Recap of Carolina Hurricanes Prospect Development Camp

All the players, every single one

In what was a wild 72 hours for me, the Carolina Hurricanes Prospect Development camp was incredibly fun and informative for everyone. From the on-ice showings to interviews to a goalie making a statement that he’s got a personality that will brighten anyone’s day, I’d consider development camp a success. But, with it being over, let’s talk about all the players and what I thought of what I saw.

Forwards

Bradly Nadeau - The kid is NHL-ready. His shot, his skating, the improved playmaking from his freshman year in college. It’s all up to him to impress enough in training camp, in my eyes.

Felix Unger Sorum - Another NHL-ready forward in my eyes that might get blocked due to the abundance of RWs currently on the NHL roster. One of the smartest players in camp, always able to make the play, even if it’s a highlight reel one. Still needs to bulk up a little.

Noel Gunler -A wicked wrister that beat the goalies more than a few times. His offense is all there, just needs to get the other aspects refined and there is an NHL player.

Justin Robidas - Was sad to see that he wasn’t completely healthy but man, he sure played like he was. Not afraid of contact (even though the opposing players were trying to be careful), Robidas was crafty on offense and pickpocketed a few on the forecheck. Very interested to see how he plays in Chicago.

Jayden Perron - My vote for the most improved player (Legault won it last year). His skating was noticeably stronger and he consistently got to the middle of the ice and made plays. The shot was also sneaky fast.

Jackson Blake - He’s jacked. Another “NHL-ready but might be blocked due to position played” player, Blake is a monster in most aspects of the game. If he doesn’t stick with the NHL team out of camp, he’s going to be a monster for the Wolves.

Gleb Trikozov - I think I’m ready to compare Gleb to an NHL player, that being Vladimir Tarasenko. His shot is dynamic, his passing is a plus attribute, and his skating is decent. The defensive side? Don’t ask about that yet. I really, really want to say he’s ready but I can’t commit to that until I see him play in Chicago for a while.

Michael Emerson - I was very shocked by Emerson. His shot has become noticeably faster and his edge work was better. If he continues this path of development, there might be a player in there.

Lucas Mercuri - The prototypical 4th line center. Big, bruising, annoying, hard-working center. Another player whose shot has gotten noticeably faster. Also, incredibly adept at scoring shootout goals.

Oskar Vuollet - Vuollet is the anti-Perron. Excellent on the perimeter with a knack for never going to the middle. I did like his passing.

Justin Poirier - Pure sniper who won this year’s “Jussi Jokinen” award. His skating, while being kind of weird, is strong. The size is going to be a big question mark but I don’t believe it. He has a knack for bullying his way around defenseman, which he did on several occasions.

Josh Nadeau - While technically not a Canes prospect, I’ve been very vocal in my appreciation for the older brother’s game. He’s going to be an NHL player, this camp just furthered my belief of this.

Defenseman

Aleksi Heimosalmi - My favorite skater, his 200-foot game surprised me because it was very good. His offense might still have a question mark or two, but I like him a lot to be a strong and sound defenseman for the Wolves.

Charles-Alexis Legault - Another player I’m so close to calling NHL-ready. His offense continued to flash and it stayed consistent throughout camp. His work ethic shined by showing up early every single day to whatever he was doing. Really interested in what he does with the Wolves.

Joel Nystrom - Darren Yorke said it best, “He’s on the verge of looking like a true NHL defenseman.” Strong skating, safe 200-foot defenseman don’t grow on trees but Nystrom seems like he’s got it all. One more year with Farjestad.

Simon Forsmark - Honestly, I didn’t notice Forsmark a lot. Which, for defensemen, is sometimes a good thing. In Forsmark’s case, it is a good thing. His defense shut down a lot of attacks and he made the safe, simple play each time during the scrimmages.

Dominik Badinka - I mentioned when he got drafted that what showed up the most during his time in the SHL was his defense. In dev camp, I saw the complete opposite. His offense was the focal point of his game, consistently making passes and making the right read on when to pinch and come down from the blue line. Made a couple of good plays during the scrimmages and then one not-so-great one when his stick flew out of his hands and into Heimosalmi’s face.

Noel Fransen - Offense, offense, offense. He made a lot of plays from the blue line that had me raising my eyebrows. His skating is fun to watch and his passing is great. Just has to work on the shot and the defense and he could be a lot of fun.

Goalies

Special shoutout to Patrik Hamrla and Jakub Vondras, who arrived late at no fault of their own and couldn’t get on the ice until after camp was over because their gear was lost. Hamrla and I had a good conversation talking about his time in Finland, his future for next season, and his father, whom he believes overshares a little.

Nikita Quapp - His glove is special. Very sound in the crease and his size allows him to follow pucks well. Really want him to play most of the year at the DEL level.

Ruslan Khazheyev - The number 1 goalie in the pipeline, Khazheyev showed out at this camp. Using his gigantic frame to see around defenders in drills and the scrimmage, in which he missed a little time after stopping a puck with his collarbone. Had a nice bump where the impact happened. But his game was very, very solid and I can’t wait to see him play for the Wolves.

Egor Velmakin - The prospect who most endeared himself to fans during camp, Velmakin is also a solid goalie. He’s very active at the top of his crease, trying to make sure defenders don’t just stay idle in front of him. He was very honest with what he wanted to do, continue to work on his game, and have the best season he can in Russia with Dinamo Minsk. Also, become the next Pyotr Kochetkov, but better.

Closing Words

This camp had a whole lot of firsts for me and the prospect account. Getting media credentials, interviewing so many amazing people, interviewing the prospects and finding out just how nice they are (specifically the Nadeau’s, Badinka, Unger Sorum, Legault, and Velmakin, SOLELY because they were the ones I spoke with). Also, having my interview with Adam Gold was a huge step for me and I can’t say thank you enough to everyone. If you read this far, thank you. Means the absolute world to me.