Notable Canes Draft Selections In Recent Years

RALEIGH, NC. - In a matter of days the Carolina Hurricanes will add more prospects to their pool, with the 2024 NHL Draft set to take place on Friday and Saturday at Sphere in Las Vegas.

While this is the first event with Eric Tulsky as general manager, the draft process for the team largely runs through Assistant General Manager Darren Yorke, who will head things for a sixth consecutive year.

Since 2019, six players drafted by the Canes have already made their NHL debut, including last year's first round pick, Bradly Nadeau.

Here are some other notable players selected in the Tulsky-Yorke era:

Pyotr Kochetkov

After making the pick at the 2019 draft, Yorke said, "[Pyotr] is a big, athletic goalie that can really steal games." Five years later, we've already seen that translate to the NHL level.

Still only 25 years young, it feels like the best remains ahead for Kochetkov and he's already one of the most electric goalies in the league.

Quickly becoming known for his diving poke checks, the second goalie taken in the 2019 draft class is 38-20-9 with a .910 SV% through the first 69 games of his career and is poised to be a full-time NHLer next season.

No goalie taken at the 2019 event has more games played than Kochetkov and with eight shutouts already, he's produced a perfect game in 12.3% of regular season starts for the Canes.

Seth Jarvis

Obtaining the #13 overall selection from the Toronto Maple Leafs for taking on Patrick Marleau's contract, Yorke and crew stepped up to the plate and hit a home run with the opportunity.

Already 231 games into his NHL career, some redrafts have the former Portland Winterhawk as high as a top five pick and his production has done everything to justify that. Only Tim Stutzle (247), Lucas Raymond (174), and Alexis Lafreniere (148), all taken inside the top four, have more points than Jarvis (146).

Displaying growth in just about every area of his game, the 22-year-old could be next in line for a big contract with the club, joining Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Andrei Svechnikov as the fabric of the team for years to come.

Alexander Nikishin

How can someone who has yet to play an NHL game be on this list?

Well, when you're a third round pick that has gone on to play for Russia's Olympic team as a 20-year-old, are named a KHL All-Star (twice in two seasons), lead all KHL defensemen in scoring (twice), have earned captaincy from of one of the most historic clubs in the league, and are widely regarded as one of the best players on the planet not playing in North America, it feels warranted.

Standing at 6-foot-4, 216 lbs., the feeling is that when he arrives in North America, he'll be an impact player right away.

Contractual obligations with SKA currently prohibit that until at least the end of the 2024-25 season, but Nikishin has provided plenty to be excited about leading up to then.

Jackson Blake

The 2024 Hobey Baker Winner, Macklin Celebrini, is expected to go first overall to the San Jose Sharks this weekend.

One of the runner-ups, Cutter Gauthier, went fifth overall in 2022.

The other runner-up? A player picked by the Canes in the fourth round in 2021 whose stock continues to do nothing but rise - Jackson Blake.

Following his over-a-point-per-game freshman season with a wildly impressive 60-point campaign, the 20-year-old found himself making University of North Dakota history alongside names like Brock Boeser and Zach Parise. Good company.

Turning pro at season's end, Blake made his NHL debut on April 16 in Columbus, getting a taste of the pro game before his first full pro season begins in the fall.

Regarded as an "explosive playmaker", like Nikishin, Blake is already viewed as a player taken in the middle rounds who has first-round potential.

Bradly Nadeau

Within a span of 293 days, the sharpshooter from St-Francois-de-Madawaska, New Brunswick went from being largely unknown to being an NHL player.

Landing on the radar of the Canes amid his British Columbia Hockey League-best 113-point season, the then-University of Maine commit was described by Yorke as "someone who just scores goals."

Turning out to be spot on, only three freshmen in all of NCAA hockey had more goals than Nadeau, who impressed mightily and had no struggles adapting to the college game.

With little there left to prove after just one season, Nadeau was signed to an entry-level contract in early April and made his NHL debut two weeks later.

Now, at just 19, he'll have no shortage of eyes on him in the fall as he begins his first full pro season.

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