After years of mostly absenteeism the Carolina Hurricanes returned to the draft table with more then just a random pick here or there and came away quite happy with 8 new prospects in the cupboard. Here is the breakdown.

Pick 92    Josh Bloom LW- Saginaw Spirit OHL

6'2"- 180 lbs

Stats: 67 GP, 30 G-31 A= 61 points

The skinny: With players dropping from Carolina's draft list like leaves in the fall GM Rich traded out of the 2nd and 3rd rounds adding superior picks in later years before realizing late in the third round that Josh was still sitting there. With several deals going on the evening Carolina was able to reacquire a 3rd to select him here at Pick 92. Although Josh didn't have earth shattering stats in Saginaw his nearly point per game production is actually quite a bit better when you factor how shit his team was/is. Josh played every game against the opposition best and his 6' 2'' frame is only going to help his development as he grows into his height. As with every draft there are lots of high profile guys that get the hype and lots of under the radar guys that just do what they are supposed to and this real life Sabre will look to cast a brighter light on himself moving forward.

Pick 107  Olivier Nadeau  RW- Shawinigan QMJHL

6' 2" - 198 lbs.

Stats: 65 GP, 35G - 43A= 78 points,  Playoffs: 16 GP, 4G-12A= 16 points

The Skinny: This second real life Sabre pick had a solid campaign in the "Q" with better than the point/game threshold most seem to look at as a benchmark for the second straight season. At 198 lbs he has already grown into his height which can and will help him along with his development. Going to a real life team in Buffalo that needs youth and in the midst of a full tear down he will get every opportunity to succeed at the pro level.

Pick 137 Jacob Melanson RW- Acadie-Bathurst QMJHL

6' 0"- 205 lbs

Stats: 54 GP, 35G- 21A= 56 points,  Playoffs: 8GP, 4G- 2A= 6 points

The Skinny: After putting up 8 goals and 19 points in just 18 games as an 18 year old Jacob showed that his goal scoring touch was not just a flash in the pan burying 35 as a 19 year old in just 54 games. At 205 lbs he has already matured into a solid playing weight and this real life Kraken will be counted on to score sooner rather than later for a franchise needing some young guns to build a fan base around. 

Pick 154   Justin Robidas  C- Val D'or  QMJHL

5' 8" - 176 lbs

Stats: 68 GP, 30G- 52A= 82 points,  Playoffs: 4 GP, 4G- 2A= 6 points

The Skinny: This diminutive forward may not have the size of some of his peers but at 176 lbs his small height may actually benefit him with his low center of gravity. As a 17 year old he put up an impressive 43 points in 57 games, then followed that up with 36 points in 35 games as an 18 year old. All this kid does is produce and going to the real life Hurricanes will only help his development working with that first rate organization. 

Pick 171   Chase Clark   G- USHL  Muskegon

6' 6"-  208 lbs

Stats: 13 GP,  3.66 GAA- .889 SV %,  Playoffs: 9 GP, 6-2-1 record, 3.04 GAA-  .915 SV %

The Skinny: Look at the size of this kid! This 17 year old (yes 17) is coming off of his first full season in the USHL where he split time between Tri-City and Muskegon having had mixed results. In Tri-city Chase had much better regular season stats but in the playoffs with Muskegon is where he made his mark. Despite sporting an over 3 GAA Chase faced an average of 38 shots a game and led his team to a 6-2-1 record with a .915 SV % . Already a large goalie, Chase will add some more bulk to that impressive frame over the next couple of years and will be given time to develop properly in the Capitals organization.

Pick 193  Yevgenii Kashnikov   D- Gatineau  QMJHL

6' 6"-  202 lbs

Stats: 62 GP, 13G- 19A= 32 points     Playoffs: 7 GP, 0G- 2A= 2 points

The Skinny: Another large specimen taken by Uncle Brother Rich in this draft and another from the high flying "Q". This was NOT actually by design but when guys that you are targeting go right in front of you then shit happens! This hulking lad has magically discovered some pretty good offense in his game this season with an impressive 32 points from the backend. After just 7 points in 59 games as a 17 year old Yevgenii hinted at some offensive upside putting up 5 points in 8 games in a limited sample as an 18 year old.....but his real life team in San Jose had to love seeing the jump to a 13 goal,19 assist campaign this season. With the likes of Brent Burns to learn from in camp things look bright for this big defenseman.

Pick 203    Tyson Kozak  C- Portland    WHL

5' 11"  165 lbs

Stats: 66 GP, 32G- 37A=69 points,   Playoffs: 10 GP, 2G- 3A= 5 points

The Skinny: An obvious well balanced forward that has had decent success throughout his development will need to thicken up a bit to continue his route forward to the pro's. At just 165 lbs he is likely 25 lbs light of where he needs to be to be effective at the next level as evidenced by his drastic offensive drop-off in the playoffs when the games are tighter checking and more physical. As has been mentioned with earlier picks, Tyson will get a trial by fire in real life Buffalo who will be desperate to catch lightning in a bottle with their young prospects. Will they sink or swim?? Either way they will all get their feet wet!

Pick 210   Ryan McCleary  D- Portland   WHL

6' 2"-  180 lbs

Stats: 63 GP, 6G- 24A= 30 points,   Playoffs: 11 GP, 0G- 0A= 0 points

The Skinny: This season began not knowing what to expect from Ryan as he is a bit slight physically for his height while the other question was around his offensive abilities. After putting up 7 points in just 18 games as a 17 year old Portland was looking to see if Ryan could produce over a full season and after putting up basically .5 points per game the answer appears to be yes. While his offensive numbers aren't off the charts it is expected that he will grow into his frame and look to take the next step as a 19 year old. Real life Pittsburgh won't be in a hurry to rush the youngster as another year of development in junior appears in the cards!

That concludes the Carolina draft report....hope you enjoyed the read!