The Hurricanes yesterday released their
NHL Prospects Tournament roster
, a group that includes four first-round picks. Some questions about the roster-compiling process and player eligibility - including the one above - rolled in naturally, and I'm here to help with answers.
Essentially what needs to be considered is the nature of this tournament. It's a short four-game slate that allows each team to evaluate their top prospects and recently drafted players in a head-to-head game setting. You want to win the tournament, yes, but you also want to get a firm grasp on what kind of talent and skill is in the pipeline. It's a balance, and that's one reason why the rosters shake out the way they do.
Teams are also bound to certain eligibility rules, including limits on how many "professionals" - players who have completed a season in a professional league, such as the American Hockey League or ECHL - can be included on the roster. This year's Hurricanes group features Haydn Fleury, Andrew Poturalski, Josh Wesley and Roland McKeown - all of whom spent time in Charlotte, Florida or, in Poturalski's case, with the Hurricanes, last season - as the "professionals." These are experienced guys that the team will look to for leadership; Fleury was the team captain before getting injured in last year's tournament, and McKeown wore the C afterward.
