This is all 4 parts of the Draft Preview, combined into one big preview for ease of access to all. The order remains the same, starting with wants and needs and ending with goalies (plus a message at the end).
Wants and Needs
Need: Goalie(s)
Matt did a much better job at explaining why goalie is such a big need in this draft, but I’ll still take a stab at it. Even with signing Nikita Quapp, which shocked me at first but then slowly made more and more sense, and the potential signing of Amir Miftakhov, the Canes goalie pipeline is downright ugly to look at.
Ruslan Khazheyev has great potential, but needs much more development time. Egor Velmakin has solid stats in the KHL, but doesn’t get enough consistent playing time to truly continue his development, even with his good counting stats. I think the Canes signing Quapp signals the end of Yaniv Perets’ time with the team. Jakub Vondras isn’t bad, but he had an up and down year with Pardubice B and only saw game time in one game in the top Czech league. Depending on the time this comes out, Patrik Hamrla’s rights will no longer be with the Hurricanes.
To put it bluntly, they desperately need to draft at least one goalie, if not more.
Want: Forwards with size
Someone asked about this a couple days ago, wondering if the pipeline had any forwards with size. They do, but there are only five forwards 6’1 and taller, those being Fyodor Avramov, Gleb Trikozov, Noel Gunler, Ryan Suzuki, and Michael Emerson.
Now the reason it’s a want is because height isn’t the end all, be all when it comes to hockey. Yes, you probably want a couple forwards that have some size to them but that’s not everything that makes a player. Logan Stankoven was one of the better Hurricanes players in the playoffs and he stands at a massive 5’9.
That being said, you probably want to add one or two forwards that are a little bigger than others.
Want: Right-handed defenseman
This, truthfully, is barely a want for the prospect pool but I’m leaving the most controversial take for last and this is something that the Canes should at least take a look at. The Canes absolutely loaded up on LHD last draft, with 4 out of 5 defenseman taken being lefties. The lefties outnumber the righties in the system 8 to 5, depending on if you see guys as prospects or not.
My point being, it’s nice to keep the cupboard full. Plus, Joel Nystrom is 23 and close to graduating prospect status. Charles-Alexis Legault, Dominik Badinka, and Scott Morrow (depending on who you ask) have real NHL potential, so it’s not a pressing need but again, I have a point to make about a need vs a want.
Want: Centers
Here is the thing folks. The Canes have maybe 1 prospect in the system that could stick at center in the NHL, that being Justin Robidas. Even he looked better as a winger. Ryan Suzuki could, but he’s out of a contract. Bradly Nadeau is a winger, Oskar Vuollet is a winger, Skyler Brind’Amour isn’t a prospect, Felix Unger Sorum is much better as a winger, Stanislav Yarovoi is trying to move to center and he’s played center in the past, but that experiment hasn’t started yet.
Here’s the other thing folks, unless you draft in the top 10, it’s extremely hard to draft a center that stays at center in the NHL. Let’s look at the 2022 NHL draft for examples.
In the top 11, Logan Cooley and Shane Wright will stick at center. Marco Kaspar, Conor Geekie, and Matthew Savoie have been tried at both wing and center, casting doubt on their ability.
Frank Nazar, Rutger McGroaraty, Liam Ohgren, and Brad Lambert all look better on the wing. Nazar is up for discussion, though.
Noah Ostlund has been a center for Sweden at WJC. Unsure about in the AHL
Jiri Kulich was a center for Buffalo. He seems like the one player drafted outside the top 10-11 that can stick at center.
It’s just incredibly hard with where the Hurricanes draft to take a center that sticks at center. While the Canes do probably need more centers in the system, it’s a want more than a need due to the circumstances around drafting centers.
Forward Names to Know
Alexander Zharovsky, RW
When watching any form of Zharovsky footage, you are immediately entranced by his hands. He’s able to make magic happen with the puck on his stick, whether it’s creating space with a dangle or just making a defender look incredibly bad. He’s got good size for a forward, standing 6’1 and about 165 pounds, but those numbers will be updated with him accepting an invite to the NHL Draft Combine. He’s played all over Russian this season but spent most of the time with Tolpar Ufa in the MHL, playing in 47 games. In those games, he had 24 goals and 27 assists for 51 points. He didn’t play in a single regular season game for Salavat Yulaev, but ended up playing in 7 KHL playoff games for them, getting an assist in those games. He ended his season playing for Salavat Yulaev U18 team, where he had 19 points in just 10 games. Zharovsky is a true dynamic offensive player who should be available around picks 30-40.
Here’s a short video from Scouching showing off the insane skill that Zharovsky has.
Also, for another visual on Zharovsky, Lassi Alanen (and Mitchell Brown) do incredible work with hand tracking prospect games and here is Alanen’s data on Zharovsky.
William Moore, LW/C
Someone who has played center at times throughout his career, Will Moore is a product of the USNTDP (and a client of Quartexx, if that matters to anyone). He’s got solid size, standing at 6’2 and 174 pounds, is a lefty, and did I mention that he has the potential to play center? Got to make sure I mention that for some people. Moore, to me, is in the same situation as Michael Hage was last year, where there is a good chance he’s gone by the Canes pick, but it’s still worth mentioning him. He’s a two way center with some solid physicality in his game. Good shooter, solid passer, defense can be shaky but overall solid. Likes to create offense.
Mason West, C/RW
This one feels like a longshot, given that the last time the Canes picked someone that spent time in his DY in the Minnesota High School ranks was Scott Morrow in 2021, but I feel the need to mention 6’6 forward Mason West. It felt like even more of a longshot until a week ago, where he decided on playing hockey over football, where West is a 3 star QB with offers from Kent State, Marshall, and Miami of Ohio.
It’s a jump going from high school to the USHL but West looked good in the 10 Fargo Force games he played, where he had 9 points (1 goal, 8 assists). He dominated the high school ranks, with 27 goals and 22 assists for 49 points in just 31 games. He skates incredibly well for a player of his stature and his offensive skillset is extremely intriguing, mixing a good shot and solid passing. Again, he feels like a long shot, but I’d be remiss to not mention him.
Cullen Potter, C/W
A lot of people have mocked Potter to the Hurricanes in mock drafts and it makes some sense. He’s played center at the college level as a freshman (not all the time though), he’s one of the better skaters in this entire class (something the Hurricanes value), and he’s a dynamic offensive talent. In 35 games for Arizona State University, he had 13 goals and 9 assists for 22 points.
Potter is a skating freak. He’s fast, being able to weave in and out of defenders while creating separation. Shot is good but the passing ability is the better offensive attribute. Defense has taken the necessary steps since joining ASU but there are still question marks if he can stick at center as he develops. He’s another player where there’s a good chance he’s off the board by the time the Canes draft, and that’s before the inevitable trade down.
Milton Gastrin, C/W
One of my personal favorites in this draft, Gastrin has been a leader for the Sweden 2007 group in tournaments, recent example coming at the U18 World Junior Championship, where he wore the C for Sweden. He’s also worn the C in other international competition for this 07 group as well. Gastrin has been a center mainly for MoDo, including at the SHL level. He played the majority of his year with the J20 team, where he had 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points in 40 games. He didn’t gather a point with the SHL side in 8 games and was used on the J18 team in the playoffs, where he dominated, with 7 goals and 12 assists for 19 points in just 9 games. Those numbers would be tied for the lead in the playoffs with Viggo Bjorck, a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NHL draft. Let’s use data from Alanen:
Even his microstats scream Canes pick! Excellent in transition, good defensive ability, gets involved in the offensive buildup, and uses his body to create space. There is a lot to like with Gastrin, but the Canes would probably have to stick in the first round to take him and avoid one of their favorite things, trading back for additional picks.
Ivan Ryabkin, W/C
The past two years have been, interesting, for Ryabkin. Once heralded as a potential top 5 pick in this year’s draft, he finds himself much lower down the list after a funky draft year season. He started the year with Dynamo Moscow’s MHL side and had 3 assists in the first game of the season. He then got called up to the KHL side, played a combined 2 minutes in 3 games, and was sent back to the MHL. He spent more time then, got called up again, got sent down to the VHL, then back down to the MHL again. He then found his way to the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL, where he had 26 goals and 20 assists for 46 points in 41 games.
Let’s use both Alanen’s data from his time in the MHL and Brown’s data from his time with Muskegon:
If there is one thing you can’t deny about Ryabkin, it’s his talent. His natural skill is undeniable and a big reason why he was so highly touted before the season. His playmaking is great and while it never fully clicked in his first partial season, he still had a 5 point game (3 g, 2 a), a 4 point game (3 g, 1 a), and multiple 2 and 3 point games. His skating isn’t great and there are some legit questions about motor and effort, but a player with his talent is hard to not take. He should be available in the 2nd-3rd round.
(UPDATE: lol)
Jacob Ihs-Wozniak, RW
What a name on this fella, aye? Ihs-Wozniak is another player that has flipped between center and wing as his career has developed, but seems more likely to play on the wing when his time in the NHL comes about. Standing 6’2 and 174 pounds, he’s got good size but not much of the physicality you’d like to see with someone of that size. A player in the Lulea HF system, who played at multiple different levels in that system, he had a combined 31 goals and 46 assists for 77 points in 66 games played across the J20 league, J18 league, and the SHL.
A native born Australian, Ihs-Wozniak is a great offensive player. His shot is really solid, being able to beat goalies from a lot of angles with both power and accuracy. His playmaking is also solid, shown by the over .5 assist per game rate he produced at this season. His skating leaves something to be desired and his defensive game isn’t stellar, but the offensive tools are more than enough to wager a 2nd or 3rd round pick on.
Filip Ekberg, LW
Let’s get wacky and wild and talk about a CHL player. Is it weird? No, because Ekberg is a good player. But if we look at the track history of the Canes selecting CHL players, there has been 1 player selected in the past 3 years, and even he isn’t playing CHL hockey anymore (Justin Poirier is now at Maine). Before then, the Canes took 3 players from the CHL in 2021. One was Justin Robidas, who seems to have a bright future. One was Bryce Montgomery, who I like as a player and a person and the Canes inked to an ELC. He should be a staple in the inaugural Greensboro Gargoyles season. The other, and highest drafted out of the 3? Robert Orr of the Halifax Mooseheads. He most recently played for the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers in USports, Canada’s college league.
Might’ve gotten side tracked a bit there, but back to Ekberg. He’s a slightly smaller forward, standing 5’10 and 168 pounds, but he more than makes up for it as an exceptional playmaker. He also sports a pretty solid hockey IQ, something that the Canes seem to value in there most recent draft picks. In 53 games with the Ottawa 67’s, he had 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points. Ekberg made noise recently for a crazy point streak to end his season, spanning across the OHL and the WJC-18 tourney, where he ended his season on a 19 (!?) game point streak. Ekberg also dominated that WJC-18 tourney, with 10 goals and 8 assists for 18 points in just 7 games. Solid bet to place in the late 2nd-early 3rd.
Jordan Gavin, W
A second CHL player? Who are you to be suggesting this? In all seriousness, when you start looking at players that could be prospects, you try and find certain trends among previous selections. With the Canes, it’s been higher hockey sense forwards who skate decently well. Enter Jordan Gavin, a smart playmaker who has seen his stock take a dip recently with other forwards standing out more. He’s slightly undersized, standing at 5’11 and around 175 pounds, so he also fits that criteria for recent Hurricanes forward picks as well. In a combined 73 games played this season, he had 21 goals and 39 assists for 60 points. Not standout numbers, but not bad.
If Gavin falls to the 4th round, I think he makes sense. He’s an insanely intelligent player with great playmaking ability. His skating needs work, he needs to put on some size, but he seems like a prototypical Hurricanes pick.
Kirill Yemelyanov, C
Getting deep into the bag here with Yemelyanov, who seems to be hovering around that 3rd-5th round range depending on who you talk to. He’s got decent size, standing 6’0 and about 170 pounds, and is a natural center for Loko Yaroslavl, a team that avid Canes Prospects enjoyers will know because Roman Shokhrin plays there. In 46 total games this season, he had 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points.
Yemelyanov is a solid defensive center with a good work ethic. Motor will never come into question but his offensive traits need some improving. Not saying they aren’t great, as his performance in the playoffs is a reason why he’s risen some, but you’d like to see some more production. If he’s available in the 4th round, it’s a solid bet on a natural center with a higher floor.
Other Names to keep in mind:
Bill Zonnon, LW (for Matt)
Theo Stockselius, C/LW
Gustav Hillstrom, C
Tomas Pozebal, LW/C
Mikhail Fyodorov, LW/RW
Topias Hynninen, C/LW
Melvin Novotny, LW
Yuri Rummo, C
Maxim Zaitsev, RW
Defenseman Names to Know
Sacha Boumedienne
Boumedienne is the only first round defenseman that I will talk about, solely because it’s unlikely they’ll take defense first in this draft after loading up last year. In any case, Boumedienne is a 6’2 LHD that played his season at Boston University at the college level, where he had 3 goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 40 games. (Tracking data from Mitchell Brown)
Boumedienne has a great base with his skating, with scouts raving about the improvement over the season, and his playmaking ability with the puck on his stick is some of the better work in this class. He’s also described as having a higher than average hockey IQ. In my opinion, I like his potential offensively with what I’ve seen. As of now, it hasn’t translated fully. Again, it’s unlikely that the Canes go defense with a round one pick, but Boumedienne would still be a good pick.
Kurban Limatov
It was a treat watching Kurban Limatov film, as the kid can flat out skate like the wind. As a 6’4 defenseman, having the ability to be a great skate in all four directions is such an advantage and Limatov uses that to the full extent. In 55 combined games this season, he had 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points. (Tracking data from Lassi Alanen)
Limatov is a beautiful skater and uses that in combination with his great size to disrupt plays in the defensive zone while also having ability to make good decisions offensively. This is reflected by his downright insane usage during MHK Dynamo Moskva’s playoff run, where he averaged close to 29 minutes a night over the last 10 games. It’s still kind of up in the air where he will be drafted, as there have been mock drafts/draft rankings that have him anywhere from 30th to 69th, but Limatov would be a solid addition to an already loaded LHD prospect pool.
Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen
Again, hard to see the Canes take a defenseman close to the first but Rheaume-Mullen wouldn’t be a bad pick. One of the best skaters in the class, he also boasts an unreal work ethic. In 35 games for the University of Michigan, he had 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points. (data from Mitchell Brown)
One of the trends that the Canes have drafted in defenseman has been great skaters with one solid habit. In a guy like Timur Kol, it was defensive ability. In a guy like Noel Fransen, it was offensive ability. Rheaume-Mullen’s would be his unwillingness to give up on a play. He will work harder than everyone else and he will skater better than everyone else. Standing at almost 6’1, one of the drawbacks is his physicality as he isn’t as big as the players he goes against. Again, you bet on the projectability of the skating and work ethic in the 3rd round if he’s there. Elite Prospects compared him to Jalen Chatfield.
Maxim Agafonov
Steady is the name of the game with Agafonov, combining good defensive skills with a solid foundation with his offensive skillset. Standing 6’2 while being a right handed defenseman, he’s also described as being mature physically, being able to use his size effectively. In 59 games this season across the MHL and VHL (with 10 games for Salavat Yulaev U18 team in the playoffs), he had 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points.
Defenders can’t really go directly at Agafonov thanks to his stick work and physicality. He forces players outside and is able to shut plays down easier than some. He’s able to carry the puck in transition, which is an extremely valuable asset at the NHL level and is somewhat easy to translate to that level. He gets dragged down because of his skating ability but that’s something that can be worked on with the right development. He’s an interesting option in the 4th round or beyond.
Theodor Hallquisth
It’s always a good thing (in my opinion) when a player that didn’t turn 18 until a week ago gets a good amount of games in at the highest level of hockey in his country, which Hallquisth did. Granted, it was only 12 games, but that was the most out of any draft eligible defenseman in the SHL. He spent the majority of the year with the J20 Nationell side, but he still looked pretty solid and has a nice amount of projectibility. In a combined 61 games across 3 levels of Swedish hockey, he had 9 goals and 23 assists for 32 points. (data from Lassi Alanen)
Let’s start with the weakest aspect of his game, his skating. It’s not good, but that is a skill that can be worked on. The good of Hallquist is just about everything else. Size? 6’2. Handiness (if that matters to you)? Right. Hockey sense? Good. Offensive ability? Good. Defensive ability? Good. You’d wonder why a player like him is so lowly ranked, more than likely being a pick later than the 4th round, and it’s because these traits are still raw. He still has a way to go to being a more effective defenseman, but the traits make for a solid pick.
Ilyas Magomedsultanov
What started as solely a suggestion from Dylan Griffing on who he could imagine the Canes could take turned into one of favorite watches for a prospect who should go in the 4th round or after. Magomedsultanov, a name that is totally fun to type out a ton of times, has solid size, standing at 6’2 and 174 pounds and played for both Loko MHL teams where he had 1 goal and 8 assists for 9 points in 43 regular season games.
Anyone remember when the Canes took 3 LHD with great size and good skating (Kol, Siryatsky, Shokhrin)? Why not add another in the later rounds? Ilyas is a strong skater with great physical play, even with his lower than normal weight. He’s stronger defensively than offensively, with his skating and physical play helping to eliminate chances before they finish. He’s someone you take a chance on in the deeper rounds and bet on the upside in his game.
Liam Pettersson
In the later rounds of the draft, you’d like to try and find guys with skills that can translate to higher levels of hockey but have issues that can be worked on and worked out with the correct development. Pettersson is one of these players, as his skating is very good but he’s raw in other areas. In 52 games this season across the SHL/J20 Nationell/J18 Nationell levels, he had 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points. Important to note that he absolutely dominated the J18 playoffs, with 11 points in 6 games.
Like I mentioned earlier, Pettersson is an effortless skater. Whether that be in transition or in the offensive zone, he’s able to move around players and create opportunities with a low turnover rate. His defense is something to work on, but the other skills make him an interesting player in the 4th round and beyond. He reminds me a lot of what Noel Fransen was/is.
Francesco Dell’Elce
One of the most improved players year over year, Dell’Elce is an overager that played at UMass this past season, where he was arguably one of the best defenseman in all of college hockey. In 40 games for UMass this season, he had 7 goals and 17 assists for 24 points.
Standing at 6’1 while being a left-handed defenseman, Dell’Elce is all gas, no brakes. Or should I say all offense, decent defense, as Dell’Elce can move the puck with pace and touch that most players struggle to do. Combine that with his skating ability, which is already pretty solid and you create a college hockey player with projectable NHL upside. He would be a solid pick in the middle rounds if they value a player, while slightly older, but one that has immense offensive upside.
Other names to know:
Artyom Gonchar, LHD (Stalnye Lisy, MHL)
Karl Annborn, RHD (HV71 J20, J20 Nationell)
Roman Bausov, RHD (MHK Dynamo Moskva, MHL)
Felix Farhammar, LHD (Oreboro, SHL/J20 Nationell/J18 Nationell)
Mikhail Gamzakov, LHD (Avto Yekaterinburg, MHL)
Bogdan Pestretsov, LHD (Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL)
Goalies to Know
Pyotr Andreyanov, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)
Stats: 37 GP, 1.75 GAA, .942% save percentage
Playoffs: 6 GP, 2.36 GAA, .929% save percentage
Height: 6’2
Note on Andreyanov, he’s rumored to have signed a contract extension with CSKA until the end of the 2030 season.
Semyon Frolov, Ladia Togliatti/MHK Spartak Moskva/MHK Krylia Sovetov Moskva (all MHL)
Stats: 28 GP, 2.21 GAA, .921% save percentage
Playoffs: 7 GP, 3.1 GAA, .908% save percentage
Height: 6’3
Petteri Rimpinen, Kiekko-Espoo (Liiga)
Stats: 40 GP, 2.35 GAA, .912% save percentage
Playoffs: 5 GP, 2.71 GAA, .920% save percentage
Height: 6’0
I’ll make a special note for Rimpinen that he’s an overager, so he’s actually 19 instead of 17/18.
Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko, Tolpar Ufa (MHL)
Stats: 40 GP, 2.99 GAA, .908% save percentage
Playoffs: 2 GP, 3.54 GAA, .883% save percentage
Height: 6’3
Other names to keep in mind
Mans Goos, Fajestad BK J20
Love Harenstam, Skelleftea AIK J20
Michal Orsulak, HC Energie Karlovy Vary U20
This was one of the more fun things I’ve done in consideration with draft coverage, as it forced me to do a lot of research and find players I would’ve never known of. Hopefully, this helps everyone to have just a general idea of players and names to know or keep in mind come June 28th and 29th. As a reminder, Matt and I will be live on Day 1 and Day 2 (starting at the beginning of the 2nd round) giving our analysis and info, as long as just having fun watching the draft. Thank you all for reading this and we will see you tomorrow!
Love, love, love this kind of content. Thanks for all the digging!