2026-27 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Carolina Hurricanes’ Top 10
Welcome back.
It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses, and so much more.
Here are the criteria for being labeled a prospect: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Players over 23 years old are not included. Goaltenders are a bit more subjective, but they must be 25 or under, have played fewer than 15 games in the past season, or have not spent significant time in the NHL overall over a three-year period.
Today, we’re breaking down the Carolina Hurricanes.
Like Tom Petty once said, it’s good to be king.
The Hurricanes finally broke through and won the Stanley Cup after seven years of promise. The team seemed to always be a top contender during the regular season, but could never deliver when it mattered most.
That finally changed this past June. It was a long time coming. Many of the team’s most important players – namely Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis, Jackson Blake and Jaccob Slavin – were guys the team drafted themselves.
That’s a strong core, and by adding through free agency and high-value trades (including the one that sent Scott Morrow to the New York Rangers to bring in K’Andre Miller), the Hurricanes have built a team worth getting scared about. There isn’t a single player making more than $9.75 million, either.
Through it all, the Hurricanes have continued to bet high on upside at the NHL Draft. This year, in particular, I really appreciated their selections of goaltenders Ryder Fetterolf and Zachary Jovanovski out of the OHL. Both might have their flaws but can be absolute game-stealers. The Hurricanes are also one of the best teams at finding talent out of Europe, for what it’s worth.
Carolina should be a championship contender again this year. With a decent pipeline to boot, they should be able to sustain their success in the long run.
Biggest Strength
The Hurricanes have drafted plenty of skaters who are hard to play against. Felix Unger-Sörum is a human spark plug. Charles-Alexis Legault is absolutely huge. Dominik Badinka and William Håkansson will do whatever it takes to get in your way. And Ivan Ryabkin will send you through the glass while flashing a huge smile – he’s a bit sinister that way. Not everyone is going to be a high-end producer, but the Hurricanes have managed to draft plenty of skaters who get in your face and bring energy to every shift.
Biggest Weakness
The Hurricanes lack a prospect with true high-end goal-scoring potential. I like Nadeau, but I think he’ll be more of a setup guy in the NHL, with most of his goals probably coming on the man advantage. The rest of Carolina’s forwards will likely fill roles throughout the lineup without being big-time scorers. And in all fairness, goal scorers are hard to find when you never draft early. As long as the veterans keep figuring out, they’ll be fine.
Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Eric Tulsky
Dir. Amateur Scouting: N/A
Dir. of Player Development: Peter Harrold
AHL Affiliate: Chicago Wolves
ECHL Affiliate: Greensboro Gargoyles
TOP 10 PROSPECTS
1. Bradly Nadeau, LW/RW, 21 (Chicago Wolves, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 30th overall, first round in 2023
Nadeau was one of the better wingers in the AHL this past year, putting up more than 50 points for the second consecutive season. He’s been productive at just about every level, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets it all together in the NHL. Nadeau played 12 games in the NHL this past year, and if he’s not a full-timer in 2026-27, I expect him to play around the same with the big club. There’s no real reason to rush him to the NHL without a clear spot on a scoring line. I hope he’ll get his chance in the near future, though.
2. Felix Unger-Sörum, RW, 20 (Chicago Wolves, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 62nd overall, second round in 2023
I’m a big, big fan of Unger-Sörum, who had 66 points in his second year of AHL hockey. He also made his NHL debut, registering an assist against the New York Islanders. Unger-Sörum can be a bit hot-and-cold, but when he’s at his best, he’s nearly unstoppable. I like his energy and playmaking acumen, and his shot has continued to improve in recent years, too. That’s especially important because scouts have wondered whether his weaker shot would keep him from a scoring role in the NHL. I love him as a support forward and think he’ll be a solid NHLer. I do wonder if he’d be better used as trade bait so he can find a roster with an opening on the wing sooner rather than later.
3. Charles-Alexis Legault, RHD, 22 (Chicago Wolves, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 139th overall, fifth round in 2023
There’s nothing flashy about Legault’s game. But the 6-foot-4 defender keeps things simple and does an excellent job of getting himself into dangerous areas to kill players in the D zone. He makes it his mission to separate opponents from the puck in any way he possibly can, and it allowed him to adjust quite nicely to the NHL this past year. Carolina has a bit of a logjam on the point, so if Alexander Nikishin isn’t moved out, it’s going to be hard for Legault to crack the Hurricanes this year. I still think he has the makings of a play-killing, third-pairing defender, though.
4. Dominik Badinka, RHD, 20 (Chicago Wolves, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 34th overall, second round in 2024
Badinka made the jump over to the AHL this past year, where he put up 14 points in 68 games with the Wolves. Ice time was a bit hard to come by – he played around 14 minutes a night on a team boasting an impressive blueline. Still, scouts seem to really believe in him. Badinka has a good 6-foot-3 frame and solid hockey sense, and he doesn’t crumble under pressure. His mobility is solid, he’s elusive and makes smart decisions with the puck. I’d like to see him reach another level offensively. Hopefully he’ll see his ice time increase significantly in his sophomore campaign.
5. William Håkansson, LHD, 18 (Luleå HF, SHL)
Acquired: Drafted 51st overall, second round in 2026
Håkansson didn’t get a ton of ice time at the World Juniors, but we saw exactly what he’s capable of – raw defensive energy. There’s absolutely no flash to his game. Instead, he uses his big 6-foot-4, 207-pound frame to flatten opponents while being a pain in the rear end defensively. He’s quite mobile for his frame, too. Håkansson’s lack of offensive awareness won’t help his draft stock, but I absolutely could see him becoming a solid shutdown defender in the NHL. I like his frame, but if he could learn to use that more effectively and consistently, he’d make it impossible to leave him off Carolina’s roster in the long run.
6. Semyon Frolov, G, 19 (MHK Spartak Moskva, MHL)
Acquired: Drafted 41st overall, second round in 2025
So many scouts love Frolov’s game. He played only nine MHL regular-season games this past season but delivered some excellent performances with MHK Spartak Moskva. Frolov was one of the top goaltenders in the 2025 NHL Draft, and the Hurricanes clearly liked what they saw. The 6-foot-3 keeper has ideal size; he’s athletic, and he tracks shots well, allowing him to come out on top in 2-on-0 situations quite often. He has all the makings of a solid, smart, calm goaltender who doesn’t let many bad goals. I love the way he moves from post to post, too. Few goalies can steal games as regularly as Frolov does – we’ll see if he continues to progress.
7. Charlie Cerrato, C, 21, (Chicago Wolves, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 49th overall, second round in 2025
Cerrato was a late-bloomer who, at one point, was demoted from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program’s U-18 team to the U-17 squad. Since then, we’ve seen him become one of the top players in college hockey. He would have easily surpassed the 40-point mark again this past year had he not gotten injured. Cerrato was known more for his two-way game at a younger age, and he’s still doing special things in the defensive zone, but he’s more dangerous as a passer than most ever expected. Just imagine if he started dominating as a shooter, as well. The Hurricanes love betting on upside, and Cerrato – a second-round pick last year – might be the real deal.
8. Nikita Artamonov, LW, 20 (Severstal Cherepovets, KHL)
Acquired: Drafted 50th overall, second round in 2024
Watching players develop in the KHL can be so frustrating. Artamonov thrust himself high onto this board a year ago after an impressive 39-point season with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. But after struggling to earn ice time and registering one assist in 16 games, he was loaned out to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, where he had just nine points in 37 games. Now he’s off to Severstal Cherepovets, and we’ll see if Artamonov can find his scoring touch again. He’s a good skater with high-end top speed and good edgework, allowing him to make things happen in space. Artamonov’s puck skills and hockey sense are both solid for this group, allowing him to beat bigger, more experienced defenders with his quick hands and creativity. The good news? He’s still quite young.
9. Ivan Ryabkin, C/LW, 19 (Chicago Wolves, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 62nd overall, second round in 2025
After spending the first half of the season in the AHL, Ryabkin joined the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders for the second half and had a whopping 42 points in 20 games. He also continued to show his shift-disturbing nature by throwing himself at anyone who got even remotely close to him. Ryabkin is fascinating because while he used to dominate his age group with pure skill, he has really figured out how to harness his physicality along the way. That should open some doors for him in a bottom-six energy role, but I do ultimately think he’ll have no problem adjusting to full-time AHL duty this coming year. He has played for six teams over the past two years, so staying in one spot for an entire campaign should do wonders for his development.
10. Wiggo Sörensson, C, 18 (Boro/Vetlanda HC, HockeyTvåan)
Acquired: Drafted 61st overall, second round in 2026
This is probably higher than most would put Sörensson, but I’m a true believer, and he’s exactly the type of high-upswing pick I love out of the Hurricanes. He primarily played in Hockeytvåan, the fourth league in Sweden, to stay closer to home. That’s an unusual path for a prospect, especially one who has proven he can dominate shifts against his own age group. I really like him, though. Sörensson does a good job of picking up rebounds, and he also has a strong wrist shot. He has had a good year with Sweden’s U-18 team, but the U-18s were easily his best hockey of the year. With no Viggo Bjorck, the Swedes needed more from their centers, and Sörensson was impactful with and without the puck. Sörensson has played essentially every level of junior hockey possible this season, and scouts have really started to come around on him in recent months. Sörensson is very deceptive with the puck, both when it comes to getting a pass off and in tight, allowing him to deke goalies with ease. If he indeed comes to North America at some point, I think he’ll turn some heads.
Other Prospects: Justin Robidas, C (23), Gleb Trikozov, LW (21), Viktor Neuchev, LW (22), Michael Berchild, LW (18), Viggo Nordlund, LW (19), Fyodor Avramov, LW (20), Andrey Krutov, LW (20), Oskar Vuollet, LW (20), Timur Mukhanov, LW (21), Alexander Perevalov, LW (22), Zachary Lansard, RW (17), Filip Ekberg, RW (19), Michael Emerson, RW (22), Jayden Perron, RW (21), Alexander Rykov, RW (20), Stanislav Yarovoi, RW (22), Noel Fransen, LHD (20), Ronan Seeley, LHD (23), Kurban Limatov, LHD (19), Timur Kol, LHD (19), Roman Shokhrin, LHD (20), Alexander Siryatsky, LHD (19), Vladimir Grudinin, LHD (22), Alexander Pelevin, LHD (22), Bryce Montgomery, RHD (23), Aleksi Heimosalmi, RHD (23), Kyle Masters, RHD (23), Roman Bausov, RHD (19), Ruslan Khazheev, G (21), Ryder Fetterolf, G (18), Zachary Jovanovski, G (18), Yegor Velmakin, G (23), Yegor Naumov, G (23)
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