August 18, 2013

In this edition of Names You Need to Know we take a look at the Carolina Hurricanes organization. As a reminder, this is not meant to be a ranking, or an all-inclusive list of every prospect, but rather some players that I find interesting in a fantasy sense. For more on these and other prospects, be sure to pick up the latest Fantasy Prospects Report from the Dobbershop.

Danny Biega – If he can learn to play the pro game without the puck, the Hurricanes will have something. He is a special offensive talent from the back end, but at 22 needs to learn fast. He may become a power-play specialist, a la Marc-Andre Bergeron.

Elias Lindholm – The young Swede was the Canes 1st-round pick in June and has All-Star potential. He is the total package, minus size, which is only average. Lindholm plays bigger than his size, however, and may still be growing. He has top line and point-per-game potential and should be owned in any keeper league.

Victor Rask – Rask is another Swedish center in the Carolina system and looks to be a future NHLer. He is a two-way player with enough skill to play in the top six, but appears to be more of a complimentary scorer. He should be a useful fantasy contributor in a few years.

Ryan Murphy – Unless you are new to fantasy hockey, you know who Ryan Murphy is. A supremely skilled blueliner who excels at running the power-play, Murphy will be given ample opportunity to make his mark in the NHL. A small player with a history of concussions, Murphy will provide points when healthy, but will be an injury risk.

Keegan Lowe – A defenseman like his father Kevin, the similarities don’t end there. Lowe is aggressive and physical and takes care of his own zone, but has some offensive ability that could continue to grow. Lowe looks every bit like an NHL player to me, and will contribute in leagues that count hits, blocks and penalty minutes.

Collin Olson – A tall (6-4), rangy goaltender, Olson is currently honing his skills at Ohio State. Athletic and agile for his size, he looks like he may have NHL ability but it’s too soon to draft him on your team.

Phil DiGiuseppe – Yet another U.S. college prospect of the Hurricanes, DiGiuseppe is a forward at the University of Michigan. He is a good skater who at times is dazzling with the puck, but I feel he is overrated by most fantasy-wise. I don’t say that simply because he only scored nine goals last season, that was as much a result of his team than his individual skill level. DiGiuseppe seems to need space to create his offense, space that he isn’t going to find often in the NHL.

Jeremy Welsh – While we’re on college forward prospects, I’ll give Welsh a mention. While I like Welsh’s overall game, I see his NHL ceiling topping out at 40-45 points. Don’t use a prospect spot on him yet.

Brock McGinn – McGinn is an undersized wing who scored 28 goals in the OHL last season. He projects as a bottom six forward with no foreseeable fantasy value.

As always, thanks for reading and check back in a few days for more Names You Need to Know. If you haven’t already done so, click on the arrow below to read Brendan Ross’ Ramblings from a few days ago. A definite must-read.

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