Carolina Hurricanes: Top 10 Prospects Entering 2018
The Carolina Hurricanes have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. They have more than 10 excellent prospects, which made whittling this list down hard.
The Carolina Hurricanes could probably have a top 15 prospects list instead of a top 10. They have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL, with more depth than any of the teams we’ve done so far.
Having that many excellent prospects meant that some of them did not make it, even though they may have been put on other teams’ lists. Those missing include Saku Maenalanen, Eetu Luostarinen, Julien Gauthier, Michael Fora, and Lenni Killinen.
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This means that the prospects who did make it are excellent. The ones at the top are elite level talents, ones who will help change the Carolina Hurricanes in due time. These prospects are ranked based on three factors: ceiling, NHL readiness, and the likelihood they play consistently (and contribute meaningfully) for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Let’s start with the goaltenders.
1. Alex Nedeljkovic [22 years old]
Stats: 49 gp, 2.55 GAA, .903 save percentage (8 pgp, 2.11 GAA, .919 save percentage). Charlotte Checkers, AHL.
Alex Nedeljkovic has some NHL experience when he stepped in last season for a game and posted a 1.000 save percentage. Since then, his experience has been contained within the AHL, where he’s been the starter and has supported the Charlotte Checkers. They got to the playoffs and then to the second round in part because of the work Nedeljkovic has put in.
He doesn’t strike me as a starter, at least not yet, but he’s 22. There’s time. He’s small, at six feet flat, and because of that leans on his athleticism to make saves, which isn’t necessarily a good thing for a modern NHL caliber goaltender. Only two goaltenders in the NHL now are freak athletes, Jonathan Quick and Marc-Andre Fleury, and they’re both still larger than Nedeljkovic. Still, that’s his weak spot, and he can do the other things he needs to do well.
Nedeljkovic will be back in his starting role for the Checkers next season, looking to build on a solid sophomore year (and first full one in the AHL). If he does what he needs to do and helps drive the Checkers even further into the playoffs, and either of Petr Mrazek or Scott Darling fades again this season, Nedeljkovic could step into the backup role in 2019-20.
2. Callum Booth [21 years old]
Stats: 28 gp, 2.41 GAA, .911 save percentage (2 pgp, 3.03 GAA, .887 save percentage). Florida Everblades, ECHL. 4 gp, 1.60 GAA, .941 save percentage. Charlotte Checkers, AHL
Callum Booth did really well in a brief taste of the AHL this season. A .941 save percentage is incredible at any level, and while it was only four games, it gives a promising look to his season. He didn’t do as well in the ECHL, getting just a .911 save percentage, but he helped drive the Everblades to the playoffs. It’s also not a bad place to start for a young goaltender, as Nedeljkovic started his professional career in the ECHL as well.
Booth will likely take the backup job in Charlotte next season, and get 25 or so games. That will be the real indicator of what he can do, and if both he and Nedeljkovic do well, they could be considered the Carolina Hurricanes’ future battery. With two goaltenders up top right now, there’s no rush for Booth.