Ryabkin and Ekberg) and completely missed on 2 (Nordlund and Cerrato). Cerrato was a complete and utter whiff on my end, as I didn’t pay attention to the D+1 in college. Nordlund was another whiff, but a slightly more avoidable whiff if I remembered that the Canes value undersized wingers with dynamic traits.

Did I learn for this years list? No, not really. I think most of the smaller undersized wingers are in the honorable mentions. But I feel like I’ve got a decent read on this (can’t wait to be horribly wrong) and these guys we’ll talk about today are who I think the Canes would look at. We’ve got 10 forwards I’ll give decent analysis on with 5 honorable mentions that I’ll give a blurb on.

Gleb Pugachev, W (Torpedo system, Russia)

Since I’ve started working draft stuff for this, I’ve always picked a guy that I really like and claim that as “Nick’s guy”. In 2024, my guy was Nikita Artamonov. In 2025, it was Milton Gastrin (with Zharovsky a close 2nd). In 2026, my guy is Gleb Pugachev.

A member of the Torpedo system, a system the Hurricanes are very familiar with (Artamonov, Krutov, Pelevin, Mukhanov), Pugachev is a power forward through and through. Standing at 6’3 and just shy of 200 pounds, he’s a physical presence. He’s combining strong skating with a good motor and the ability to hit the snot out of somebody. Gleb fits a role the Canes only have one of right now, he’s a power forward. Avramov is the only other true power forward right now and while Ryabkin is growing toward that, he’s not there yet. Pugachev would fit that effortlessly.

When you watch Gleb, it’s rather simple to dissect his game. He’s a bruiser, someone who takes pride in throwing some heavy hits. Some slight underrated skill and a decent shot, but his game is built mainly around his motor, his skating, and his bruising style. He’s ranked anywhere in the 30s to 40s so he could be there even if (or when) the Canes trade down from 30 or 31.

Markus Ruck, C (Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL)

A CHL player? A CHL player. One half of the more dominant duo in all of the CHL this year, Markus Ruck is a sick playmaker. The center is able to create offense with his great passing ability and found immense success doing that, racking up 87! assists for Medicine Hat this year.

While not the greatest skater, he’s still able to generate what he needs to make plays happen. Not the most physical player but does enough to be able to play the game he wants to play. Not the best skater but again, he’s got enough of the skill to be able to play how he wants to play. His offense relies on quick touches and passes, smart player overall.

Liam Ruck, W (Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL)

This one might be a slight reach, as Liam Ruck is projected in the early to late 20s. But it’d be shame to talk about one and not mention the other. The Ruck brothers, or twins should I mention, were unbelievably good this year. While Marcus is the playmaker, Liam is the shooter.

Just like Marcus, Liam isn’t the best skater in the world. But what he lacks in skating, he makes up for with his shot. Scoring 45 goals for Medicine Hat this year, he’s got a crazy release and can normally find the soft spot in both the defense and in the goalie’s stance. His work off the puck lends him to the higher ranking than his brother, as he’s able to be impactful away from the puck. Again, a decently long shot he’s there when the Canes pick, but he’d be a superb player to add into the pool.

Niklas Aaram-Olsen, W (Oreboro HK, SHL)

Besides having one of the cooler names in this draft, Aaram-Olsen, the Norwegian forward, is an insanely fun forward who blends great skating with an unreal shot.

A high level performer in international competition for Norway’s U20 (should mention that Norway is in D1A for youth international comp, the division below the normal for the average viewer of a World Juniors), Aaram-Olsen had 40 points (perfect 20-20 split) in 29 games in the U20 Nationell. He played in a good amount of SHL games this year, 16 to be exact, which is great for young forwards. He’s got a high level shot and good skating ability. Not the most physical forward ever (standing just over 6 foot and 187 pounds) but I’m impressed with his combine testing. He’s projected in the second round.

Alan Shaikhlislamov, W (Tolpar Ufa, MHL)

Someone has been hyping up “Big Shake” to me for a few months now and I can see why. There’s a lot in his profile that makes me feel like the Canes would like to take him, but he’s a sneaky player to be taken earlier than most expect.

First, he’s one of the youngest players in the draft, as he has a September 2008 birthday (born 7 days before the cutoff). Secondly, and one of the more obvious ones, he’s Russian. While it’s a weaker class for Russians as a whole at the top, there are still a couple of good ones kicking around post round 1. The high motor winger wins board battles at a high rate while not being the biggest player on the ice. He’s got good scoring touch to go along with the rest of his game too. While only playing in 31 MHL games, he still went over a point per game. Projected in the late 30s to early 50s, would love this selection.

Adam Andersson, C (Leksands U20, U20 Nationell)

The more I look at Andersson, the more I’m not completely convinced this is a player on the Canes radar. But he fits a need, that being a power forward.

Andersson is a physically mature center, standing at 6’3 and 215 pounds. To the shock of no one, he understands that he’s bigger and stronger than everyone else and uses that to his advantage. His defense stands out more than his offense, showing up in the point total partially. His highest level of competition was the U20 Nationell, where he had 17 points in 30 games. Public scouts rave about his NHL projectability as a bottom 6 defensively responsible center, which is something the Canes don’t really have in the system. He’s projected in the late 2nd or early 3rd.

Wiggo Sorenson, C/W (Boro/Vetlanda, A ton of places)

Another player someone has been mentioning to me for a few months, Wiggo has had an interesting draft year. He’s played for him hometown team in the 4th division of Swedish hockey instead of playing in the U20 ranks or even the SHL, which led to some rather insane point totals. An interesting case study of a prospect.

In Division 2, the 4th tier of Swedish hockey, he had 38 points in 29 games. In the U20 division one, the third tier of Swedish U20 hockey, he had 56 points in 13 games. He played 1 game for the Vaxjo U20 Nationell team, where he had 1 goal. He played 1 game for the Vaxjo U18 Nationell team, where he had 3 assists. He then the Sweden U18 team win the Gold at the WJC U18 championships, going for 6 points in 6 games. Standing at 5’10, he’s a good skater that combines solid playmaking and shooting to create one of the more interesting prospects you could pick, since he didn’t play high level competition all year. But then again, when he played higher level competition and international, he showed up and produced. Projected in the mid rounds (3-5), he’d be a risky pick that could pay off in spades if he hits.

Nils Bartholdsson, RW (Rogle BK, U20 Nationell)

Ladies and gentleman, may I present a highly skilled European forward that has decently high end puck skills with good skating ability who has one particular thing that causes him to fall down draft boards?

It feels like the Moneyball scene where Jonah Hill’s character is explaining a player that has good traits but one important factor that makes him weaker than other option. Bartholdsson had a good season in the U20 Nationell, getting 42 points in 32 games, and even played in the SHL this year, even though he was used as the 13th forward. He’s a solid playmaker with a solid shot and good skating. The one thing working against him is that he’s 5’10. With him projected in the later rounds, he’s an upside swing, which the Canes like to take.

Simon Katolicky, W (Tappara U20, U20-SM sarja)

This is an interesting one, because if you look at Katolicky’s physical profile, you’d assume that he should be ranked higher. He’s 6’4, around 200 pounds and can be that power forward teams dream of. Emphasis on CAN BE.

Katolicky has a couple of pitfalls, one being his effort level. His shifts aren’t consistent and he’s had more bad than good. His production in international competition has been lackluster to say the least, getting just 1 goal in 6 games at the U18 World Juniors. But when he’s one, he’s the player you’d want him to be. A big, hulking power forward with a good shot. Injuries took away parts of his year, so it’s not like he completely flopped, but he’s someone with boom or bust potential.

Oscar Holmertz, C (Linkoping U20, U20 Nationell)

I’ve heard that the Canes have been extreme fans of boom or bust prospects over the last few years. I’ve also seen it with my own eyes. Holmertz fits that bill.

Stop me if you have heard this one before, Holmertz is a great skating forward who’s a high end playmaker. Interestingly plays center, which might get called into question if he hits the NHL level, but it’s nice to see. Not the biggest forward ever, standing at 6’ flat and 187 pounds. Also stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Holmertz isn’t overly physical. But the skills and skating alone is enough to warrant a selection. Fits the bill on forwards they’ve taken in the past with this build (Viggo Nordlund, Andrei Krutov, Gleb Trikozov, etc).

Honorable Mentions:

Viktor Fyodorov, C (Torpedo system, KHL/VHL/MHL)

A true center standing just under 6 feet tall, Fyodorov is a super smart player who uses hockey IQ to decipher plays and create offense. Played at all levels for Torpedo this season and had decent production in each league.

Yan Melnikov, RW (Torpedo system, KHL/VHL/MHL)

Another one of the undersized forwards I wanted to talk about, he’s slid down boards a little bit throughout the year but he could be a nice later round selection. Stands at 5’10 and uses a good motor to attack on the forecheck while producing decently in the MHL.

Lavr Gashilov, C (Avto Yekaterinburg, MHL)

Someone I’ve liked throughout the year, Gashilov excels as a playmaker. Produced really well in the MHL and is a great creator of time and space. Skating is a question mark though.

Roman Laman, C (Omskie Yastreby, MHL)

A high motor center who’s lower on boards due to his size (5’10 or 5’11), Laman got better as the year went on. Good skating with solid playmaking ability.

Doman Kristof Szongoth, C (KooKoo U20, U20-SM sarja)

An interesting player, the Hungarian born Szongoth is a natural center with some solid two way ability. He’s already filled out his 6’0 frame, being at 200 pounds and has some fun traits. Skating is a real and true concern, which is why he’s lower down.

Reminder that Matt and I will be live for both days of the NHL Draft, talking all things prospects, Canes, off season, information, things of that nature. It was super fun last year and it should be super fun this year.

After the past few years of being blessed by Alexander Nikishin, this year was a slight down year for Canes Prospects in Russia. Some struggled after career years, some found success with new teams and some found success in new positions. We saw a couple defensemen make impressive strides in their development and a whole heap of milestones, those ranging from first KHL goal, first KHL point, and first suspension of over 5 games (that applies to next season). With all that said, let’s talk about the Canes Prospects applying their trade in Russia.

Note: these are in alphabetical order.

Nikita Artamonov, RW (Torpedo/Neftekhimik/Torpedo-Gorky, KHL/VHL)

With doing these in alphabetical order, it means tackling the Russian elephant in the room first. After producing a top 5 KHL U20 scoring season of all time, Artamonov struggled to continue that momentum and had a down year. In 66 games played, he had 5 goals and 9 assists for 14 points.

From the start of the year, it was going to be a weird year. Reports came out that Torpedo was going to have Artamonov in the VHL to start his season right before the KHL season began. After scoring in that first game, he was called up for 3 games, then sent back down for 1 game. Called up for 6 games, sent down for 5 games, called up for 5 games, sent down for one game, then finally called back up for 2 games before being moved to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, his hometown team. He had some quick success, getting 4 points in his first 7 games. He then went on a 22 game pointless streak. “Pure Art” then had 5 points in his last 8 games before heading into the playoffs, where he didn’t have a point in those 5 games.

Look, was it unrealistic that a young player was going to repeat a 21% shooting percentage? Yes, more than likely. But to see a regression of KHL points from 39 to 10 is almost unbelievable. Artamonov was always a higher floor player, someone whose game translates rather well to a modern day bottom 6. But after last year, it felt like there was some middle 6 and maybe top 6 upside there. He’s a solid forechecker with good hockey sense, but the rest of his game still needs some work.

Outlook for 2026/27: Back in May of last year, Artamonov signed an extension with Torpedo until the end of the 2026/27 season. I wonder what happens with him, as Torpedo seems loaded on forwards and are rumored with signing more. With KHL free agency coming up on June 1st, we should know more then.

(Note: I completely forgot that Torpedo-Gorky, the VHL affiliate of Torpedo, was not registered for the VHL season. So, as of now, Torpedo does not have a VHL team.)

Fyodor Avramov, W (HK Sochi/Yuznhy Ural Orsk/Kapitan Stupino, KHL/VHL/MHL)

The wish that I had going into the season for Fyodor Avramov was that he’d stay in one place for the majority of the season and he wouldn’t bounce around a ton. That wish was partially granted, as he spent most of the year with Sochi at the KHL level. The monkey’s paw that curled was that his ice time was under 10 minutes a night for the majority of the year. In 56 games played, he had 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points.

First off, congratulations to the kid for getting his first (and second) career KHL goals. Subsequently, those are also his first KHL points. His MHL production was solid, over a point per game for a 20 year old is expected. I’m glad they made him captain of the team, because those leadership skills are always desirable. I had really hoped he’d have a longer stint in the VHL after going a point per game in those 5 games, but Sochi needed him as a 4th liner/13th forward more. Avramov brings a very specific skillset to the table, that being a power forward. He’s 6’3, 200 pounds with a physical game. Sneaky good shoot with solid offensive instincts and again, he’s a power forward. He offers something only one or two other prospects can offer, but he’s got the size to really excel in that role if he’s developed correctly.

Outlook for 2026/27: More on this down below.

Roman Bausov, RHD (MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg, MHL)

The first of a couple injured Canes prospects in today’s article, Bausov had a ton of intrigue going into this season. Canes fans that went to development camp last year got their first look at Bausov and his massive frame. A massive right handed defenseman who skates incredibly fluidly, an injury before the season took him out of action. In 18 games played this year, he had 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points.

Bausov was one of the players I really wanted to see play this season, as the live viewings I got during development camp left me with a LOT of questions on his development would go. The injury derailed a hefty chunk of his season, but I was still left rather impressed with the viewings I did have. He was a top 4, even top pair defenseman at times for MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg and that’s mainly due to what he offers. He’s a rangy freak of nature who is able to skate incredibly well for a player of his size. He’s physical, being able to lay down some rather thunderous hits. I think the offensive side of his game has some more to offer. He’s got a decently powerful shot and the passing is there. A season that’s given me even more intrigue into the player he can be.

Outlook for 2026/27: A hopefully fully healthy season for MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg.

Semyon Frolov, G (MHK Spartak Moscow/MHK Spartak MAX, MHL)

The next Canes Prospect who lost a lot of his season to injury, Frolov did end up getting really valuable minutes this season. In just 13 games played this year, he had a 2.63 goals against average and a .912% save percentage.

The top goalie in the pipeline currently, Frolov had a slightly better statistical season than these numbers suggest. If we take out the 2 games he played for MHK Spartak MAX, where he had a 4.04 goals against and a .879% save percentage, he actually had a 2.18 goals against average and a .922% save percentage. Frolov is at his best when his mix of aggressiveness and technical ability combine and become one. His skating allows him to be this aggressive because he has the ability to recover rather quick. This season was nearly lost, but the playoff performances in the MHL final give me a lot of hope for Frolov.

Outlook for 2026/27: A hopefully fully healthy season for MHK Spartak Moscow.

Vladimir Grudinin, LHD (Severstal, KHL)

A few minor injuries kept Grudinin out of a couple games this year, but it was more of the same for Grudinin, who’s carved out a role for Severstal. In 58 games played, he had 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points.

Grudinin has carved out a good role for Severstal, being a reliable top 4 defenseman who plays on his off-side while getting heavy penalty killing minutes. He’s not the biggest defender, standing at 5’11, but his stick work keeps him afloat against physical forwards. As well, his skating is great. Not the quickest player ever but he’s got enough mobility to evade forecheckers and get the puck up ice. He showed real ability as a shutdown defenseman with plus skating, which has become rather consistent for him over the past 3 years.

Outlook for 2026/27: He’s got one more year on his current contract with Severstal.

Timur Kol, LHD/RHD (Dynamo Moscow/MHK Dynamo Moscow, KHL/MHL)

After spending last year splitting time between the KHL and MHL, Kol found himself spending 95% of his year in the MHL after his trade to Dynamo Moscow. In 49 games played this year, he had 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points.

I’ve explained the absurdity of Kol’s usage in the MHL but I’d like to point it out one more time. Kol’s average ice time in the MHL was 25:17. The next closest ice time was 23:23 (funnily enough, that was Kurban Limatov). He was the team’s PP1 quarterback and he looked really solid in that role, attributed to the fact that his shot is such a threat that it forces penalty killers to close out and it gives Kol passing lanes. He’s got a rocket of a shot, somewhat similar to what Nikishin was able to do in terms of power and accuracy (even though Boom has the stronger shot). He’s got the physical side on defensive that you’d like defenders to have, not just wildly using his stick to knock the puck away and actually using his body. Not 100% sure if there is true penalty killer potential in there (mainly because I can’t see if he did on EliteProspects or the MHL site), but I’m a big fan of his work at even strength and his ability on the power play. Also got his first career KHL point (and a second one), which I’m glad he was rewarded for because he came darn close during his time with SKA.

Outlook for 2026/27: More on this down below.

Andrei Krutov, W/C (Torpedo/Amur/Torpedo-Gorky/Chaika, KHL/VHL/MHL)

Another Torpedo forward that ended up going out on loan, Krutov showed a little more development this season with Amur as they seemed to have a lot of trust in the forward. In 56 games played this season, he had 7 goals and 10 assists for 17 points.

The point total doesn’t tell the whole story here, as Krutov really earned the trust of the Amur coaching staff as the season was winding down. He started as the 13th forward and worked his way up to the middle 6. More interestingly, he was used as a center for a good few games and had flashes of success, both in the dot and handling the responsibilities that a center handles. His hands play a big role on how he can be successful in the dot, as his hands are one of Krutov’s best qualities. He’s able to do things with the puck that not a lot of Canes Prospects can do. Able to weave in and out of defenders, Krutov’s offensive ability is really solid. He’s slowly learning the KHL way of hockey while also getting better at becoming a complete player. Really, really interested to see if he can continue working as a center next year.

Outlook for 2026/27: In the same boat as Artamonov, as Torpedo continues to bring in forwards. A move (loan or trade) seems likely for Krutov.

Kurban Limatov, LHD (MHK Dynamo Moscow, MHL)

Everyone’s new favorite defensive prospect, Limatov continued to flash the interesting qualities that got him hype during the draft this year while improving his point totals. In 49 games played this year, he had 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points.

Kurban Limatov is one of the most fun prospects to get live viewings of because of the way he plays the game. He’s 6’4 with unbelievable skating ability, which allows him to try and be much more aggressive than others. Whether that be on a pinch from the blueline or attempting to stop an entry from the other team, Limatov loves to make the aggressive play. The offense is interesting, since he’s able to be so mobile around the blueline to create separation and he’s got a decent shot. The defense is improving and the aggressive play style can be a double edge sword. I’ve seen him jump a play and miss which leads to a grade A and I’ve seen him read a play, make the breakup, and get a breakaway by himself. Truthfully, I see some K’Andre Miller qualities in Limatov. They’re both big, rangy defenseman who have a more aggressive play style while also being able to contribute in all sitautions. I’m not saying Limatov is the next Miller, but there are Miller-like qualities I see.

Outlook for 2026/27: Well, he’ll have a delayed start to his season after he picked up a 9 game suspension in MHK Dynamo Moscow’s last playoff game that carries over to next season. I’d imagine he’ll get some chances in higher leagues next year as well.

Timur Mukhanov, W (Severstal/Torpedo/Torpedo-Gorky/HK Tambov/Chaika/Almaz, KHL/VHL/MHL)

Timur Mukhanov gets to claim that he was the only Canes prospect within Russia that played in every single professional league for two different teams, which is something you don’t see every day. In 69 (nice) games played, he had 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points.

11 of those points came in an 11 game run in the MHL playoffs, where he was arguably their team’s most important forward, which he should be. He’s a 20 year old forward playing in a U20 league while he has over 150 games of KHL experience, it should be expected. When Mukhanov is on his game, he’s a dynamic offensive dynamo. He’s a shifty skater who has the speed and mobility to escape defenders. Big fan of his passing ability.

Outlook for 2026/27: He recently signed a 2 year, 2 way extension with Torpedo. I’d expect a full year of bouncing between KHL and VHL (would require a loan to VHL team).

Alexander Pelevin, LHD (Torpedo/Torpedo-Gorky, KHL/VHL)

Pelevin has carved out a nice role with Torpedo-Gorky as their reliable PK guy. Outside of that, don’t ask. In 51 games played, he had 2 goals and 9 assists for 11 points.

The reigning October 7th player of the week in the VHL, Pelevin is a physical, shutdown defenseman. He skates well enough and loves to throw a few hits. Even though he’s 5’11, Pelevin can really throw some crazy fun hits. The offensive side still hasn’t fully developed, mainly relying on secondary assists for points and the odd shot that finds it’s way through traffic. Next year will be Pelevin’s last year as a prospect.

Outlook for 2026/27: He’s signed with Torpedo through the end of the 2026/27 season.

Alexander Perevalov, RW (Metallurg Novokuznetsk, VHL)

One of the guys who needed a fully healthy season to gauge where he was at in his development, Perevalov did end up having that. In 75 games played this year, Peravalov had 23 goals and 18 assists for 41 points.

Perevalov was primarily a 3rd line winger towards the end of the year after being a top line winger during the regular season, he’s an interesting player to get a read on. He’s got a real nice shot and some solid playmaking skills, combined with his netfront work on the power play. He’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he’s got a great ability to make the goaltender’s life difficult with screens and the ability to score in tight. The skating is decent and he’s not the world’s greatest defensive winger, but there’s an interesting offensive winger there.

Outlook for 2026/27: More on this down below.

Alexander Rykov, W (Traktor/Chelmet/Belye Medvedi, KHL/VHL/MHL)

For Rykov, this was his healthiest year ever, as he played over 50 games in a year for the first time in his career. He set career highs in both games played and in points, as in 66 games played, he had 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points.

After getting a live viewing of Rykov at development camp last year, I became invested in the player that he can be. He’s the mold of what a modern day NHL bottom 6 player is. He skates hard, he has good compete, he’s decently physical, he’s a good forechecker, he has solid offensive instincts, he’s played on the penalty kill and power play. This year was a little weird, with Rykov getting shuffled around the KHL and VHL and when he had some good showings in the middle 6, he’d get moved back down to the bottom line or the 13th forward. I think there’s more growth on the offensive side of Rykov’s game, too. He’s got good offensive instincts so I’d be interested in his next role having some room for growth in terms of ice time.

Outlook for 2026/27: More on this down below.

Roman Shokhrin, LHD (Loko, MHL)

In his last year of MHL eligibility, Shokhrin went out a champion, helping Loko win the MHL Final. In 66 games played, he had 5 goals and 15 assists for 20 points.

To explain Shokhrin, I must say he plays a calm game. He’s not doing anything flashy offensively but he’s doing everything right defensively. While plus/minus is a stupid stat to judge defenseman on, going from a +19 to a +53!? in one year seems like a sign that he’s had some positive defensive development. He’s a physical defenseman, seeking out contact from time to time while having that ability to separate man from the puck. Skating is a plus attribute but I do wonder about the offense.

Outlook for 2026/27: He’s got one more year on his current deal with Loko, but I’m interested to see what happens with him as he’s aged out of the MHL, the only league he’s played in for the past 4 years.

Alexander Siryatsky, LHD,RHD (Metallurg/Magnitka, KHL/VHL)

One of the most improved prospects in the system, Siryatsky had a year that gets some flack from his head coach who benched him after a bad turnover in a playoff game, leading to some rather interesting quotes about “back in my day” and things of that nature. But don’t get it confused, Alexander Siryatsky was one of the bright spots for Canes prospects in Russia this year. In 43 games played this year, he had 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points.

I think I really need to stress the point that Alexander Siryatsky is 19 years old. For a U20 defenseman to establish himself as a consistent KHL defenseman is something that needs to be recognized. There were only 5 defenseman in the KHL that played more than 20 KHL games while being younger than 20 years old, Siryatsky was the second youngest, behind only Makar Fomin. There is a lot of interesting aspects within Siryatsky’s game, who’s calling card is his skating and range. Pre injury, Siryatsky was running a power play unit that included a good amount of Metallurg’s talent, including recent Chicago Blackhawks signee Roman Kantserov and former Canes Prospect Sergei Tolchinsky. He was trusted in a big moments, end of game situations and overtime shifts. He also got some good penalty killing time, leading me to believe there is an all around defenseman who could contribute in all situations.

Outlook for 2026/27: More on this down below.

Yegor Velmakin, G (Dynamo St. Petersburg, VHL)

After playing in less than 20 games for the past 2 years, Velmakin played his most games since the 2022/23 season. In 23 games played this year, he had a .908% save percentage and a 2.88 goals against average.

Velmakin is hyper aggressive in the crease, always wanting to challenge the shooter rather than just sit back. Does that hurt him from time to time? Oh, absolutely. But when it’s working, he looks like a goalie that could get NHL games. When he got a somewhat consistent run of games, he looked pretty solid. Next season will be his last as a prospect, as he’ll age out after the 2026/27 season.

Outlook for 2026/27: More on this down below.

Stanislav Yarovoy, W (Spartak Moscow/Khimik, KHL/VHL)

After Vityaz ceased to exist, Yarovoy was rumored with a move to North America. That did not happen and instead, Yarovoy was moved to Spartak Moscow, where he ended up playing just 5 KHL games this year. In 66 games played, he had 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points.

Yarovoy had a little bit of injury trouble this year but was also healthy scratched a couple of times in the playoffs. That was kind of annoying since he was at his best in the playoffs. He was able to dissect coverages and find soft spots for good chances, either a pass or a shot. His skating allows him to do that, even though it’s not high end. The defense has always stayed consistently good, even though Khimik didn’t or rarely used him as a PKer. Big fan of his offensive IQ. Next season will be Yarovoy’s last year as a prospect.

Outlook for 2026/27: He’s got another year on his contract with Spartak Moscow.

A very quick primer for the upcoming KHL Free Agency. Currently, there are 6 Canes Prospects that are slated to be free agents.

• Fyodor Avramov

• Timur Kol

• Alexander Rykov

• Alexander Perevalov

• Alexander Siryatsky

• Yegor Velmakin

Timur Kol and Alexander Rykov have been made RFAs by their respective teams. As of May 29th, the others have not. I’d imagine Siryatsky stays with Metallurg. Outside of that, we’ll just have to wait and see

One more thing, Matt and I will be live streaming the NHL Draft just like last year. We had a great turnout and it was a ton of fun hanging out and talking Canes Prospects and Canes hockey with everyone so we thought it’d be fun to run it back. More details and promotion for it will come when we get closer to the drat.

Honestly, there isn’t a true set NEED within the Canes system. They have most of the main archetypes filled already so any player now is more of an added bonus than anything else. With that said, there are a good amount of WANTS, certain positions and player archetypes have very low prospect numbers or could use some more darts at the board. Let’s dive into those wants really are:

Want: A potential power forward

As of right now, the list of wingers within the prospect ranks that are 6’0 or taller is as follows:

• Fyodor Avramov

• Gleb Trikozov

• Michael Emerson

• Alexander Perevalov

Let me be ABUNDANTLY clear and say that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The two best winger prospects, Bradly Nadeau and Felix Unger Sorum, are listed at 5’11 but aren’t out there getting shoved into a locker. This is more of a “cupboard is a little bare at the moment” type situation. Especially when taking into consideration that Gleb and Perevalov aren’t known for their physicality (even though Perevalov does work netfront a good amount). Fyodor Avramov and 5’11 Ivan Ryabkin are the only real true “power forward” archetypes within the system and Ryabkin started growing into that role late in the season for Chicago. The modern day NHL doesn’t require every forward to be able to throw violent hits, but having one or two in your lineup that can score 15+ goals in a season is a premium at this time.

Want: Goalie

We discussed this on the latest episode of Developing Hurricanes but I’ve been team “teams should take at least one goalie in a draft and see what happens” for a few years now. The Canes followed this last year, taking Semyon Frolov with their first pick in the draft and he had solid showings when he was healthy. Outside of Frolov, it’s certainly interesting.

Yegor Velmakin just completed a season in which he played the most amount of hockey since his draft year back in 2022-23 and he looked good for the most part. He’s also 23. Ruslan Khazheyev just played 42 games, 41 of those in the ECHL where he was better than the stats say. With him being just 21 years old, next year will be a big one in terms of his outlook, but the intangibles are there. Nikita Quapp was a mixed bag for Greensboro and his contract is up this year. Jakub Vondras had a solid season in Czechia2, but his exclusive rights with the Canes expire on June 1st. So if Quapp is not re-signed and Vondras sees his rights expire, the Canes are down to 3 prospect goalies in the system.

Want: Center?

Ah, the age ole want. Some consider this a need but I must stress it is really, really hard unless you pick within the top half of the first round to find a player that can stick at the center position in the NHL. It’s the toughest position to stay in because of the demands of the role, both offensively and defensively. The Canes took two players listed at center last year and this is why I have a question mark at the end of center.

I can confidently say that Charlie Cerrato will stick as a center at the NHL level. He plays the position extremely well and he does the small, important things you want your center to do. As well, he’s really solid in the dot, going 80% (4/5) in his AHL debut while posting two season of above 56% at Penn State (57.2% as a freshman, 58.7% as a sophomore). Ivan Ryabkin was drafted as a center and while he played decently as a center in the early part of the season for Chicago and was a center for Charlottetown in the QMJHL (53.9% in faceoffs for them), he’s looked his absolute best on the wing during Chicago’s postseason run. He does take spot faceoffs for his line and I think he can be an NHL center, but his work as a winger since joining Chicago again is hard to deny.

Want: Offensive Defenseman

Slightly emphasized by the signing of Noel Fransen to his entry level contract as Fransen is the best offensive defenseman in the system. Depending on how you qualify Timur Kol and Kurban Limatov, you could say he’s the only offensive defenseman in the system.

Outside of Fransen (and Kol/Limatov depending on how you qualify their archetypes), the Canes have a ton of defensive minded defenseman in the system. Charles Alexis Legault, Dominik Badinka, Roman Bausov, Alexander Siryatsky (to an extent), Roman Shokhrin, and Alexander Pelevin all project as “shut down” defenseman. Canes adding a guy with some offensive pop in his game would fill a want within the pipeline.

Outside of that, the current prospect pool is pretty well stocked. We’ll start to tackle to position groups with “Names to Know” coming up in June and the last two “Years in Reviews” when the Russians and the Chicago Wolves finish their respective seasons.

With that, admittedly, negative outlook out of the way, lets dive into how each prospect faired this year in Sweden’s hockey ranks.

Viggo Nordlund, W (Oskarshamn, HA)

Arguably the best U20 player in HockeyAllsvenskan this year, Nordlund was really, really solid for Oskarshamn. In 63 games played, he had 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points.

He played 58 HockeyAllsvenskan games, with 28 points coming in those games. During the regular season, he won the awards for most goals by a U20 player (12) and the award for most points by a U20 player (26). He’s got that level of dynamic skill you want to see in an undersized forward. It’s not gamebreaking, but there’s enough skill within his game for him to be extremely dangerous when he’s in the offensive zone. His work in transition has become something to behold, being able to use his skating to weave in and out of traffic. This was a really nice year for Nordlund overall, showing good signs of development in most aspects.

Outlook for 2026/27: This one is interesting, because of just how deep Skelleftea is. There are two options, either he fights for a role with the SHL team, or he heads out on loan again to another SHL or HockeyAllsvenskan team.

Oskar Vuollet, W (Skelleftea, SHL)

While I was slightly negative about Vuollet in the open, make no mistake. He still helped Skelleftea win the SHL championship this season. Every player that plays, especially almost every game in the playoffs, helps a team win. In 60 games played this year, he had 5 goals and 4 assists for 9 points.

One thing to keep in mind is that the SHL is a tough league for younger players. Unless you’re someone with lottery level talent, it’s tougher for you to get consistent minutes. Vuollet has a good amount of offensive creativity in his game, mainly being a perimeter player at this point. He’s got good playmaking ability but it’s hard to flash that ability in his limited play time.

Outlook for 2026/27: A bottom/middle 6 winger for Skelleftea.

Noel Fransen, LHD (Karlskoga, HA)

Fransen started his year in the SHL with Farjestad, getting limited (but productive) minutes with 2 points in 3 games. He was then loaned to Karlskoga in HockeyAllsvenskan and was getting 16+ minutes a night very regularly. He was then called back to Farjestad when former Wolves head coach Cam Abbott was hired, where he honestly struggled a bit. After 8 games, he was sent back to Karlskoga, called back up to Farjestad the next day, and then sent back to Karlskoga 2 weeks later (after playing 3 games in 3 days). Ok, got all that? In 56 games played this year, he had 7 goals and 11 assists for 18 points.

Fransen is one of the best offensive defenseman in the Canes system. He’s got dynamic skating ability and a desire to move the puck quickly. He’s had success running power plays for teams over the past few seasons and it’s easy to see why. Big fan of the way he’s a dangerous threat when he’s patrolling the blue line. The thing that I’d love to see Fransen work is being more physical defensively. He’s not the smallest defenseman, standing at 6’1 and 194 pounds, but he’s not the most physically engaging defender, which leads to some lapses in coverage.

Outlook for 2026/27: He’s rumored with a move to Ilves in Liiga, Finland’s top tier league.

Simon Forsmark, LHD (Timra IK, SHL)

After posting a career best year in the SHL, Formark had a slower year than previously expected. His ice time was down slightly and the plus/minus, a stat that I don’t really like using when judging defense, went from a +11 to a -8. In 51 games this year, he had 3 goals and 11 assists for 14 points.

A solid 4 way skater with good defensive instincts, he really blossomed into a top 4 role with Timra last year. Not quite sure what happened this year, but he wasn’t the same player as last year. The offense was still decent, like his passing ability from the point. Just a down year overall for the 22 year old.

Outlook for 2026/27: With his rights expiring on June 1st combined with his contract running until 2029, Forsmark’s time as a Canes Prospect will be coming to an end.

With that in mind, there are only 3 leagues I can currently tackle as of now, those being the NCAA, CHL, and HockeyAllsvenskan. HockeyAllsvenskan, while admittedly easier to do because there are only two players, I’m putting off for now because I’ll loop in the other Swedish league (SHL) to make it easier for myself. So for now, let’s talk about the “junior” ranks of North America, with the NCAA and CHL prospect(s).

Charlie Cerrato, C (Penn State)

A sadly common trend we’ll see when I talk about these prospects is seasons getting derailed due to injury. Charlie “Chuck” Cerrato was able to come back before his season was over from injury but it did derail a good chunk of his season. In 23 games this year, he had 7 goals and 20 assists for 27 points.

Cerrato was arguably Penn State’s most important center this season and when he went out with injury, you could see the impact it created. He plays in every situation and plays heavy minutes at even strength. He’s a crafty playmaker who isn’t afraid of going into the dirty areas to make things happen. Dangerous in transition, he’s able to use his passing ability to make things happen and has the hockey sense to see the play before it happens. He’s been great in the dot as well, making me more confident he sticks as a center throughout his career. As well, his work ethic is second to none and he’s got that #dawg trait that teams love to have come playoff time. He was a great player pre injury and tried his best to help Penn State in the postseason before going down with yet another injury in the NCAA tournament. While it stunk to see him out for an extended period of time, this was another successful season of development for Cerrato.

Outlook for 2026/27: Cerrato will be an important piece for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL. He’s already flashed the pro level skills he showcased at Penn State in the playoffs with an impressive performance in Game 1.

Jayden Perron, W (Michigan)

What needed to be a big season for Perron became a big season, as Perron was one of Michigan’s most important offensive players as the season went on. In 40 games this season, he had 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points.

It was a career year for Perron, who capitalized on the opportunities given to him at Michigan. The wider public saw the immense skill that had Perron drafted in the 3rd round back in 2023. A lot of the traits you wanted to see developed did, including his play driving. Perron is extremely dangerous in transition, partly due to the East-West nature of his skating. He’s not afraid to go from one side of the ice to the other with the puck on his stick because he’s found ways to get around and through contact from defenseman. The passing remains great, being trusted as much to be the powerplay quarterback for the number 1 power play in the country, a power play that clicked at a 31.6% rate. His shot remains sneaky good, able to pick corners with deceptive speed off the stick. This year was also the first time you saw that real game breaking potential skill that Perron has, a prime example shown by this goal in the Big Ten Championship game.

Outlook for 2026/27: It looks like Perron will head back to Michigan for one final season, even though nothing has been announced anything yet.

Justin Poirier, W (Maine)

Stop me if you heard this one before, yet another player who was really important to their team’s success suffered an injury and the team started to struggle. Poirier was Maine’s top goal scorer and one of the best freshman in the country before injury. In 27 games played this season, he had 18 goals and 11 assists for 29 points.

Poirier was having a really nice run of games pre hip injury, leaning into the traits that made him successful in junior. His shot was still great, being able to beat most goaltenders with power and precision. He was handling the physicality better than expected, winning some board battles and being able to bounce off contact from time to time. He was one of the better players on that Maine team and will now, barring being healthy, be an important top 6 winger for a reloaded Penn State team.

Outlook for 2026/27: Hopefully healthy in time for the start of next season, Poirier will be a top 6 goal scoring winger for Penn State.

Michael Emerson, W (Merrimack)

A 6th round pick in 2023, Emerson has turned into a decent bottom 6 winger for a Merrimack team that shocked a lot of people and won the Hockey East Championship. In 37 games played, he had 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points.

Emerson is mainly used for his physical presence and defensive impact. He has the ability to help out in faceoffs as he was a center for a good portion of last year. His shot is sneaky good, but his value is in his physicality, forechecking, and defensive impact. He was a decent player for that Merrimack team who surprised people.

Outlook for 2026/27: A middle/bottom 6 winger for Merrimack

Filip Ekberg, W (Ottawa 67s)

After ending his draft year season on a crazy heater, Ekberg came into this year fully healthy and ready to be a big contributor for Ottawa. In 68 games played, he had 27 goals and 27 assists for 64 points.

To be fair to Ekberg, he was a big contributor for Ottawa. Injuries robbed parts of his season but he was the 6th highest scorer on his team during the regular season and 4th in the playoffs. His goal scoring took a step up, which was nice to see since he has a tiny bit of the “I have a good shot but I’d much rather pass the puck” syndrome. The playmaking is noticeable, being able to connect plays at a decently high rate. With one more year of OHL eligibility left, I’d expect Ekberg to step up in point production, especially with Ottawa losing some production going into next year.

Outlook for 2026/27: One of Ottawa’s more important wingers.

You could still say the Kids are alright, since the average age of the Chicago Wolves roster is 24 years old, but the team is led by a youth movement, with their top 3 scorers being 20, 23, and 20. Even with losing a good amount of their scoring to the NHL during the last bit of the regular season, the Wolves still squeezed out a great 3 in 3 weekend. I’ll speak more on their MVP so far in the first Thought, but Felix Unger Sorum has become the engine that drives this Wolves team when push comes to shove. His playmaking and ability to be creative with the puck is one of the biggest reasons why the Wolves are 2nd in the division. That’s no disrespect to Justin Robidas (23) and Bradly Nadeau (21), who are incredibly impactful players, but Felix has been able to stay healthy and continue doing what he does, which is why I’m giving him the (mostly worthless) regular season MVP for the Wolves team.

With that said, let’s tackle some Thoughts.

1. Felix Unger Sorum (20), the player reborn. To triple your production in the AHL year over year is insanely tough, but Felix was up to that challenge. Last year, Felix was somewhat apprehensive and nervous to engage fully in board battles or most things that involved physicality. Now, he’s actively engaging in board battles and winning them more often than not. He fully bought into what his potential could be and this year has been absolutely reformative for him.

2. I know people will forever be mad at undersized wingers and, while I do understand it to a certain extent, please understand that Felix doesn’t get bullied off the puck often. He’s done immense work in the weight room over the past calendar year and has become a stout 5’11, 172 pounds. People had the same qualms about Jackson Blake and look what he’s become physically. Being undersized is not the end all, be all when it comes to a hockey player.

(Update: 1 NHL game, 1 NHL point).

3. I’ll be completely honest, I didn’t think Ronan Seeley’s (23) NHL debut would come with the Hurricanes. He’s a complete story of perseverance, from being diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, to being a 7th round pick (this isn’t really a perseverance thing, but going to the NHL as a 7th round pick is tougher), dealing with the Hurricanes AHL/ECHL situation during Covid, he’s just been a pro’s pro. He deserves this callup too, as he’s moved into the role of the Wolves most consistent defenseman. He’s done everything, from playing power play and penalty kill, to eating big minutes when others go down with injury. This is, truly, one of the most deserved call ups during my tenure of covering the prospects.

4. Since we last spoke, Charlie Cerrato (21) signed a PTO with the Chicago Wolves. As of last Tuesday, he has started practicing with the team and is (hopefully) in line to contribute to the lineup for their playoff run. The PTO means he cannot return to college, which means we are just waiting for the announcement of an ELC. I’m just happy that he might play hockey again this season, as I was worried after the injury he suffered in the NCAA tournament.

5. Ivan Ryabkin (18) had one hell of a run in the QMJHL. 42 points in 20 regular season games and then 9 points in 7 playoff games is something you just don’t see that often, but he also went from playing against grown men to playing against U20 comp. I’d be more worried if he didn’t have immense success, but nevertheless. His first 3 games in the AHL after returning from Charlottetown were good. He was much more engaged into game action and was much more involved overall. The offense has come much more naturally and I’ve noticed the play driving traits flash more, which is what you really want to see from a young center playing professionally.

6. In one last funny Ryabkin QMJHL moment, he’s been suspended 3 games for abuse of officials. I really, really, doubt that he’ll ever actually serve that suspension.

7. The Glebinator has returned. There’s something special when two people from the same country who have never played together finally end up playing together and they look like they have the most natural chemistry. This is the case with Gleb and Ryabkin, who looked really, really good together. More so, they didn’t look worse off when switching from Nikita Pavlychev as the center to Ryabkin as the center, with Josiah Slavin running the LW. I really want to see more of this duo going forward, as they might be able to unlock the better parts of each other’s game.

8. For a more serious thing, the last 7 games Gleb Trikozov (21) has played has been some of the best hockey of his career in North America. He’s been the primary sniper on the third line and he’s been good! The offense is flowing and his backchecking has gotten much better. He’s forechecking with decent aggression as well. It takes me a second to remember that this is his technical first AHL season after having the vast majority of last year taken away from him due to 2 different leg injuries.

(Update: He blocked a shot on Saturday and seemed to be hurt. He couldn’t skate off on his own and needed help off the ice. Hoping for good news for him)

9. The Wolves are getting healthy at the perfect time, by the way. With Justin Robidas and Charlie Cerrato returning to practice, alongside the litany of players getting NHL game time right now, this lineup is going to be scary good come playoff time. Even with a depleted lineup, they still ended up getting points in all 3 games this past weekend. Adding Legault, Nystrom, Seeley, Nadeau, Robidas, and (potentially) Cerrato to that lineup is going to make for some incredibly fun viewings (in decent quality because I finally caved and bought FloHockey! No more 480p footage that freezes constantly!). Hopefully Ryan Suzuki and Juuso Valimaki (and Gleb) can get back in enough time as well.

10. Let’s talk Greensboro Gargoyles for a second, because I’ve gotten questions about them recently and I feel the need to talk about the guys down there. To be honest, they stink, which was expected for a brand new ECHL franchise. I had hoped that they’d be a little better, but alas. Ruslan Khazheyev’s (21) counting stats are going to look ugly, but I have to remind people that most of their defense is built upon recent college graduates and guys that don’t have a ton of experience at the pro level. As well, Ruslan still had more than handful of good starts, enough to give me a good feeling with him going into next year.

11. A fun stat I wanted to look up regarding Khazheyev. Since February 1st, he saw less than 30 shots in a game 3 times. He played in 19 games during that time. Ruslan faced a ton of shots over the course of the year, which is what you want to see when you are a young goalie.

12. Bryce Montgomery (23) was also good in my viewings, as he was a real leader for that team at times. The physical defenseman has one more year on his ELC, which I imagine will end up kind of the same way this year. He’ll get AHL looks, in which I should add that he was good in those AHL games, but might spend most of the year in Greensboro again.

13. 2 prospect related moves that might happen. First, KHL team Amur want to make the loan move for Andrei Krutov (19) permanent. I think it’s good, for one it shows that Amur were happy with what Krutov showed during his stint with the team. Secondly, Krutov could benefit from staying with Amur, a younger team that might use him more at center, something that he could be good at.

14. Noel Fransen (20) is rumored with a move to Ilves in Liiga, Finland’s top league. This seems like a good place for a fresh start. It seemed like he and Farjestad were headed for this after he returned from his loan to Karlskoga, played a couple games, and then was sent down again. A fresh start in a new league with a different style of play could do wonders for Fransen.

15. While we are talking about Farjestad, want to mention that former Wolves coach Cam Abbott signed a 2 year extension with Farjestad to continue coaching there.

16. I mentioned it during the last Canes regular season game, but it’s awesome to see all the Wolves guys play on the penalty kill and not look a second out of place. It’s a great showing of preparation that Spiros Anastas and the Wolves coaching staff does to get these younger players ready to play that trademarked style of hockey. It’s also a great showing of how the development is going, because if I told you 365 days ago that Bradly Nadeau would be killing penalties at the NHL, I might be telling a fib.

17. Spiros Anastas getting the full time coaching gig in Chicago was the easy choice, since he’s gotten points in 36 out of 50 games since he took over. Players have really bought into his system and his coaching style really seems to stick with them. He’s shown a good track record for youth development, shown by Felix tripling his point total, Bradly Nadeau going back to back point 25+ goal AHL seasons before he’s 21, and just a whole host of development for guys like Dominik Badinka, Ivan Ryabkin, and others.

17. It recently came out that Justin Poirier (19) will/has entered the transfer portal. Maine has had a mass exodus of guys, including 5 of their top 10 scorers and Florida Panthers draft pick Luke Coughlin. Poirier was having a great freshman season before going down with what we now know as a hip injury, which led him to getting hip surgery recently. At least 2 different people have reported that Wisconsin is a potential landing spot.

18. It’s quite honestly ridiculous that Felix Unger Sorum wasn’t named to the AHL first or second All Star team. He’s a top 5 scorer in the AHL but apparently that’s not good enough.

19. For anyone wondering about Jayden Perron (21), don’t be surprised to see him go back to Michigan for his senior season.

20. Alexander Siryatsky (19) has been really solid for Metallurg in the KHL playoffs. He’s been the 7th defenseman the majority of the time, which is the best place for him. He gets around 15-17 minutes a night, with some spot time on the power play and penalty kill. Outside of one really, really ugly moment that led to Torpedo tying up a game and then winning in OT, he’s been good.

21. NHL playoff related thought, it’s cool that the best line for the Canes in the playoffs so far has 2 “smaller” forwards by NHL standards (and Taylor Hall). While Jackson Blake isn’t the strongest skater, he’s got a combination of work ethic, hockey sense, and ability with his hands to keep him making plays. Then we got to the focus of the point, that being Logan Stankoven.

22. Not every smaller forward is going to be Logan Stankoven. It’s not possible to recreate what he does because he’s a special player. But the stigma around smaller forwards being net negatives on ice because they’ll just get bullied around needs to go away. Obviously, there will still be some smaller players who can’t handle the physicality, but it’s just not the case for everybody. Justin Poirier stands 5’8 and is able to handle contact pretty well, even inviting it at times.

22. Another NHL playoff related thought (that I’ll connect to prospects in a second), K’Andre Miller has really blossomed in the first 2 games of the playoffs. His physical frame and strong skating ability allow him to become a play eraser at a high rate, which is the point I want to make.

23. Do you remember last year when Darren Yorke and Eric Tulsky made it a point to mention how Roman Bausov fits the mold of defenseman they like? They want big, rangy defenseman that have a strong skating base who have the ability to take away time and space at a high rate. It’s something the Canes have coveted in (almost) all the defenseman they’ve taken over the past 3 years.

24. In 2023, they took 1 defenseman, that being Charles Alexis Legault. In 2024, they took Dominik Badinka, Noel Fransen, Alexander Siryatsky, Roman Shokhrin, and Timur Kol. In 2025, they took Kurban Limatov and Roman Bausov. The strongest attribute of each defenseman:

• Legault (6’4): defensive ability and good skating base

• Badinka (6’3): Projectable NHL traits (defense, breakouts, physical ability) and great skating

• Fransen (6’): Great skating and offense

• Siryatsky (6’4): Great skating

• Shokhrin (6’5): Great skating

• Kol (6’4): Great skating

• Limatov (6’3): Great skating

• Bausov (6’5): Great skating

Notice a trend? Out of the 8 drafted defenseman, only one was smaller than 6’3. Out of the 8 drafted defenseman, only one had an Elite Prospects skating grade under 5 (that being Charles Alexis Legault, who I’d say is better than a 5 now). Their drafting strategy over the past 3 years when it comes to defenseman has been take the upside swing on big, rangy defenseman who have a strong skating base and see if you can get development on the other aspects. For Fransen, it’s the offensive ability. For Limatov, it’s his aggressive play style in each zone. For Kol, it’s the defense (offense has also come along). Each of these guys has another trait, or two, that can project to the NHL if, and I stress if, it develops enough.

25. The Last Thought, brought to you by enough Russian player viewings that I’ve learned parts of the language without touching Duolingo in over 6 months, I’m still watching some players closely when it comes to any potential prospects coming to North America. I mentioned them last time, but I’m still looking at Fyodor Avramov (20), Timur Kol (19), and Alexander Rykov (20). Obvious disclaimer that I have no sources and hockey is an ever changing business, but these are the guys that could come to North America.

The new format will be a different Felix Unger Sorum game, but in video format. It’ll let me explain my thinking in a little more depth than what I can over words on a screen. Don’t expect that any time soon, because this one already took me months to get to. But it is something that’ll happen down the line. For now, let’s watch some Felix Unger Sorum tape and dissect what has made him successful this season.

Shift 1:

Off the faceoff, he supports to get the puck back. Receives the puck on the wall and fires a no look pass to the middle, which ends up in a grade A chance for Ronan Seeley. If Seeley is a righty, that looks a lot cleaner but still the idea is great from Felix. Having the sense to understand where the other defenseman is going to go and to be able to send the pass without looking over your shoulder is really nice. Rest of the shift is not much, but the wall work towards the end where he’s shielding the puck is encouraging when talking about his ability to handle the physicality of North America.

Shift 2:

Running the 2 man game with Aleksi Heimosalmi and then, eventually, the 3 man weave with Domenick Fensore creates all kinds of havoc for Manitoba. Wish Heimosalmi went back to Felix when he was one timer ready but the shot ends up being decent. The next play, where it’s probably more luck than anything, of him being able to get the puck to the middle while falling down is pretty cool.

4 on 4(3):

This is where Felix is allowed to show the insane creativity in his game. Liked him realizing that he wasn’t going to do anything 1v2 in transition and deciding to wait in the neutral zone to re-engage. Did it lead to anything? No, he messed up the entry pass and it resulted in a turnover. But the idea was good.

The abrupt freeze in the middle of this shift was the game footage I have, sorry about that.

He then gets stuck on ice for a little penalty killing shift, where it was somewhat ugly. But he did get the puck out and almost gave Justin Robidas a good chance the other way.

Shift 4:

Picking up this one in the middle of his shift, the Manitoba defender pushes him to the ice with relative ease but the pucks still ends up with Felix. He’s able to recover quickly and find Evan Vierling with open space. He reloads on the boards and receives the puck. His eyes immediately go to Vierling backdoor, but there is about 4 Manitoba players between Felix and Vierling.

How in the world does Felix get the puck to Vierling from here? Maybe it takes a slight bounce off the Manitoba player, but it gets there in the end and it’s a goal. Good work to keep the puck moving in the zone after losing his footing and then even better work to fit the puck backdoor in a tight window.

Shift 5:

We’ll pick up this shift with him getting the puck in transition and entering the zone. Here’s a nice example of him anticipating contact and embracing it, even going into the defender first. He starts to cycle behind the net and gets the visual attention of every single Manitoba player.

If you’re Manitoba, you staple this to the wall somewhere with the text “DON’T DO THIS” in all bold in a film session.

Nothing really comes of it, but good on Felix for taking Seeley’s place on the blueline while he does what he was doing.

“Shift” 5:

We bring the BOOM.

That’s about all I got for this game. Like I mentioned before, I plan on trying to get a video format version of After Further Review with a second game I have for Felix, but it’s getting to busy season with my semester ending, so that’ll come down the line.

What a season it’s been. Just like last year, I’m going to tally up who’s been in the Top 5 to see who’s been making noise over the course of the year, even though I have a feeling I know who’s going to be at the top. With that said, let’s get into the honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions

• Filip Ekberg, RW (Ottawa 67s, OHL): 13 GP, 6 goals, 4 assists, 10 points

• Andrei Krutov, RW/C (Amur, KHL): 9 GP, 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points

• Viggo Nordlund, LW/RW (IK Oskarshamn, HockeyAllsvenskan): 9 GP, 3 goals, 4 assists, 7 points

• Alexander Perevalov, LW/RW (Metallurg Novokuznetsk, VHL): 9 GP, 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points

Ekberg has been Ekberg. He’s a really solid piece of Ottawa’s offense but has been known to have a dry spell or two. If he stays with Ottawa through his DY+2 (I doubt he leaves, but I also doubted Justin Poirier would leave Drakkar), would love to see a big jump in production. Krutov might have some slight favoritism from me, but he became a top 6 player for Amur on a playoff push while playing a position he wasn’t familiar with. I’ve said it before but I’d like to see him stay at center until it doesn’t work, a la Felix Unger Sorum. Nordlund had a really nice season in Sweden’s 2nd tier league, wondering if he sticks with Skelleftea in the SHL next year or goes out on loan again. Perevalov has been really solid this year, 6 foot guy with good skill while being a netfront power play presence.

5. Justin Robidas, RW/C (Chicago Wolves, AHL)

Stats: 11 GP, 0 goals, 8 assists, 8 points

Even though he’s currently injured (get better soon), “Robi” had a great month, being one of Chicago’s main playmakers with Bradly Nadeau out with injury. I’ll say it once, I’ll say it a million times, Justin Robidas will be a long time NHL player. He’s playing in every situation at a pretty high level, he can play center if needed, he’s a smart player, he’s a good playmaker, and more importantly, he’s a great dude. Robidas is complete package and I’m hoping he gets fully healthy in time for the Wolves’ playoff run in a few weeks.

4. Stanislav Yarovoy, W (Khimik, VHL)

Stats: 10 GP, 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points

In hockey, there is such a term called the “16 game player.” A 16 game player is someone who’s game elevates when it’s playoff time. Their game takes the next step when 16 wins will win the big one. In terms of the VHL playoffs, Stanislav Yarovoy is a 16 game player. In Khimik’s 4-1 series win in the first round of the playoffs, he had 8 points in 5 games and it’s not hyperbole to say that he was Khimik’s best offensive player. He was electric, being able to weave in and out of traffic both in transition and in the offensive zone. It didn’t flash a ton during the regular season, but his skill is unreal.

3. Felix Unger Sorum, RW (Chicago Wolves, AHL)

Stats: 14 GP, 2 goals, 9 assists, 11 points

I was watching a Wolves game recently and realized just how improved Felix has been this season. He’s handling contact so much better, able to shield the puck with defenseman draped over him much more successfully now. The playmaking has gotten better, as his creativity is at it’s best when he has the puck on his stick. It’s not hyperbole to say he’s one of the best playmakers within the Canes system, including NHL guys. His skating has improved as well. He’s almost an entirely new player, a different version of the 20 point AHL guy last year. Felix Unger Sorum is in line for his NHL debut at some point in the next 2 weeks, I have no doubts about it.

2. Jayden Perron, RW (Michigan, NCAA)

Stats: 5 GP. 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points

Turns out, transferring schools for a new opportunity is a good idea in certain situations. Perron has been a totally new player for Michigan, going over a point per game production wise for the first time in his college career. The playmaking has really, really stood out during Michigan’s run to the Frozen Four, being able to connect plays together at a high rate while on the top line. Even more, leading the nation’s top power play as the quarterback is something you don’t see forwards do very often. I know people want to see him sign after his season is over, and I think there’s a chance it happens, but I wouldn’t be entirely shocked to see him head back to Michigan for his senior season.

1. Ivan Ryabkin, C (Charlottetown Islanders, QMJHL)

Stats: 10 GP, 9 goals, 15 assists, 24 points

“Justin Poirier rule” be damned, that boy can hoop! Ivan Ryabkin has been part of a three headed dragon for Charlottetown over the past month that is almost incapable of not scoring. It feels like every single game Ryabkin has 2 or more points, because that’s what happens. Fun stat: Ivan Ryabkin has played 20 games in the QMJHL. He has 2 or more points in 13 of them. He has 3 or more points in 9 of those 20 games. His point pace if he played the entire season in the Q was 134 points. Now, would he have played in all 64 games? Absolutely not. As we’ve all seen with Ryabkin, the want and desire to be a pest and a “goon” drives him sometimes, so I’d bet money that he would’ve been suspended at some point. Hell, he already got suspended in the playoffs for “abuse of officials”. But the undeniables about Ryabkin are his talent, the hockey sense, and the roughhousing/physical playstyle.

As promised, here’s the tally of who made the Top 5 lists throughout the year. Note that we only count a top 5 appearance, not an honorable mention.

5 Times: Bradly Nadeau, Felix Unger Sorum

4 Times: Jayden Perron, Justin Robidas

3 Times: Nobody

2 Times: Yegor Velmakin, Jakub Vondras, Ivan Ryabkin, Justin Poirier

1 Time: Semyon Frolov, Ruslan Khazheyev, Fyodor Avramov, Charlie Cerrato, Filip Ekberg, Timur Kol, Viggo Nordlund, Alexander Perevalov, Stanislav Yarovoy

I’ll openly admit that the Central Bargaining Agreement confuses the absolute hell out of me. I’ve tried to understand it multiple times and just get more and more confused every single time (example: Earl Schwartz being hired by the Hurricanes as a CBA and Salary Cap analyst, someone who knows the ins and outs of this thing). BUT, as was pointed out by Mike McMahon of College Hockey News, players who sign an ATO can’t go back to college if they play in a game. Now, what’s the difference between a PTO and an ATO? Easiest way to describe it is one is for professional (PTO) and the other is for amateur (ATO). For Cerrato, the difference is minimal. This allows him to play in the AHL playoffs* while the Canes and his representatives work on the finer details of his entry level contract. The two examples I mentioned that would be the most discussed would be signing bonuses and, more importantly, when the contract starts.

The asterisk next to the AHL playoffs is due to health. Cerrato battled an injury that kept him out of most of the second half of the NCAA season. He came back in the Big 10 semifinal and then played in Penn State’s NCAA tournament game, but couldn’t finish out said game due to an injury. With the PTO, this allows him the opportunity to play in the AHL if he’s healthy enough to do so, which I certainly hope he is.

Now about Cerrato the player, I love this kid. My first real introduction to his game was at this past season’s development camp, where you could just see how much of a gamer this guy was. It didn’t matter what they were doing, Cerrato wanted to be the best at it. He wanted it more than others and he made sure to show that. The playmaking stands out the most to me, as he’s incredibly dangerous with the puck on his stick. Whether it’s just a connecting pass or it’s the primary assist, Cerrato understands how the game plays out and uses that to his advantage. The defensive side of his game is still a work in progress, but it did make good progress this year.

Also, for those wondering if he’ll be able to stay at center at the NHL level, the answer is a flat out yes. He’s able to drive play, something NHL centers have to be able to do at the next level and the defensive responsibility is getting there. As well, he had a 58.7% faceoff win percentage this past season for Penn State. The year before? 57.2%. I wish there was a way for me to see what his faceoff numbers were at the Spengler Cup but alas.

Lastly, I used this phrase a good amount when talking about him post Development Camp but Charlie “Chuck” Cerrato is a DAWG. Now, what does DAWG mean? It’s a lot of things wrapped into one. To me, it’s a combination of skill level, work ethic, and the ability to be an ass. Cerrato checks all three boxes. He has the skill level to be a top 9 center for the Canes (I’m leaning towards 3C right now, but point production could be closer to a 2C in the future), his work ethic is insanely good, and he has the innate ability to get under someone’s skin. First time I saw that last part was during small ice 2v2s at dev camp, where he made Alexander Rykov and Ivan Ryabkin real mad about something he did (even though Ryabkin might’ve just been doing it back because, well, that’s Ryabkin). It’s the small things like that that can really energize a team.

Also, he says he models his game after Sam Bennett. If you think that is a bad thing, you are wrong. Sam Bennett, moving the questionable hits aside, is a top 6 center that plays a physical style while also having enough skill to contribute on a top power play unit and a contending team’s NHL top 6. If Cerrato is half of what Bennett is, which I think he can and more, then the Hurricanes have a heck of player coming along.

I’ve also been lucky enough to talk to some Penn State people (shoutout Josh Bartosik) about Cerrato as a person, not just a player. The kid is amazing by all counts, a true stand up person. As well, Penn State’s coach Guy Gadowsky loves him. Seen partially by just how much of proud father he is watching Cerrato sign.

This is big for the Hurricanes because they really don’t have many center prospects in the system (it’s legitimately him and Ryabkin). Getting Cerrato to the professional level this soon shows just how far along he is in his development. Wolves and Canes fans are going to love the crap out of this kid.