Via sportslogos.net

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Welcome to the September 2024 edition of the DobberProspects 32-in-32 Series. This month, we are diving into the depth of each organization, looking at their recent graduates, risers, fallers, and top-20 prospects. 

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By: Nick Bass

As mentioned in last month’s 32 in 32 series, the Carolina Hurricanes are expected to stay the course as they lost multiple big pieces in free agency but replaced most of them nicely, except for one major area of concern, a top-six winger. During development camp in the summer, head coach Rod Brind’ Amour mentioned that fans might see some of the higher-end prospects “sooner than you think,” and this quote leads fans to wonder who this could be talking about. With a litany of these prospects graduating from college and Russia and getting introduced into the professional landscape of hockey, there are a few names to keep in mind.

The way that General Manager Eric Tulsky plans for the future is incredibly interesting to see happen. The Hurricanes number one prospect, Alexander Nikishin, is expected to join the team when his season with SKA St. Petersburg wraps up, and this directly correlates with Dmitri Orlov’s contract expiring at the end of this year. While they didn’t replace Jake Guentzel with a free agent signing or a trade, touted sniper Bradly Nadeau is freshly signed and ready to make an impact in the top nine. If he’s not prepared, how about former Hobey Baker candidate Jackson Blake, who has true 200-foot playmaking potential? If someone on defense goes down with an injury, Scott Morrow has already played NHL games and looks like a power play quarterback in the not-so-distant future. To quote Dewey from Malcolm in the Middle, “The future is now, old man.”

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Graduating Players

Compared to last season, this graduating class is gigantic. That will happen when you decide to mend fences with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL and regain an AHL affiliation.

Graduating to the NHL

Bradly Nadeau, W: After making the giant leap from playing in the BCHL to playing in a highly competitive Hockey East with the University of Maine and playing very well, Bradly Nadeau is expected to make the even more significant jump to the NHL. Putting up 19 goals and 27 assists for 46 points in just 39 games and having a spot in the top six tailor-made for him, the 19-year-old is ready to make a splash.

Graduating from College to the AHL

Scott Morrow, D: If it weren’t for the signings of both Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere, Scott Morrow would be graduating to the NHL. Instead, Morrow is expected to garner 20+ minutes per night and quarterback one of the power play units with the Chicago Wolves at the AHL level. After accumulating 28 goals and 66 assists for 94 points in 109 games played for the UMass Minutemen, Morrow is expected to be a future player at the NHL level for a long time.

Jackson Blake, W: A dominant college player nominated for the Hobey Baker award last season, Jackson Blake is a pure playmaker. He accumulated 22 goals and 38 assists for 60 points in 40 games, but there weren’t many games in college where he was held pointless, which is an impressive feat. If there weren’t so many wingers, specifically right-wingers, signed to NHL deals by the Hurricanes, Blake would be a no-brainer choice to stay at the NHL level. Instead, he will get top six and power play minutes for a young Chicago Wolves team.

Charles-Alexis Legault, D: One of college hockey’s most improved defensemen and easily the highest-rising prospect within the Hurricane’s pipeline, Charles-Alexis Legault has legit potential. Leasing up to the draft, Legault had immense defensive potential, which he showed at Quinnipiac University at the college level by being a primary penalty killer. The question was always if the offensive side could ever flash, and it finally appeared during the latter half of his sophomore season. Going on a seven-game point streak, which included five multi-point games, would bring his season total to nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points in 39 games. This earned him a contract with the Hurricanes, and Legault should be a steady defender for the Chicago Wolves this season.

Graduating from Russia/Europe to the AHL

Gleb Trikozov, W: After being expected to play significant minutes in the KHL last season for Avangard Omsk, Gleb Trikozov found himself playing most of the year with the MHL and VHL affiliates amid some controversy that he and his coaches didn’t see eye to eye. Putting up 27 goals and 21 assists for 48 points in 56 games played and being named the captain of the VHL team, Omskie Yastreby, Gleb has found a new home with the Chicago Wolves. A top nine pure playmaker, he’s expected to play a significant role on the power play as both a sniper and a passer.

Ruslan Khazheyev, G: The top goalie prospect within the Carolina Hurricanes pipeline, Khazheyev is expected to play the backup role with the Chicago Wolves. He spent the past year with Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk at the MHL level, where he played in 40 games and posted a 2.34 goals against average and a .922% save percentage. Khazheyev, standing at 6-4, is a hyperactive goalie who plays tall and strong at the top of his crease with extremely active hands. He’s expected to be the backup this season with the Wolves, but don’t be surprised if he earns his way to getting more and more starts as the season goes on.

Felix Unger Sorum, W: One of the youngest and brightest players within the pipeline, Unger Sorum is done playing in Europe, according to assistant general manager Darren Yorke. Unger Sorum will be with the Hurricanes or the Wolves during the 2024-25 season. After putting up four goals and 14 assists for 18 points in 41 games at the SHL level while also being one of Sweden’s best players at the 2024 World Junior Championships, Unger Sorum is a cerebral playmaker and one of the best passers among the Hurricanes’ prospects. If he doesn’t make the NHL team out of camp, which he almost did last season, Unger Sorum is expected to be a significant player for the Wolves, getting minutes on both the penalty kill and the power play.

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Risers

Alexander Nikishin, D – From a bottom-feeding team and struggling mightily to having back-to-back historic seasons while playing the most challenging minutes in the KHL, Alexander Nikishin has risen to the top prospect. It was closer last season, but he has completely separated himself after having two of the top point-getting seasons as a U23 in KHL history. Fans only have to wait one more KHL season to see Nikishin in a Carolina Hurricanes uniform.

Joel Nystrom, D – Nystrom has completely transformed, becoming close to the number one defenseman for a solid Farjestad team. Taking over a power play unit, being a consistent penalty killer while also playing top pairing minutes, the 22-year-old has taken serious strides to become an NHL defenseman. Increasing his point totals in all categories from the 2022-23 season to the 2023-24 campaign doesn’t hurt either.

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Fallers

Ryan Suzuki, C – The one thing that Ryan Suzuki has needed since his draft year has been his health, which he finally got this past season. It might have come too late, as it’s been five years since he was drafted in 2019. Suzuki’s point totals of 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points in 51 games is a slight downgrade from his previous season, and with the rise of some other players with the prospect system, Suzuki’s time with Carolina might be coming to an end soon.

Nikita Guslistov, W – After playing a whole season at the KHL level as a 20-year-old, it was disappointing seeing Guslistov split time between Severstal and Buran Voronezh this past season. It’s not hard to see why, as Guslistov had just one point in 26 games played for Severstal. This led him to get traded to Dinamo Minsk in the KHL offseason, where he hopes to rediscover his game heading into a pivotal season for his development.

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Organizational Rankings

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Left Wing

– Bradly Nadeau

– Gleb Trikozov

– Nikita Artamonov

– Timur Mukhanov

– Oskar Vuollet

– Fyodor Avramov

– Andrei Krutov

– Alexander Perevalov

– Nikita Guslistov

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Center

– Ryan Suzuki

– Justin Robidas

– Lucas Mercuri

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Right Wing

– Felix Unger Sorum

– Jackson Blake

– Jayden Perron

– Alexander Rykov

– Justin Poirier

– Stanislav Yarovoy

– Noel Gunler

– Michael Emerson

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Left Defense

– Alexander Nikishin

– Vladimir Grudinin

– Noel Fransen

– Simon Forsmark

– Domenick Fensore

– Alexander Siryatsky

– Timur Kol

– Roman Shokhrin

– Ronan Seeley

– Alexander Pelevin

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Right Defense

– Scott Morrow

– Joel Nystrom

– Charles-Alexis Legault

– Dominik Badinka

– Aleksi Heimosalmi

– Anttoni Honka

– Bryce Montgomery

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Goalie

– Ruslan Khazheyev

– Nikita Quapp

– Egor Velmakin

– Patrik Hamrla

– Yaniv Perets

– Jakub Vondras

– Yegor Naumov

– Jake Kucharski

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Top 20 Fantasy Prospects

Looking ahead to the future, this is a list of the top 20 fantasy prospects, considering how close a player is to the NHL. More importantly, the potential upside is heavily factored into these rankings.

1. Alexander Nikishin, D
2. Bradly Nadeau, W
3. Felix Unger Sorum, W
4. Jackson Blake, W
5. Scott Morrow, D
6. Gleb Trikozov, W
7. Nikita Artamonov, W
8. Jayden Perron, W
9. Vladimir Grudinin, D
10. Justin Poirier, W
11. Noel Fransen, D
12. Alexander Rykov, W
13. Joel Nystrom, D
14. Charles-Alexis Legault, D
15. Timur Mukhanov, W
16. Ryan Suzuki, C
17. Justin Robidas, C
18. Domenick Fensore, D
19. Oskar Vuollet, W
20. Aleksi Heimosalmi, D

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Prospect Showcase Tournament

From September 13th through September 16th, a roster of Carolina Hurricanes prospects will participate in a showcase tournament against the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and the host Nashville Predators.

Most of the top 20 fantasy prospects will participate, so it should be a strong showing as a team.

If you read this far, thank you! Feel free to keep track of the Hurricanes page on Carolina Hurricanes – DobberProspects for updates on your favorite prospects. Also, @CanesProspects on X will give daily reports on every prospect.