By AIDAN JENSEN
[email protected]
The Carolina Hurricanes just reinforced their farm system for years to come Wednesday night, picking 10 players in the NHL Draft.
Canes fans might be wondering – will any of these guys suit up for us this year? How far away are they from making their debuts? What are they like?
Starting with Bradly Nadeau, Carolina’s first opening-round pick in the years, let’s take a deeper dive into the 2023 selections
Bradly Nadeau (Center) – BCHL (Penticton Vees), 30th overall
The numbers are eye-popping for Carolina’s first selection – 45 goals and 68 assists in just 54 games played, leading the Penticton Vees to the British Columbia Hockey League championship this season.
Add on League Playoff MVP to Nadeau’s name – the Canes are getting someone who they know can play at a high level.
In a draft-night interview with Carolina general manager Don Waddell, Nadeau described himself as a “hard-working, offensive, creative forward.” He highlights his shooting ability as one of his top attributes – something Canes fans are longing for to get over that Eastern Conference Finals hump.
Nadeau currently has plans to play in college this coming fall, planning to become a University of Maine Black Bear with his brother, Josh.
There is a possibility Nadeau could start his minor league journey, too. With his level of production, look at Nadeau as someone who could make the roster in just a couple of years.
Felix Unger Sorum (F) – Norway, 62nd overall (Round 2)
Sorum adds a little bit of history to Carolina’s draft picks, becoming the first Norwegian-born player taken by the Canes.
In 42 games played with Swedish professional hockey team Leksands last year, Sorum showcased his strong passing ability, tallying 10 goals and 36 assists.
Put this into perspective – Sorum’s 36 assists would’ve placed him third on Carolina last year, just behind team leaders Martin Necas and Brian Burns (43 each). Taking Sorum gives the Canes another weapon, especially with solid passing coming at a premium in the ECF sweep against the Florida Panthers.
Jayden Perron (F) – Chicago Steel, 94th overall (Round 3)
Another guy that can produce, Perron put together a solid 2022-2023 campaign of 24 goals and 48 assists across 61 games with the USHL’s Chicago Steel.
Perron has a couple unique connections to Carolina. He played with 2021 draft pick Jackson Blake on the Steel. Their head coach on the Steel? 2022-2023 Chicago Wolves (Canes former AHL affiliate) head coach Brock Sheahan. Oh – he and Carolina’s 2020 first round pick, Seth Jarvis, are both from Winnipeg.
Perron, who’s committed to play at the University of North Dakota this fall, is described as a “playmaker with high-end skill who can take the puck into the offensive zone.”
Alexander Rykov (F) – Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL), Round 4, 100th overall
In an injury-shortened season with just 20 games played for Russian hockey club Chelmet Chelyabinsk, Rykov, a forward, notched four goals and dished out 11 assists.
Rykov was the second Canes pick acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the draft, as they previously traded back to select Perron at 94 overall.
With a solid wrist shot and decent passing ability, Rykov should continue to thrive. It may be a couple years before we see him in Raleigh, but he’s a name fans will want to keep an eye on.
Stanislov Yaravoy (F) – Vityaz (KHL), Round 4, 126th overall
Yaravoy, who’s been in the NHL draft a couple of times already, might have found his home in Carolina.
The 19-year-old Russian forward scored nine goals and tallied seven assists in 45 games played with KHL club Vityaz.
One of the best things Yaravoy brings to the Canes is experience. He’s been competing and producing against older players, in one of the top international hockey leagues, which was described as something you “don’t normally see from 19-year-olds.”
Charles-Alexis Legault (defenseman) – Quinnipiac (NCAA), Round 5, 139th overall
Carolina added an NCAA champion to its roster in Wednesday’s draft, taking Quinnipiac defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault with the 139th overall pick. Legault was the Canes’ first defensive pick of the draft.
Legault scored just two goals and dished out nine assists in 40 games played, but his game goes beyond the stats. Canes assistant GM described Yorke as someone who “plays the defensive style we want to play” – get into the offensive zone, seal off the d-zone and play a fast, defensive game.”
Legault, who will continue playing at Quinnipiac, has another connection to Carolina – he won the National Championship last year with Canes head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s son, Skyler.
Ruslan Khazheyev (goalie) – Chelyabinsk (MHL), Round 5, 158th overall
The big Russian goaltender, who stands at 6’4” and weighs 201 pounds, enjoyed a decent season with Russian club Chelyabinsk in 2022-2023. Khazkeyev played to an 8-8-7 record in net with a .923 save percentage.
He’s the second Russian goalie Carolina snagged in the past five drafts. Pyotr Kochetkov, seen as the Canes’ goalie of the future, was picked 36th overall in the 2019 NHL draft.
Timur Mukhanov (F) – Omskie Krylia (MHL), Round 6, 163rd overall
Another draft pick, another Carolina connection with the Mukhanov selection.
Mukhanov, a smaller player who stands at just 5’8” and weighs 179, played this past season with top 2022 Canes pick Gleb Trikozov on Russian club Omski Kyrlia. He had a small sample size to look at from last season alone, chalking up four goals and assists apiece in 31 games.
While Mukhanov has two years remaining on his current contract, he said he wants to play in the NHL when that expires.
Michael Emerson (F) – Chicago Steel (USHL), Round 6, 190th overall
Does every Carolina draft pick have a pre-existing connection to the team?
It did with the Canes’ second-to-last selection, as Chicago Steel forward Michael Emerson heard his name called.
Emerson, who played on the Steel with Carolina third-round selection Jayden Perron, enjoyed a fairly successful campaign. He tallied 64 points (30 goals, 34 assists) in just 60 games played with the Steel, averaging just over one point per game.
Yorke described Emerson as someone with “straight-line speed and an ability to get the puck from the neutral zone to the net.”
Yegor Valmakin (G) – Proton Novovoronezh (NMHL), Round 7, 222nd overall
Rounding out the Canes’ draft choices was another Russian goalie, Yegor Valmakin, who carried a 6-10-5 record and .915 save percentage, in 21 games played this past season with Russian club Proton Novovoronezh.
Valmakin joins Khazheyev and Kochetkov as Russian goalie in Carolina’s system.
Despite Valmakin’s below-average numbers on paper, Canes brass was impressed with his season progression.
Follow us on Social media for the latest news on the Carolina Hurricanes
Facebook: SportsCarolina Monthly
Twitter: SportsCarolina Monthly and Aidan Jensen
