6.29.24 Draft Recap

LAS VEGAS - The Carolina Hurricanes added 10 more picks to their prospect pool this weekend, bolstering an already strong system.

After completing a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks late on Friday night to move out of the first round, the Canes conducted all of their selections on Day 2 of the event, making at least one choice in Rounds 2-7.

Taking five forwards and five defensemen, below is information on each player and a quote from Assistant General Manager Darren Yorke, who provided his annual post-draft breakdown following Saturday's final choice.

Dominik Badinka

Position: Defense

Height: 6'3" | Weight: 185 | Birth Country: Czechia | Shoots: Right

Selected: Round 2, #34 Overall

2023-24 Primary Team & Statistics: 33 GP - 1 G - 3 A - 4 Points with Malmö (SHL)

When Carolina finally made their first selection they added puck-moving defenseman Dominik Badinka. The 18-year-old was born in Czechia but has since also played in Finland and Sweden, playing SHL games for the first time last season.

A huge fan of Brent Burns' game, he also likes the way Alex Pietrangelo and John Carlson play.

Yorke: "He's 18 years old and playing in a hard league. He has the ability to play fast and to really end plays off the rush. I think that's something that when you look at the way the game is played and how we want to play, you've got to be able to play fast and play defensively. His length and his mobility that he's able to play with against men, and the way he shuts it down is impressive. His puck-moving game, his transition, and his ability to play in the defensive zone and quickly get the puck up is something he excels at doing. I'm really excited to get that type of player."

Nikita Artamonov

Position: Forward

Height: 5'11" | Weight: 187 | Birth Country: Russia | Shoots: Left

Selected: Round 3, Pick 50

2023-24 Primary Team & Statistics: 54 GP - 7 G - 16 A - 23 Points with Torpedo (KHL)

Viewed as a player that could have been taken in the first round, the Canes swooped in to select him with the second pick they received from Chicago in exchange for #27 overall on Friday.

The selection also became the start of a trend for Carolina, as they went on to select six Russian-born players throughout the day.

Yorke: "He's playing in a very good league and it's very challenging to produce the way he did. You have this incredibly energy-driven player who can play a bunch of different styles. He can play a bunch of different styles. He can get in on the forecheck, he can go and make plays. Look at how we play and how aggressive we play, that's a style that fits incredibly well. Then you add his skill level on top of it and it was great for us that we were able to pick up a talented player who also likes to play hard and fast."

Noel Fransén

Position: Defense

Height: 6'1" | Weight: 187 | Birth Country: Sweden | Shoots: Left

Selected: Round 3, #69 Overall

2023-24 Primary Team & Statistics: 45 GP - 20 G - 22 A - 44 Points with Färjestad (SHL)

Another European defender, Fransen is an offensive-minded player who said that he models his player after Erik Karlsson. Expecting to be back with Färjestad again in the fall, he played with Carolina's 2021 draft pick and spring signee Joel Nystrom this past season.

Yorke: "Noel's a player who maybe doesn't get the recognition that he deserved because he didn't make some of the international teams. He's an incredibly offensively gifted player. He's able to do almost whatever he wanted when he was playing in the Swedish junior league, whether it's skate around guys, skate through guys, skate underneath them with the skill, or even score from the blue line. At the same point, he's still able to defend. He's a really highly offensive player, but that's not to take away from some of the defensive style of his game."

Alexander Siryatsky

Position: Defense

Height: 6'2" | Weight: 159 | Birth Country: Russia | Shoots: Left

Selected: Round 4, #124 Overall

2023-24 Primary Team & Statistics: 36 GP - 5 G - 14 A - 19 Points with Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL - Russia)

Staying on the blue line, the Canes showed their desire to add some size the rest of the way.  Already 6-foot-2 at just 17 years old, Siryatsky said that he takes pride in his hockey IQ and looks forward to becoming a full-time KHL player in the fall.

Yorke: "The development that he had over the last 12 months is incredible. He came on playing in the MHL and then going on and playing through all the Russian leagues, he started to add more offensive elements to his game. He's a guy who on the offensive zone blue line, he is able to create space, whether it's with his mobility or with his hands. It's not something you always see from younger defensemen who have to play against men. The higher-end offensive thinking that he's shown has been great."

Oskar Vuollet

Position: Forward

Height: 5'11" | Weight: 181 | Birth Country: Sweden | Shoots: Left

Selected: Round 5, #133 Overall

2023-24 Primary Team & Statistics: 41 GP - 29 G - 32 A - 61 Points with Skellefteå AIK J20 (J20 Sweden)

A dominant force at the Under-20 level in Sweden this past year, Vuollet finished inside the top five among all scorers at the level.  Called up and going on to play a stint of games at the highest level, he impressed mightily and caught the attention of Carolina's brass.

Yorke: "Maybe a little underappreciated for what he's accomplished. For two years in a row, all he's done is produce at the junior level. Then he gets called up for 15 games toward the end of the year and plays the exact same way against men. He's an incredibly smart player. He's been able to play fast offensively, whether it's been skating with the puck, 1-on-1 skills, moving the puck, being able to move with the puck, playing a give-and-go game. Put him on the power play and he can run your half-wall and still be a dual threat. He's a really high-end offensive player, who was able to do what he did at the junior level and show it against men, even if he didn't have the same production."

6.29.24 Vuolett

Justin Poirier

Position: Forward

Height: 5'8" | Weight: 183 | Birth Country: Canada | Shoots: Right

Selected: Round 5, #156 Overall

2023-24 Primary Team & Statistics: 68 GP - 51 G - 31 A - 82 Points with Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)

Want to hear a draft-year accolade? How about being the first 17-year-old in the QMJHL to score 50 goals since Sidney Crosby? That's what Justin Poirier did this past season, proving that height doesn't measure heart.

Yorke: "Goal-scorer. There are very few people who have scored as many goals as he had over the last two years in the CHL during their draft years. He was probably a little undervalued unfortunately because he's not very tall, but all he does is score. It really doesn't matter the games that he's playing against bigger players, didn't matter. He just scores. It's an incredible shot. He's able to find open space and he does not need much room. If you want to watch some of the goals he scored, he's able to sneak some of these shots in right underneath the bar. He's somehow able to find the top corner of the net. He's a high-end goal-scorer."

Timur Kol

Position: Defense

Height: 6'4" | Weight: 205 | Birth Country: Russia | Shoots: Left

Selected: Round 6, #168 Overall

2023-24 Primary Team & Statistics: 14 GP - 2 G - 6 A - 8 Points with Omskie Yastreby (MHL - Russia)

Another big boy for the blue line, Kul comes from the same program that had 2022 Carolina second round pick Gleb Trikozov.

Yorke: "He's great defensively, similar to how we were describing Badinka.  You have to be able to play fast, and defend fast, and being able to do that is what he's done this season.  It's pretty special."

Roman Shokhrin

Position: Defense

Height: 6'5" | Weight: 205 | Birth Country: Russia | Shoots: Left

Selected: Round 6, #168 Overall

2023-24 Primary Team & Statistics: 28 GP - 2 G - 10 A - 12 Points with Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL - Russia)

Another big boy for the blue line, Kul comes from the same program that had 2022 Carolina second round pick Gleb Trikozov.

Yorke: "He's an incredibly gifted skater.  He's got great mobility.  Even though they have to play on the bigger ice he's showed his ability to defend versus the rush.  He's probably got a bit more offensive game to him [than Timur Kol].  We want him to use those edges and be able to open up space.  His ability to create has been pretty good."

Fyodor Avramov

Position: Forward

Height: 6'3" | Weight: 190 | Birth Country: Russia | Shoots: Right

Selected: Round 6, #188 Overall

2023-24 Primary Team & Statistics: 49 GP - 23 G - 21 A - 44 Points with Kapitan Stupino (MHL - Russia)

A big, physical, 20-goal scorer at his level last season, there's a lot of raw offensive potential with Avramov.

Per Dylan Griffing, he is the first player picked from Kapitan Stupino since... Pyotr Kochetkov (2019).

Yorke: "He can shoot.  He has a massive shot that he's able to get off and to beat goalies from distance.  Then you put him in one-one-one space, he has those skills to make guys miss.  His size is really valuable.  We hope to develop the rest of his game, but from an offensive standpoint, his game is pretty high-end."

Andrei Krutov

Position: Forward

Height: 5'11" | Weight: 174 | Birth Country: Russia | Shoots: Left

Selected: Round 7, #220 Overall

2023-24 Primary Team & Statistics: 41 GP - 21 G - 29 A - 50 Points with Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL - Russia)

The final player by Carolina, Krutov is seen as a creative spark up front.

With good playmaking and vision to go along with his creativity, the team hopes to see him continue to develop his overall game.

Yorke: "A really high-quality offensive thinker.  It's hard to say whether he's a better shooter or a playmaker, but he's able to see everything and make guys around him better.  He's got to get a little quicker, but the value of how he sees the ice and the ability he has to make others around him better is probably his best asset."