Top 5 Canes Prospects, January 2024

Happy New Year!

Welcome to a new style of post from me where I’ll be doing longer form content writing about the top 5 prospects from each month throughout the year. Matt used to do this for Canes Country but since he left and I am not affiliated with them, I’ll use Substack. My posts for DobberProspects won’t change, which will give more current updates on prospects but this should give a broader view of certain prospects. The criteria involved is pretty simple, point production based on how many games the player played (goalies are based on save percentage and GAA). This is NOT a ranking of the top prospects in the Carolina Hurricanes system, simply a month by month ranking of guys who have produced the most. I will try my best to have these out by the first of the next month (January on February 1st, February on March 1st and so on), but if not, within the first week. So, without further ado, these are the top 5 Canes Prospects for the month of January.

Honorable Mention: Alexander Rykov

The one thing holding Alexander Rykov back from being in the top 5 this month is games played but Rykov made the most of his time. Playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, Rykov played in 12 KHL games during the month of January, adding 4 goals and 1 assists for 5 points. 3 of the goals came during a streak of 3 games which saw Rykov elevated to the top line. It’s extremely impressive anytime an 18-year old player ends up playing for a KHL team, let alone play on the top line and produce in the way Rykov has. The most recent goal from him, shot out of a CANNON on a line change, realizes there’s a big gap in the middle and just gets one to go (the goalie probably should’ve had it but who cares, it’s in).

5. Ruslan Khazheyev, G

The only goalie to make the list, I’d argue that Khazheyev is the top Carolina Hurricanes goalie prospect at this moment. Playing as the starter for Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk in the MHL, Khazheyev won every game he started in during the month of January (5-0-0). His stats from those starts:

• January 8th - .944%

• January 14th - .955%

• January 16th - 32 save shutout

• January 18th - .879%

• January 28th - .917%

Khazheyev also came in relief for the other goalie and had 8 saves but Belye Medvi lost the game (he wasn’t credited with the loss). Apologies for the weird stats, the MHL is an incredibly tough league to find stats for other than some basic ones, but those average out to a .939% save percentage (a .942% if you include the game he came in relief). Khazheyev has practiced with Traktor in the KHL during the month of January, which give me a little hope that he might get his KHL debut in the near future.

4. Bradly Nadeau, F

Another victim of the “didn’t play enough games” baseline that was set, Nadeau still played exceptionally well. Only playing 6 games in the month of January for the University of Maine, Nadeau had 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points. Everyone knows about Nadeau’s shot and how it’s good enough to play in the NHL today (only the shot), but Nadeau’s playmaking has started to flash as well, shown by his 3 assist performance against UMass Lowell. Going to use one of these as an example.

Nadeau starts the breakout, initially wants the drop pass but his brother, Josh, gets wiped out instead so Bradly has to adjust. With the puck on his stick, the defender knows he can’t let him get a clean look so he starts to close out. Bradly sees that, find his teammate open backdoor for an extremely easy tap in. That’s the stuff I’m happy to see more of from Nadeau (potentially in person👀).

3. Ville Koivunen, F

One year removed from playing AHL games for the Chicago Wolves last year, Ville Koivunen finds himself back with his boyhood club in Karpat and seems to have taken that next step in development. In the month of January, Koivunen had 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points in 10 games while playing on the top line. He’s second on the team in points, only 4 points back of the lead, and continues to make great strides towards the NHL. This goal was from his most explosive game at the start of the month, a 2 goal and 2 assists outburst. Fills his wing correctly, gets the pass and just slings it past.

2. Alexander Nikishin, D

A shocker! Alexander Nikishin is not the top Canes Prospect for the month of January. Posting 4 goals and 9 assists for 13 points in 12 games, Nikishin is absolutely insane. Leading all KHL defenseman in points with 48 points in 57 games at 22 years old is something that is rarely seen at any level of hockey. His absolute ascension from depth defenseman on CSKA to top pairing and top defenseman in the entire KHL in about 2 years speaks levels to his skills and the trust that the coaching staff have in him. Nikishin leads the top power play unit, which is the second best power play in the entire KHL at 24.5%. He kills penalties, which speaks truth to his superb skating for a young man of his size (6’4, 216 pounds, if anyone needs a reminder). He’s physical when he needs to be and his discipline seems to be getting better, going down in penalty minutes so far from 50 PIMs last year to 37 PIMs this year. I understand that people were freaked out when they saw that picture of Nikishin and Vladimir Putin but I am not too phased. Everything that I have seen (I HAVE ZERO SOURCES. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS THAT I, NICK, HAVE ZERO IDEA WHAT GOES ON) shows that the Canes have undying want to get Nikishin over here and I haven’t seen anything from Nikishin that signifies he wants to stay in Russia through the end of his contract (expires at the end of the 2024-2025 KHL Season).

1. Jackson Blake, F

If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch the University of North Dakota, I highly encourage you to find a way to watch them. If not for a great college hockey team or for another Hurricanes Prospect in Jayden Perron, watch the Fighting Hawks for Jackson Blake. 5 goals and 7 assists for 12 points in just 8 games in the month of January for Blake, who has a point streak of 8 games as well. Blake’s skating is solid and even if this gets him in trouble sometimes, he has the skill necessary to evade pressure and move the puck away. In this clip, where he scores a PPG against Denver, the former number 4 team in the country, he skates in just enough to draw the defender out and gets the puck away. He then quickly resets, gets the puck back and then just rips one past the goalie.

The kid is immensely talented and has produced at above a PPG rate this year in the NCAA. Blake has actually just been nominated for the Hobey Baker award (alongside Scott Morrow and Bradly Nadeau) and you can vote for them NOW at Voting for the Hobey Baker