Hurricanes Prospect Positional Rankings: Right Handed Defenseman
A lot thinner than expected
Welcome BACK to the series that will take up some downtime during the summer. I will go through the Carolina Hurricanes prospect farm, pick out a position group, and update everyone on these players. These updates will consist of how they played this past season, what strengths and weaknesses are in their game, and a projected (if there is one) NHL timeline. These lists will also be a ranking of the position as well, with players listed higher being the guys closer to the NHL and with more potential. Today we’ll tackle right handed defenseman, which has become surprisingly bare (mainly due to my constraints on what constitutes a prospect).
It’s crazy to think that almost every single defensive prospect the Canes have are left handed, as there are currently 3 right handed defenseman in the system that fit the prospect standard I’ve set. Reminder that my rules state that a player ages out of prospect status once they hit 23 (before a season starts) or if they are 5 years post draft. So for anyone wondering about Joel Nystrom, Aleksi Heimosalmi, and Bryce Montgomery, they aren’t prospects anymore for the reasons stated above. With that clarification out of the way, let’s quickly go through the 3 right handed defenseman.
1. Charles Alexis Legault, Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Last season’s stats: 40 GP (AHL), 4 goals, 8 assists, 12 points
Sometimes, you take the double overager and he turns out to be NHL ready in his D+3 as a 5th round pick. I’ve said it a ton but Legault is the perfect 6th defenseman on an NHL team. He’ll kill penalties at a high rate, he’ll be able to contribute in breaking the puck out of his own zone (even though it won’t be anything special), and he’s got that mean and nasty streak that teammates love to see because, to put it bluntly, he doesn’t take any shit. He’s everything you want from an NHL defenseman and now he’s just waiting his turn.
Outlook for 2026/27: Either filling in as the 7th defenseman in the NHL with the Hurricanes or another year of being the top pairing defenseman for the Chicago Wolves.
Projected NHL ETA: 2026/27
2. Dominik Badinka, Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Last season’s stats: 74 GP, 6 goals, 9 assists, 15 points
It honestly takes me a second to remember that Badinka was playing his first full year in North America this year. No clue why, but it just does. There was a lot of good moments, including multiple games of solid defensive play and being a solid defensive presence. But there were bumps, including the occasional defensive lapse and the lack of offense being somewhat apparent. That wasn’t by any means his own fault, as Badinka is more than willing to join the rush and crash the net in transition, something the avid viewer would’ve seen this year. Just some weird puck luck. Also think he has some solid passing ability that hasn’t fully flashed through yet.
Outlook for 2026/27: A bigger role with the Chicago Wolves, hopefully with more ice time and penalty killing opportunities.
Projected NHL ETA: 2028/29
3. Roman Bausov, MHK Dinamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
Last season’s stats: 18 GP, 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points
There was so much personal intrigue after watching Bausov at Development Camp last season. It’s not every day you get to watch a 6’5 defenseman who skates unbelievably well who has a little mean streak in his game. Unfortunately, an injury really derailed his season, seen by the massive 18 games played that Bausov had last year. But in those 18 games, you saw what made him an interesting player. He was given heavy minutes, nothing less than 16 minutes (which was his first game back). He was able to lay some mean and heavy hits, including one on fellow Canes Prospect Kurban Limatov (I think that’s right). He’s got a rocket of a slap shot and he’s got some underrated transition game, mainly because his skating allows him to join the rush without looking too out of place.
Outlook for 2026/27: A fully healthy season with MHK Dinamo St. Petersburg, while potentially making his pro debut with VHL team Dinamo St. Petersburg.
Projected NHL ETA: 2030+