Jake Bean

July 2021 – With contract negotiations having stalled, the Hurricanes shipped Jake Bean off to Columbus for a second-round draft pick. While Bean had 12 points in 42 games, he did go on a run of nine points in 13 games back in late February. – Dobber

February 2021 – Bean has finally cracked the Hurricanes lineup and is making the most out of his opportunity. He has five assists in nine games played, and looks more comfortable every night. Bean has done everything he can to show that he is a NHL defenceman and deserves a regular spot in Carolina’s top-six. Austin Broad 

January 2021 – Bean is in a tricky position with the team having one of the most stacked blue lines in all of hockey, but having nothing left to prove at the AHL. He’s currently a member of the taxi squad for the Canes, and might get a chance here soon with Covid hitting the team and Jaccob Slavin missing a couple of games for the team. Jack LeGwin

February 2020 – Bean has been one of the best blueliners in the AHL this year, tallying 41 points in 52 games (.79 PPG), up from his .63 PPG pace last year. He has continued to hone his skill and skating, but still has a ways to go on his defensive side of the game. He just happens to be in the right system for him to make those strides at just 21 years old. Jack LeGwin

April 2019 – Coming into his first professional season in 2018-19, some doubts had creeped in as to what Bean’s projection would be at the NHL level. However, his play on the ice has silenced those doubts. With 44 points in 70 games, Bean ranked second among AHL rookie defensemen this season and his 20 power play points continue to project him as a high-level points producer from the blueline once he makes the NHL jump. The former first rounder has been the preferred call up for the Canes behind Haydn Fleury, so don’t be surprised to see his NHL minutes start to increase as early as next season. Kevin LeBlanc

May 2018 – Bean didn’t take the dominant step forward in 2018 that Canes brass would have hoped to have seen, but that doesn’t mean that it was a bad year for Carolina’s top blueline prospect. He put in a solid year’s work, splitting time between Calgary and Tri-City in the WHL and was a mainstay for Canada’s gold medal winning World Juniors team in January. Charlotte Checkers coach Mike Vellucci did a great job developing a young team in 2017-18, and Bean will be one of his biggest tasks next season. The intelligence and puck skills are there, but the young defenseman still needs work without the puck and in one-on-one situations.  Kevin LeBlanc

May 2017 – Despite playing in just 43 games due to an finger injury that plagued him at the beginning of the season, Bean had a solid developmental campaign. His point-per-game rate jumped from .94 in his draft year to 1.04 this year, and he was selected as a member of Canada’s World Junior Championship team. The 18-year-old will likely play another season in the Western Hockey League, and will again feature for Canada at the WJC, this time playing a bigger role. If healthy, Bean should be one of, if not the top scoring WHL defenseman in 2017-18. He very much has an NHL future as point producing rearguard, it just may take a few years of development.  Kevin LeBlanc

October 2016 – Bean was returned to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen where he should be one of the best blueliners in the league. The puck-moving dynamo showed off many of the skills this summer that project him as a top-four, top power-play pairing defefender in the future. He will continue his development over the next few seasons. Kevin LeBlanc

June 2016 – As part of their campaign to strengthen a popgun offense, the Hurricanes nabbed the offensively minded rearguard. Mark Allan

March 2016 – Bean is a prolific offensive defenseman who combines fluid skating, deft passing and a strong, accurate point shot, and is able to play in all situations due to his excellent hockey sense. Jake is extremely effective in puck retrieval, though he could still improve the speed of his decision making, and is excellent at carrying the puck up the ice through traffic. While not physically imposing, Bean does not shy away from physical contact but he could stand to get stronger so as to match up against bigger forwards more effectively. His overall positioning is solid and he is able to close gaps on attackers due to excellent two-step quickness. – Aynsley Scott