The Hurricanes Are Loaded | Top 10 Prospects Exposed

One good prospect is exciting. A whole pipeline of them changes how a franchise plans, spends, and wins. That’s why we brought back Nick Bass from "Canes Prospects" & the "Developing Hurricanes Podcast" to rank his top 10 Carolina Hurricanes prospects and explain what actually separates a fun name from a future NHL contributor.

We start on the blue line with the system’s latest wave of big, mobile defenders, including Kurban Limatov’s electric skating, Timur Kol’s pro-level defending, and Charles-Alexis Legault’s steady, physical game that feels built for the next level. Nick also makes the case for Alexander Suryatsky as a quietly rising KHL defense prospect who earned real trust as a teenager, then we shift to forwards where Justin Poirier’s scoring upside, Ivan Ryabkin’s confidence reset, and Felix Unger Sorum’s strength-driven breakout show how development clicks once players learn the North American pro details.

At the top, we talk Bradly Nadeau and the very real question Hurricanes fans are asking: if there’s an early-season lineup opening, who deserves the runway? We also hit the goalie pipeline with Semyon Frolov and Yegor Velmakin, then close with 2026 NHL Draft value targets like William Hakansson, Ryder Fetterolf, and Wiggo Sorenssen, plus who impressed at Hurricanes Development Camp and who’s on Nick’s radar next.

Highlights:

• Limitov’s elite skating and controlled chaos as a big defense prospect
• Timur Kol’s pro-ready defending and what translates from the KHL
• Justin Poirier’s scoring upside at Penn State and how size gets judged
• Charles-Alexis Legault as a plug-in, physical depth option with runway
• Charlie Cerrato’s two-way center tools and the Canes’ center pipeline
• Semyon Frolov’s movement-based goalie profile plus Velmakin’s North America arrival
• Alexander Suryatsky’s rare KHL trust and why his stock is climbing
• Ivan Ryabkin’s confidence reset and the danger of summer rumors
• Felix Unger Sorum’s strength gains and what they unlock offensively
• Bradly Nadeau’s NHL readiness and the potential early-season opening
• Nikita Artamonov’s down year as a reminder that development is not linear
• 2026 draft targets Hakansson, Fetterolf, and Sorenssen as potential value picks
• Dev camp winners like Berchild and Lansard plus a quick season watchlist

If you enjoy smart Hurricanes prospect talk, subscribe, share this with a fellow Canes fan, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

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Transcript

Welcome & What We Are Debating

SPEAKER_01 0:32

While several Carolina Hurricanes prospects had outstanding years in 25-26, but a select group stood out with their development and overall growth. In addition, a number of exciting new prospects joined the organization this summer. So, who were those prospects that took a major step forward in 25-26? Who were the steals in the 26th draft for the Canes? And were there any players that really excelled in this year's Hurricanes Development Camp? Joining me to break it all down with his top 10 prospects in the Carolina Hurricane system and a whole lot more. I'm delighted to welcome in from Canes Prospects and the co-host of Developing Hurricanes Podcast, Nick Bass. Howdy, Nick!

SPEAKER_00 1:25

How are we doing?

SPEAKER_01 1:26

Great. It's great to have you back with us to talk about the Carolina Hurricanes prospects. How's your summer going?

SPEAKER_00 1:34

It's not bad, just chugging along through schoolwork and stuff and getting ready to getting ready to go back.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Now you've got what one more year uh left?

SPEAKER_00 1:43

I'll graduate in December.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Ah, fantastic. Well, congrats to you uh on that, Nick. And and as always, we're delighted to have you in here talking uh Kane's prospects on Stormtracker. So let's kick it off with the top 10 prospects in the Kane system. I know you've uh you had an interesting discussion uh with uh with Matt Soma on this, and I think uh you both agreed on the same player, so let's get right into it. So checking in at number 10, one of the Hulking D-Men prospects that uh you highlighted during the season in our top five prospects a number of times, certainly uh having an outstanding year was Kirbin Limitoff. And of course, just 19 years old, Limitov checks in at 6'3 and almost 200 pounds. Third rounder, number 67 and 25. He's

Big Defensemen Rising Fast

SPEAKER_01 2:31

a guy that uh boy oh boy, he uh he's done some good work this year. How about Kirbin?

SPEAKER_00 2:37

Yeah, um he looked really good overall. Uh his play style is still a little funky to kind of watch just because it's not like a lot of other defensemen that we have. Um, but it's really enjoyable to watch. It's definitely one of the more fun defensemen that we have in the system. And uh it was a really big enjoyment to get to watch him at training camp, uh development camp, sorry. He was uh really enjoyable and endeared himself to a lot of fans who really hadn't seen him play before just because he has unbelievable skating and a really nice, fun playstyle to watch. So um yeah, he might move up this year, kind of depending on how it goes, but right now he's just kind of sticking around to 10 until I see it at a higher level than junior.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

Yeah, so he was in the MHL. Yeah, so that's right. He would be the equivalent of junior in North America. What did you see specifically with Kerbin this year that really jumped out at you in her terms of his growth?

SPEAKER_00 3:29

It's mainly just continuing defensive development, making sure that he's not letting anything pass him, which he can because of his skating base. And then offensively, it's I would like to see him kind of rein in some of the more chaotic stuff where he's jumping in on everything, but he did a very good job of just moving in transition, being able to be a connector, playmaker, just doing everything correctly.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Yeah, and he's uh he scored 12 goals, so he's definitely uh able to put the puck in the net as well. So a defenseman that uh I think uh played alongside him at different times, and he's another big helking blue liner, somebody we've talked a lot about as teamer Cole. Uh also just 19 years old. Uh he played eight games in the KHL this year, so that's kind of cool. 6'4, 207, bigger, but drafted later in the sixth round. And Darren York said this about him. He said he's great defensively, similar to how we were describing Badinka. You have to be able to play fast, defend fast, and being able to do that is what he's done this season. That's what he was talking about last year. So he was quite impressed with uh with Hemer. What do you think?

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Yeah, um, very much so close to a pro right now, uh, in terms of ability. He defends at a really nice level. Offense was pretty good. He was the power play quarterback last year in the MHL, and the his KHO showings gave a lot of promise into what he can be at the pro level. He just moves really well, he's decently physical, defends at a good rate, and has some offensive abilities. So uh yeah, Cole was really solid this year. He was at dev camp. He looked really solid, just a really solid overall defenseman.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

And what do you think he needs to work on to get to the next step before he can come over to North America?

SPEAKER_00 5:13

Honestly, I don't really think there's a ton. I think it's just trying to continue developing what already makes him successful and junior and just seeing if how that translates to pro.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Yeah, I know. Uh boy, both him and uh Kirvin Limitoff, two big defensemen that uh look like they have a lot of promise for us. So that's exciting stuff. Now we're gonna go to the other side of the spectrum here, and no surprise, then at number eight, talked a lot about this guy, one of your short kings, and that's Justin Poirier. Of course, he played with Maine this year. He's heading off to Penn State. Um, he had a tremendous start. He had a uh, I think a hat-trick to kick off his season, uh, hit 18 goals in 27 games. And he's a guy that just tore up junior as a recall with uh Dracar 210 points in 188 games. He's not big at 5'9, but boy, he's a

Poirier & Undersized Scoring

SPEAKER_01 6:03

guy that he he's excited.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Yeah, he's uh incredibly fun to watch. Uh offensively, it's just an unbelievable shot, and he has the ability to get to the dirty areas, even though he's not the biggest player in the world. Skating's a little funky, but he offsets it really nicely with the rest of his abilities. And the his first year in Maine, even though he went underwent hip surgery, I was still very impressed of what he showed. And Penn State's going to be a really fun watch this year, and I'm really interested to see how that gets along and see how him being with on a team with more talent goes because I think his point total might continue to go up.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

Well, it's interesting. Penn State is becoming a go-to, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 6:46

I mean, they just have a ton of NIL money mainly. The Pagulas run the who run the Sabres mainly run the NIL, and their coach is a really solid guy, and uh they've had good success recruiting.

SPEAKER_01 6:57

So yeah, they sure have. Of course, uh Charlie Serrado uh was in Penn State, and of course, uh uh McKenna was as well. So you've got uh you've got definitely a strong pedigree there. That's exciting.

SPEAKER_00 7:09

And there's also uh Ryder Federolf going there.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Yes, I was gonna mention Ryder Federolf is going there. So two guys uh from the canes side heading, so that's kind of fun. Yeah, I think Porrier, do you think you know there's a lot of concern with smaller players? The Canes are proving that a little bit uh not the case. What do you think the future looks like right now for Justin Poirier?

SPEAKER_00 7:30

I think if he has another really good year at Penn State, I think there's a non-zero chance he'll turn pro after this year, would be my guess, but I've been wrong.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

Well, he's definitely uh definitely a player that's got incredible skill. That injury was a tough thing for him because he did, as I mentioned, got off to such a great start. So we'll keep an eye on Justin this coming season. Now, let's move on to number seven, a D-man that continues to develop nicely in the Kane system. He looks ready to go to the next step. And I'm talking about Charles Alexis Legaux. We've had a lot of fun talking about Charles in the past. Um, he's a guy that was drafted in the fifth round. He came out of Quinnepiak, that championship team, as you recall, uh, and he's just continued to look, I think, the real deal. What are you thinking about with uh Charles Alexis Legaux?

SPEAKER_00 8:20

Yeah, I think Legaux is an unbelievably

Legaux And Cerrato On The Doorstep

SPEAKER_00 8:22

solid player. He's a guy that would seamlessly fit in on any third pairing in the NHL. Uh, he hyper physical, strong skating base, great defensive guy, can definitely anchor your power or penalty kill uh if you need him to be, but definitely is a great complimentary piece to have there. Just it does everything right and a guy that you always want to have on your team. So he, I mean, if the canes aren't so deep, he's probably in NHL body right now, but I'm not really gonna complain if he gets another really good year in the AHL behind him.

SPEAKER_01 8:53

Yeah, he's definitely uh the way that uh the Wolves are shaking up this year, he's gonna be a key part of that team. Uh and I know that uh Eric Tolski had talked a little bit about this with regards to both he and Joel Nistrom, uh saying, hey, these guys are ready to go, but we want them to play. So you can expect they're gonna start the season at Chicago. Um he had a tough injury, though. Like he was in a situation where he had been called up during that kind of injury uh situation the Cades had and was really locked in, I think, uh on the decor, and then had that tough hand injury, right? And and that took him out for a good part of the season. That was a tough blow for him.

SPEAKER_00 9:32

Yeah, he was in a really nice spot, getting good time and went for a punch and just missed.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

Yeah, lesson learned. And uh, and of course, you almost drum ended up uh subbing in and doing a nice job as well. So great stuff for uh Charles Alexis Legaux and another example, I think, Nick, of the Keynes drafting players later on that uh that can play.

SPEAKER_00 9:59

Yeah, they've had good success with it in the past, and hopefully they can get some good success with it in these recent drafts as well.

SPEAKER_01 10:05

Some of the guys that they've had coming in the last few years. Um, let's move on to number six. Recently signed a pro deal, no surprise. He's earmarked for the Wolves this year. Uh, that's Charlie Serrado. We just mentioned him a few minutes ago, having played with Penn State. Serato also uh bit of an injury plagued season, uh, 27 points in 23 games. He's six foot 190, so he's a good sized guy. Uh second rounder. Here's what Darren York said that I think really was appropriate. He said he's strong on the face-offs, strong two-way game, smart defensively, a lot of skill. He plays exactly the way we want to play. So they really, really like Serato. And if you recall in the draft, he was a bit of a surprise pick. Uh he wasn't uh tabbed by any of the uh the kind of draft forecasters to end up uh in a second round situation, but he looks like he's ready to go. What are you thinking about with Charlie Surratt?

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Yeah, he's uh he's really solid. Um, the first AHL game he played, I was really impressed with how he looked. He handled himself really well in the face-off circle, handled playoff physicality really nicely, got to the front of the net with ease, generated a lot of good chances, and that's kind of just what he is. He's gonna do everything you need him to do. He could probably do some PK in the future. I don't know if it'll be next year, but obviously they have a better plan for him. Uh, he's probably gonna be a top six center. He's gonna be really solid, he's gonna do everything you want, he's gonna piss people off, he's gonna be physical. He's just he's a perfect center that you want on your team. And I think this AHL season is gonna be really telling because if he has a good AHL season, I wouldn't be shocked to see him make the jump next year, year after next.

SPEAKER_01 11:43

Yeah, and he he's you know, he's just 21 years old, so he's uh he's still young enough for sure. And of course, he's kind of uh taken off in his career later. Uh, and I think that's what uh what caught the canes' attention. Uh, you know, with the Wolves, he's gonna have a real opportunity. Of course, uh, you know, Ryan Stezuki's gone, uh, and they're also gonna be missing some other key players. Uh Noah Phillip is gone as well, who was key in the in the uh playoff run for the Wolves. Uh so I think Serato is gonna get a real shot, and that's gonna be exciting to see because uh I think uh with uh Spiro Sinastis and uh Dan Price and the crew, they're gonna do an outstanding job. So really excited about what the future holds for Charlie Serato. And he's in a situation, as you know too, Nick, and maybe you can talk about this. The Keynes at center right are not particularly deep on the prospect side. What are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 12:36

I mean, I think it's fine. I think Serrado is a top nine contributor. I think Ivan Ryabkin could definitely be a top nine contributor down the middle. Uh Andre Khrutoff has played center. Um I think Weigo Sorensen could probably touch center a few times. Felix Ungrasorum has played center a little bit, and he obviously he didn't look spectacular, but he still has the ability to take faceoffs. So I think natural center, yeah, maybe if you don't count Ryabkin as a natural center, but I think they're gonna be fine otherwise.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

Okay. I just wondered what your thoughts were because they haven't we haven't seen some top prospects coming in at center. Of course, Ryabkin was, and of course Serato, but other than that, uh not a whole lot of excitement there. Um okay, and let's move to a completely different position with number five. He's our first goalie on the top ten prospects for the Kanes, and not really a surprise to me. Samian Frolov. Um, he was a third-round pick, the canes loved him. Uh, I think uh 6'3, 191 pounds for Frolov. Um, and back to Darren York and what he said, he was our top-rated goalie, probably one of the best feet with really athletic side-to-side movement. So they really like what they saw. I know the the goalie crew, and I

Goalie Pipeline: Frolov & Velmakin

SPEAKER_01 13:55

remember reading this at the time of the draft, were just ecstatic that he was able to uh to be drafted by the Kanes. Um, what are you thinking about with Frolof? He had some injuries last year, but what's the deal?

SPEAKER_00 14:07

Yeah, um he was a second round pick. He was their first selection in 25. But he was uh even with the injury, I was still pretty happy with what I saw. It's mostly a lost year overall, but in he would became he got a lot of time in the playoffs and was their main starter down the stretch in the MHL final and looked pretty solid. Um, yeah, they value goalies that can move quickly. That's kind of their biggest thing, is that they value goalies that have good skating ability within the crease, and that's what Froloff has. The technical ability is really solid, um, just has to kind of rein in the aggressiveness that a lot of these Russian goalies have. But other than that, he's was really solid this year, and I'm hoping he gets some time in a in a higher league going forward.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Well, on a small sample size, his numbers were ridiculous. He played seven games, one four of them. He had a 1-8-3 goals against average a 9-4-9 percentage. So he was lights out when he was in there. But yeah, I mean, the Russian goalie factory, we've talked a lot about this in the past. Uh the Canes have really dipped into it, right? And in fact, uh, they signed uh through Chicago. Uh, one of your guys, Igor Belmacen, uh, was signed by Chicago, and I wanted to get your thoughts on that as well. What uh what are your thoughts about uh Belmacken signing with Chicago?

SPEAKER_00 15:25

I think it was mainly just shock because I didn't think the day was ever going to happen, but I I am happy he's coming to North America and gonna give it a shot. Um he's not the biggest goalie ever, but he plays very well. Technical ability is really nice. I was happy with what I saw in the KHL when he played there, and in the VHL, he earned the trust at the end of the year to kind of be their starter. So I'm again, I'm a little shocked, but I guess it's just more just like you need depth going forward, and you're gonna have some competition in in Chicago and Greensboro. So I'm I'm I'm interested to see how he does in North America now.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Now you had uh you had a chance to get up close and personal with him at one of the dev camps, right?

SPEAKER_00 16:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

So that's kind of that was kind of fun. And and you know, it it's great because they've got if you're looking at the goaltending situation right now, of course, you've got Pyotr Kochekov with the big club. Uh Ruzlan Kazaev is uh he's been down in, of course, uh Greensboro, but we could see him in Chicago this year. You've got uh, of course, Frolov coming, and you've got Elmakin coming to North America. So a lot of Russian goaltenders starting to uh to really take position in the Keynes uh and Keynes prospect side. So it's great. Okay, let's move to number four. This was a bit of a surprise to me, and uh you caught me kind of off guard with this gentleman. He another big mobile blue liner, he's got all the tools, he had huge progress last year, just 19 years old, and he played in the KHL 37 games, which I know as a teenager is very rare. Um, talking about Alexander Suryatsky, 6'4, he's still a bit slight at 180, 185. Um Dauber Prospects said, smart defensive player who has decent playmaking potential. Elite

Suryatsky & Ryabkin Break Through

SPEAKER_01 17:11

prospect said Suryatsky understands how to mitigate risk defensively. He backtracks ahead of the opposing rush and adopts a conservative positioning to avoid getting beat to the middle. Does that sound about right for Alexander?

SPEAKER_00 17:26

Yeah, um, it shouldn't catch anybody off guard. Uh, me and Matt have been pushing this player unbelievably hard over the past few months just because we have seen a lot with game tape and we've seen a lot with you know people we talk to. It's he's just unbelievably solid. The obviously it's hard for people to break into the KHL at 18, 19 years old. He did. He was getting top four minutes before the injury. He was getting power play time, penalty kill time, he was getting trust and overtime, and he just looked really solid. His skating base is good, the physicality is there for a defenseman, even though he still has a little bit more weight to gain. Yes. Defense is really solid. The offense was breaking through. I really like his ability to quarterback on the power play, even though it didn't show a ton. Um, it shouldn't come as a surprise, in complete honesty. I know it was probably weird to see him over Lego or maybe just him in the top five in general, but he's an unbelievably solid player, and he's one that's definitely going to have a lot more eyes because he's gonna get a much more consistently larger role with Medler going into next year, and he's a guy that could probably break into that top three rankings without any issue going into next year.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

Well, he's another one of these great huge defensives, but drafted later in the fourth round, 124 in in 2024. So he's another player that, you know, again, slipped in the draft. The Canes have a number of them, of course, on the Russian side. Uh yeah, I I just had not prior to you starting to talk a lot about him with Matt at the end of the year, I didn't heard a lot about him. So, and I knew he was still a young man, so it's good stuff. Um, good. Okay, so we'll keep an eye on Sriatsky. Um, and of course, uh he's gonna have a real opportunity again this year in the KHL, so that's good. So let's move up to number three, coming on strong after a slow start. I'm talking about Ivan Ryabkin. Ryabkin, of course, uh started the season with the Wolves, kind of, you know, fourth line, wasn't getting a lot of playing time. They sent him down to Charlottetown in the Quebec uh major junior league. He tore it up. He had 13 goals and 29 assists in just uh 29 games. He was uh he was a beast. And then he came back, and I thought he looked like a different player. Uh in 21 games, he had four goals and five assists, and in the playoffs, he was really effective. Um again, not a big guy, 5'10, but he is 210 pounds, second rounder. What have you seen in terms of the growth of Ivan?

SPEAKER_00 19:50

Well, yeah, first up, uh he's about 185, 190. Um, it was the Elite Prospect's weight was super out of date. Um so he's he's a lot lighter. Um, yeah, I think the Q just gave him all the offensive confidence back. Uh he figured out what he actually needed to do to be successful in North American Pro, and he did it, obviously. Physicality was there, he was much more disciplined, which was kind of a big thing going forward. He was much more offensively involved. He was being able to connect plays, he was able to make plays, he was looking good in transition. He's doing dirty work around the net, he's getting physical after the play, he's getting physical during the play. He's doing everything right, and he looks much more like a guy who could be a consistent top nine contributor who didn't really still flash that offense in the playoffs, even though he did really well. He just looked like a guy who could compete, and that's definitely something that I'm very excited about moving forward.

SPEAKER_01 20:49

Well, it was fun because uh he played on some different lines. Um, he played alongside Noah Philip and uh and Felix Ungersorm a little bit, but he was also on an all-Russia line with Nikita Pavlychev and uh Viktor Noitchev. And uh in the some of the uh podcasts we did with uh Spirosynastus and Dan Price during the playoffs, we were talking about that line, and boy, they were effective. And it was great to see him. He was really driving the play for them in a large number of ways. And one thing I noticed with him, and I don't know if you've seen this as well, but he really sees the ice well. He was uh he was finding open players uh repeatedly and making some great passes. Have you seen that kind of growth in him as well?

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Yeah, he's able to do that. It was there from the start. It was just he finally found the confidence to kind of make the plays he wanted to make. So it was good to see.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

Darren York said uh he drives to the net, he can hit you, he can take hits, he can score off the wrist shot, off the one time, or he can make plays in type. So clearly he's a guy that uh he does it all and he started to show that for sure. Um interesting rumor recently, and I wanted to get your take on this one. Uh Jeremy Garrett, uh who kind of is involved in a lot of information coming out of Russia, suggested that uh Ivan might be signing with Dynamo Moscow. Um thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 22:14

It's a rumor. It's a rumor for a reason. We I I have different I have a differing opinion of a lot of the things that that gentleman speaks on because it's just a lot of stuff he rips from Russian media and posts on Twitter because nobody else does it. And but You know, it it's a rumor. People need to realize that rumors are rumors. Until anything is confirmed, everything it's not real. So just everybody's gotta pump the brakes. Just stop being so caught up in it. And I know it's the summer people do it, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:47

I'm with you a hundred percent. And and frankly, I was a little bit surprised at the rumor itself simply because his role with Chicago is gonna go up this year, I think, dramatically. Um, they're looking for players like Ivan to take a step forward. So I was kind of wondering why would he want to leave now? He's kind of he's making progress, and uh, he's in a situation in Chicago where you know he knows the crew, he's comfortable with the coaching staff, and he's starting to show what he can really do, and this would be a tremendous growth year for him. So kind of, hmm, not sure. Anyway, good to get uh get your take on that too, Nick. That's great. Um, okay, we're getting down to the short list here. Let's go to number two. Now, this is a guy that really turned it around. We talked a lot about him this year. Top first year as a pro. We you mentioned uh Felix Unger Sorm. He had played a little bit of center. It wasn't really a successful move for him. Uh went back to the wing last year, and all he did was leave the lead the Wolves in scoring. So that's fantastic. Um, again, there was something that was interesting, and this I talked about with Sparros a little bit as well. Um, Jack Renzel, uh, the strength and conditioning coach

Unger Sorum Learns Pro Strength

SPEAKER_01 23:59

of uh of the Wolves was really strongly involved with some of the development that took place with um with uh uh Hunger Sorm. And he said, you look at when we started the year in October, and the biggest need that we found that was going to help him the most was getting stronger in general. He's much more powerful, stronger and faster now, and you can see that in his game and with his playing style. And and that was the big thing that we heard from the coaching staff of the Wolves was hey, he is much stronger. He's he's much more involved in the play. Uh, remember he was a little bit of a thin man that uh would get pushed around a lot. We talked about that in the past. What have you seen in terms of the great development of Umbert Swan?

SPEAKER_00 24:41

Yeah, I think he again, it's another situation where he figured out how to apply his game to North American pro hockey and make it look more seamless. And then obviously he's gotten more, he's stronger on the puck, he's stronger off the puck, he's able to handle pressure and physicality a lot easier, which makes it a lot easier for him to play how he wants to play. And I've been consistent in saying that he has an innate ability to control pace with the puck on his stick. He slows it down, he speeds it up, he does whatever he wants. And that's something that the canes just don't have. So it was very good to see his play style reward, and he kind of saw that when it clicks, he is an unbelievably skillful player and probably one of the better forwards on the wolf, if not the best forward overall.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

Well, he he's you know, the thing that always jumps out at me with Unger Sorm is how well he sees the ice. It's incredible. Like, as you say, he controls play and on the power play, he's he's magic out there. Um, I don't know how many times we saw him make pinpoint passes that turned into goals. Uh and when he was injured uh during the playoffs, that was tough for the wolves. They really missed him. And uh so this year again, uh, because there have been a lot of movements with the wolves, um, he's gonna he's gonna take a major role for the wolves for sure. So um what do you think his runway is? Where do you see Ungersorum going?

SPEAKER_00 26:05

I mean, this is a guy that at his peak can be a top six PowerPoint one contributor. So he's an unbelievably skillful winger, and I don't have concerns about size or anything like that. Maybe skating, but it looked fine to me this year. Yeah. So I at his ceiling, he's somebody that can, you know, be a top contributor on your team. I mean, even if he just kind of hits the middle, he's playing in your top nine, and he's still playing on the power play. So he's an unbelievably skillful player, but he's got to play in a role with skill players, or it's just not gonna look up not gonna look right.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Well, the crazy thing is, and we can kind of laugh about this, he's still just 20 years old. I mean, it's insane. We've been talking about Unger Storm for a while. And of course, when he came over a few years ago for training camp, remember there was a lot of excitement that he generated in camp uh with his play and surprised a lot of folks uh coming out of the draft. And he's a guy that uh, again, um I I I'm like you. I think he's the future king. I think he definitely has that in him, and and uh he's continuing to really grow and and I think this was a huge year for him. So kudos to uh to Felix Hungersor. And great work by the coaching staff in Chicago. Uh those guys, I man, they're they're doing a fantastic job. And uh, and I think they did uh he's a good example of uh of how they brought him along nicely. So we're down to number one, and I don't think it's a surprise. We've only talked about him numerous times. That's Bradley Nadeau. What do you got to say about Mr. Nadeau, Nick?

SPEAKER_00 27:40

I mean, he's been an NHL player for the past calendar year. He's unbelievably good, unbelievably talented. Now he's killing penalties at a good, decently high rate, doing everything you want him to do. So um uh he's an NHL player.

SPEAKER_01 27:55

It's kind of well, it's interesting. This year

Bradly Nadeau & Early NHL Chance

SPEAKER_01 27:59

um he had uh plus 16 this year in 52 games. Last year he was minus 20, and that was, I think, one of the biggest uh developmental areas for him. Uh he just turned his game around so strongly in terms of his full 200-foot game, and we heard that from the coaching staff as well quite a bit. Um and he's a guy that in 12 games with the Canes, he scored three goals. So, you know, he he showed what he can do up with the Kanes as well. Um, interesting what Eric Tulski said recently, and and there's been a lot of discussion about, you know, there's going to be an opening with the Kanes for a while. You know, uh Seth Jarvis had his surgery, so he's gonna be out uh four to six months. So he could be out, I guess, until November, December, whatever. Um, and here's what Tulski said. He said there's a real chance that we end up with sort of an open spot in our lineup for a month or two for a younger player to step in and get an opportunity to show what he can do. Bradley Nadeau absolutely will be in the conversation if we need a call up at the start of the year. I think it would be a good opportunity for him to get some runway. So, kind of uh where you are on this, uh Tunick is that uh Bradley is he's ready. Uh, in my view, I don't see a need for him to go back to Chicago.

SPEAKER_00 29:18

Uh I mean, no, but at the same point, it's just kind of where he is. So state of the game. And I also really want to stress that the only reason why Tolski said Nadeau is because he was asked specifically about Nadeau. Sure. That was uh I believe it was Eric Cox who asked the question. He specifically said Nadeau. I think people really need to understand that it could be Nadeau, it could be Felix Unger Swarm, hell, it could be Ivan Ryapkin, it could be any of them. It's just it was specifically about Nadeau.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

No, I I agree. I think uh Eric is always very kind of guarded in what he says. Um, you know, he he leaves all the decision making in that regard to to Rod and his crew. So uh, you know, I he's not gonna say that Nadeau specifically is is going to be the guy that gets it. But but of course, uh Brad Bradley is the guy that's at the top of the list right now, so he should definitely uh have an excellent opportunity with the Keynes. Okay, so that's your top ten prospects for the Carolina Hurricanes, and quite a group. Uh a number of them we've talked about a lot this year, and I know you've written about them a ton in your uh in your substack as well, Nick. So that's that's fantastic. One player that's not on the list, and this is kind of interesting, he's a guy we talked about last year a ton, is Nikita Artemona. What's going on with him?

SPEAKER_00 30:40

Just had a really not good year. It was just a ton of bouncing around and just never really found a consistent role, so it is what happens.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

Yeah, is it is it is he still playing in the KHL? I mean, I haven't heard much about him. Is he still getting ice time?

Artamonov Stalls & Development Is Nonlinear

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Yes, he got decent KHL ice time with uh Nephtokimic last year to end the year, got some decent run in the playoffs, was traded from Torpedo to Avto, and then Avto loaned him out to Severstall. So he'll be playing in the KHL with Severstall next year.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

Okay, so some real movement with him. Um, he was a player that uh early on we thought was really gonna be a potential king.

SPEAKER_00 31:28

Um I still have the same feeling about him being a potential king. It's just he had a down year overall. I don't it is what happens. It sometimes prospect development is not linear, so it's just harder.

SPEAKER_01 31:40

No, no, I just I wanted to definitely want to get your thoughts on Nikita because uh I know a lot of folks are interested to see what what he's up to these days. That's great. So, okay, let's talk about the 26th draft. I know you did a lot of work on this. Uh, and of course, uh, you know, we looked at some of the players that uh the Canes did draft. Uh their first pick was William Hawkinson. Um I've talked about him on some other podcasts. He's a guy that checks in another hulking defenseman. You know, he's just they're all big, these guys, 6'4, 207, uh second rounder, a guy that uh, you know, a lot of folks picked him to go much higher. Uh so the Canes, you know, we're pretty

Draft Steals: Hakansson, Fetterolf & Sorensson

SPEAKER_01 32:19

excited about him. Um, Darren York said he's a player that we've known very well, playing in the international events in Sweden, big, rangey defenseman that skates well and has nastiness. How do you see him uh compared to some of these other big defensemen for the Canes?

SPEAKER_00 32:35

He's probably the second best defense, like pure defensive defenseman. Um, I'm putting Roman Chakren at one for that, but Hawkinson, he's big, rangey, skates really nicely, can be hyper physical at times. I like the defensive ability. I think the offense has room for growth, and I I was seeing some good stuff with his hands, but right now it's just not there. But I was happy to see him sign as well. I don't think that should be a factor or anybody should read too much into it right now, but I definitely think it's good to see him sign that because the canes obviously have big plans for him.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

Well, he played with men last year, right? So playing in the SHL, and so he's gonna do that again this year. Um, he'll get a lot of playing time. The Canes like to do that, leave some of these guys to percolate a little bit over in in uh in uh certainly in in Sweden and Finland and some other places. So really exciting to see that. Um yeah, uh I think he's another defenseman that just continues to build the the depth of this organization and an excellent first pick for the canes. Okay, uh one of the guys who mentioned him earlier slipped way down uh to number 125, which is well down in the draft. Um, and that's uh writer Federolf. Uh we mentioned he's going to Penn State. He just had a ridiculous year in uh in the OHL with Ottawa 67s. He won a ton of awards as a rookie. He was incredible. He was CHL goalie of the year, he was OHL goalie of the year, he was an all-star, he was everything. And the deal about him though, uh, he's not a big goaltender. So he's kind of, you know, looking back at the Cam Ward type goalie, uh, just checking in at six foot. So what are you seeing with Ryder Federoff?

SPEAKER_00 34:22

I see a goalie that does the one thing you're supposed to do as a goalie, which is keep the puck out of the net. He does, he's excellent at that. Um, technique is solid, feet are really good, just does whatever he needs to do to keep the puck out of the net. I really liked what I saw at Dev Camp as well, so I'm I'm pretty happy with that. I didn't think the Canes would take him just because he was a CHL goalie on the shorter side, and that's going against the their trend over the past few years, but I'm very happy with it. I think he's gonna be really solid, and I'm interested to see what type of role he gets at Penn State next year.

SPEAKER_01 34:54

Yeah, and Darren Yorick is right on with what you're saying. He said he just stops the puck. It doesn't matter that he's a little on the shorter end. The ability to read the game and go side-to-side movements is great. He just had an unbelievable season. So, again, uh, do you think he dropped because of his size?

SPEAKER_00 35:14

I would assume so. Size and playing in the CHL, even though there was probably worse goalies that got drafted before him. So I I think it was probably just size.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

So he could be a real steal. That's exciting. Um, okay. And uh another player that they drafted that you kind of had picked uh as one of the players to watch going into the draft, which is kind of fun. Um, another short king, uh Weigel Sorensen, uh playing uh Division II Jr. uh last year. Uh kind of a secondary league. It it's not one of the top leagues uh where he was. Um what did you see Weigel? You had picked him as a guy that Kane should look at.

SPEAKER_00 35:58

Yeah, I've had uh months leading into this, I had another scouting friend who was kind of pushing that he could definitely be seen as somebody that can't take. And I didn't really put a lot of stock into it. I thought he was just kind of pushing it because it was a funny name, but then I've looked into more as the player and I was like, yeah, okay, I can kind of see it because he's just a hyper skilled, decent skating forward. And I think it's a riskier pick for the sole reason that he was drafted out of a league, you just do not see players drafted out of because he wanted to stay closer home and it's his hometown team. But he's a really fun player, uh, insanely skilled offensively, and even with you know, people worried about him playing in weaker league, he still goes up to U20, U18, and still looks incredibly good, dominates, not dominates, but definitely does really well at um international competitions. So I think it's really solid, and I'm interested to see how he does in hockey etin this year, which is third division. But I'm interested to see if he can continue to help lead that hometown team.

SPEAKER_01 37:01

Well, it's gonna be interesting because of course uh you um you know, when you're uh um in a situation where you you pick someone like he has and and they ultimately uh get drafted by the Kids, it must be pretty exciting for you as well.

SPEAKER_00 37:17

It feels nice to know that I have some sort of like idea of where they're going. So that's pretty cool, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 37:26

Cool. Okay, so um yeah, that's uh that's the draft. I mean, there were some other players that are interesting, but I thought we'd just cover some of the highlights. Now let's uh let's take another minute maybe to talk about the dev camp. Uh you've highlighted some of the players from the dev camp. Is there anyone else that jumped out at you at Dev Camp?

SPEAKER_00 37:44

I think uh two of the guys from this past draft, Mikey Burchild and Zach Lansard, they are really fun to watch players. Lansard is uh just he feels like a prototypical hurricane, is super active on the four check, will piss you off from time to time, and is a really nice straight-line skater. Mikey Burchild just has the inner compete, and he's probably more offensively talented

Dev Camp Standouts & Season Watchlist

SPEAKER_00 38:06

right now, just from a standpoint of hands and shot. So I was really happy to see that. Um, defensively, it was kind of just Limitov that blew everybody away with just what he was doing. He was in the drills and the skating tests that I saw, he was impressing staff and all that fun stuff, and then in the drills, he was doing everything he wanted to do and didn't really fail at anything. So I think people were just really impressed with that as a whole.

SPEAKER_01 38:33

Yeah, well, that's great. And you know, again, it was a small camp, right? There were only 13 players, I think, at the camp because uh they didn't bring any of the players from the Chicago Wolves. Obviously, they finished the year late, so I guess they gave them a little bit of a break. So, um, okay, uh, just a couple of closing comments. Uh, one thing I did want to mention is uh Noel Franson, of course, is heading to the Wolves this year. What can you tell the folks about Noel Franson?

SPEAKER_00 38:58

He's basically just a taller Dominic Fensore. He's an unbelievably talented offensive defenseman who skates incredibly well. Um, defense is still a work in progress, but he's gonna be a really fun player to watch overall.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

Yeah, I mean, uh it's gonna be interesting. They're gonna have him and of course uh Yuel Nistrom, so a couple of uh really fine uh European players as well. Um, okay. Um as we wrap up, final question for you, Nick is uh who's on your radar for the coming season?

SPEAKER_00 39:29

I think a lot for me is gonna be Alexander Syriatsky. I really am putting a lot of faith into his development. I think he can probably have a really solid season. I think college hockey is gonna be a lot more fun this year. Um, you know, Jaden Perron is gonna be fun. Uh Justin Poirier is gonna be fun, Mikey Burchild is gonna be really fun in Denver. I think it'll just be really cool and uh glad there's a lot more diversity with kind of where everybody's playing. So I'm interested to see how this goes.

SPEAKER_01 40:03

Yeah, that's uh that's definitely some folks we definitely want to keep an eye on. And of course, uh, as we mentioned earlier, we'll be watching closely players like uh Charlie Serrado and of course uh Felix Undersorm as they continue their development in Chicago. Anyway, great Nick, as always. Uh man, it was it was wonderful to get an update on all these top prospects for the hurricanes, and and we'll look forward to uh our next opportunity to get together on the Nick Bass report and hear about all the uh all the outstanding things happening with the Cage prospects around. Okay, uh for those of you who have been watching or listening, of course, uh Nick and I are very delighted you spend time with us. And uh if you have comments or anything you'd like to say to Nick, please put those in the comment section. Finally, if you want to be alerted of future episodes of Star Trek, please press the subscribe and the bell buttons, and we'll make sure you're made aware just as soon as they're available. As always, Nick and I thank you so much for spending time with us and look forward to getting together with you real soon right here.