Welcome to Part 2 of 4 for a Carolina Hurricanes draft preview. This week, I’ll go over 10 forwards that could become Canes Prospects. Most of these around based around the Canes sticking at pick 29, but if that doesn’t happen, I have included 2-3 guys at the end that should be available after the 2nd round. Let’s get into it.
Alexander Zharovsky, RW
When watching any form of Zharovsky footage, you are immediately entranced by his hands. He’s able to make magic happen with the puck on his stick, whether it’s creating space with a dangle or just making a defender look incredibly bad. He’s got good size for a forward, standing 6’1 and about 165 pounds, but those numbers will be updated with him accepting an invite to the NHL Draft Combine. He’s played all over Russian this season but spent most of the time with Tolpar Ufa in the MHL, playing in 47 games. In those games, he had 24 goals and 27 assists for 51 points. He didn’t play in a single regular season game for Salavat Yulaev, but ended up playing in 7 KHL playoff games for them, getting an assist in those games. He ended his season playing for Salavat Yulaev U18 team, where he had 19 points in just 10 games. Zharovsky is a true dynamic offensive player who should be available around picks 30-40.
Here’s a short video from Scouching showing off the insane skill that Zharovsky has.
Also, for another visual on Zharovsky, Lassi Alanen (and Mitchell Brown) do incredible work with hand tracking prospect games and here is Alanen’s data on Zharovsky.
William Moore, LW/C
Someone who has played center at times throughout his career, Will Moore is a product of the USNTDP (and a client of Quartexx, if that matters to anyone). He’s got solid size, standing at 6’2 and 174 pounds, is a lefty, and did I mention that he has the potential to play center? Got to make sure I mention that for some people. Moore, to me, is in the same situation as Michael Hage was last year, where there is a good chance he’s gone by the Canes pick, but it’s still worth mentioning him. He’s a two way center with some solid physicality in his game. Good shooter, solid passer, defense can be shaky but overall solid. Likes to create offense.
Mason West, C/RW
This one feels like a longshot, given that the last time the Canes picked someone that spent time in his DY in the Minnesota High School ranks was Scott Morrow in 2021, but I feel the need to mention 6’6 forward Mason West. It felt like even more of a longshot until a week ago, where he decided on playing hockey over football, where West is a 3 star QB with offers from Kent State, Marshall, and Miami of Ohio.
It’s a jump going from high school to the USHL but West looked good in the 10 Fargo Force games he played, where he had 9 points (1 goal, 8 assists). He dominated the high school ranks, with 27 goals and 22 assists for 49 points in just 31 games. He skates incredibly well for a player of his stature and his offensive skillset is extremely intriguing, mixing a good shot and solid passing. Again, he feels like a long shot, but I’d be remiss to not mention him.
Cullen Potter, C/W
A lot of people have mocked Potter to the Hurricanes in mock drafts and it makes some sense. He’s played center at the college level as a freshman (not all the time though), he’s one of the better skaters in this entire class (something the Hurricanes value), and he’s a dynamic offensive talent. In 35 games for Arizona State University, he had 13 goals and 9 assists for 22 points.
Potter is a skating freak. He’s fast, being able to weave in and out of defenders while creating separation. Shot is good but the passing ability is the better offensive attribute. Defense has taken the necessary steps since joining ASU but there are still question marks if he can stick at center as he develops. He’s another player where there’s a good chance he’s off the board by the time the Canes draft, and that’s before the inevitable trade down.
Milton Gastrin, C/W
One of my personal favorites in this draft, Gastrin has been a leader for the Sweden 2007 group in tournaments, recent example coming at the U18 World Junior Championship, where he wore the C for Sweden. He’s also worn the C in other international competition for this 07 group as well. Gastrin has been a center mainly for MoDo, including at the SHL level. He played the majority of his year with the J20 team, where he had 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points in 40 games. He didn’t gather a point with the SHL side in 8 games and was used on the J18 team in the playoffs, where he dominated, with 7 goals and 12 assists for 19 points in just 9 games. Those numbers would be tied for the lead in the playoffs with Viggo Bjorck, a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NHL draft. Let’s use data from Alanen:
Even his microstats scream Canes pick! Excellent in transition, good defensive ability, gets involved in the offensive buildup, and uses his body to create space. There is a lot to like with Gastrin, but the Canes would probably have to stick in the first round to take him and avoid one of their favorite things, trading back for additional picks.
Ivan Ryabkin, W/C
The past two years have been, interesting, for Ryabkin. Once heralded as a potential top 5 pick in this year’s draft, he finds himself much lower down the list after a funky draft year season. He started the year with Dynamo Moscow’s MHL side and had 3 assists in the first game of the season. He then got called up to the KHL side, played a combined 2 minutes in 3 games, and was sent back to the MHL. He spent more time then, got called up again, got sent down to the VHL, then back down to the MHL again. He then found his way to the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL, where he had 26 goals and 20 assists for 46 points in 41 games.
Let’s use both Alanen’s data from his time in the MHL and Brown’s data from his time with Muskegon:
If there is one thing you can’t deny about Ryabkin, it’s his talent. His natural skill is undeniable and a big reason why he was so highly touted before the season. His playmaking is great and while it never fully clicked in his first partial season, he still had a 5 point game (3 g, 2 a), a 4 point game (3 g, 1 a), and multiple 2 and 3 point games. His skating isn’t great and there are some legit questions about motor and effort, but a player with his talent is hard to not take. He should be available in the 2nd-3rd round.
Jacob Ihs-Wozniak, RW
What a name on this fella, aye? Ihs-Wozniak is another player that has flipped between center and wing as his career has developed, but seems more likely to play on the wing when his time in the NHL comes about. Standing 6’2 and 174 pounds, he’s got good size but not much of the physicality you’d like to see with someone of that size. A player in the Lulea HF system, who played at multiple different levels in that system, he had a combined 31 goals and 46 assists for 77 points in 66 games played across the J20 league, J18 league, and the SHL.
A native born Australian, Ihs-Wozniak is a great offensive player. His shot is really solid, being able to beat goalies from a lot of angles with both power and accuracy. His playmaking is also solid, shown by the over .5 assist per game rate he produced at this season. His skating leaves something to be desired and his defensive game isn’t stellar, but the offensive tools are more than enough to wager a 2nd or 3rd round pick on.
Filip Ekberg, LW
Let’s get wacky and wild and talk about a CHL player. Is it weird? No, because Ekberg is a good player. But if we look at the track history of the Canes selecting CHL players, there has been 1 player selected in the past 3 years, and even he isn’t playing CHL hockey anymore (Justin Poirier is now at Maine). Before then, the Canes took 3 players from the CHL in 2021. One was Justin Robidas, who seems to have a bright future. One was Bryce Montgomery, who I like as a player and a person and the Canes inked to an ELC. He should be a staple in the inaugural Greensboro Gargoyles season. The other, and highest drafted out of the 3? Robert Orr of the Halifax Mooseheads. He most recently played for the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers in USports, Canada’s college league.
Might’ve gotten side tracked a bit there, but back to Ekberg. He’s a slightly smaller forward, standing 5’10 and 168 pounds, but he more than makes up for it as an exceptional playmaker. He also sports a pretty solid hockey IQ, something that the Canes seem to value in there most recent draft picks. In 53 games with the Ottawa 67’s, he had 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points. Ekberg made noise recently for a crazy point streak to end his season, spanning across the OHL and the WJC-18 tourney, where he ended his season on a 19 (!?) game point streak. Ekberg also dominated that WJC-18 tourney, with 10 goals and 8 assists for 18 points in just 7 games. Solid bet to place in the late 2nd-early 3rd.
Jordan Gavin, W
A second CHL player? Who are you to be suggesting this? In all seriousness, when you start looking at players that could be prospects, you try and find certain trends among previous selections. With the Canes, it’s been higher hockey sense forwards who skate decently well. Enter Jordan Gavin, a smart playmaker who has seen his stock take a dip recently with other forwards standing out more. He’s slightly undersized, standing at 5’11 and around 175 pounds, so he also fits that criteria for recent Hurricanes forward picks as well. In a combined 73 games played this season, he had 21 goals and 39 assists for 60 points. Not standout numbers, but not bad.
If Gavin falls to the 4th round, I think he makes sense. He’s an insanely intelligent player with great playmaking ability. His skating needs work, he needs to put on some size, but he seems like a prototypical Hurricanes pick.
Kirill Yemelyanov, C
Getting deep into the bag here with Yemelyanov, who seems to be hovering around that 3rd-5th round range depending on who you talk to. He’s got decent size, standing 6’0 and about 170 pounds, and is a natural center for Loko Yaroslavl, a team that avid Canes Prospects enjoyers will know because Roman Shokhrin plays there. In 46 total games this season, he had 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points.
Yemelyanov is a solid defensive center with a good work ethic. Motor will never come into question but his offensive traits need some improving. Not saying they aren’t great, as his performance in the playoffs is a reason why he’s risen some, but you’d like to see some more production. If he’s available in the 4th round, it’s a solid bet on a natural center with a higher floor.
Other Names to keep in mind:
Bill Zonnon, LW (for Matt)
Theo Stockselius, C/LW
Gustav Hillstrom, C
Tomas Pozebal, LW/C
Mikhail Fyodorov, LW/RW
Topias Hynninen, C/LW
Melvin Novotny, LW
Yuri Rummo, C
Maxim Zaitsev, RW