FanPost

Tropical Storm: Canes Down in the Minors

Entering the 2014-15 season, the Carolina Hurricanes were projected by many to be a cellar dweller with not much hope for the playoffs. After a few injuries and a miserable October, the team seemed to be fulfilling the prophecies. What made matters worse is that by most critics’ standards the Hurricanes farm was not the shining light at the end of the tunnel that fans were hoping for. Most publications put the Canes somewhere near the last third of their rankings. To see how the minors are faring, and to keep things simple, we will use the Hockey’s Future Top 20 rankings and take a look at each player in the top 10. Going forward, I will take a look at some risers and surprisers.

1. Elias Lindholm (Drafted 1st Round, 2013 – Currently with Carolina/NHL)

Having just turned 20 at the beginning of the month, Elias Lindholm was projected preseason to step into a top 6 role and compliment some of the Canes bigger name scorers. Coming off a rookie season that saw him score 9 goals and 12 assists in 58 games, much was expected from the young Swede. While he has shown flashes of brilliance at times, his scoring is still streaky – something expected from a young player in his first full season. So far in 2014, he has amassed 8 goals and 7 assists in 34 games. While his surrounding talent may not be as deep as last year, Lindholm has shown more willingness to play physical and looks to break his previous single season point total as he learns the professional game. At this point, he is still the clear cut top prospect in the Hurricanes system, even though he will have exhausted rookie eligibility by seasons end.

2. Haydn Fleury (Drafted 1st Round, 2014 – Currently with Red Deer/WHL)

Drafted earlier this year by GM Ron Francis, Fleury seemed to fit the bill for what Francis had been touting since taking over the helm – size. Fleury is listed as 6’3", 203 and still has plenty of time to grow. Size is one thing, but he has also shown he knows how to use it, laying hits on opponents and using his size to clear the crease. With all these positives, it is still most likely going to be considered a disappointing season for Fleury. His team sits in third in their division but with no real aspirations for a Memorial Cup berth. Also, Fleury’s scoring is down this year as he only has 1 goal and 11 assists through 27 games while sitting at a -9. The scoring may have to do with a lack of talent around him or a focus on more of his defensive game. More deflating though may be the fact that Fleury was one of the last cuts from Team Canada’s IIHF U-20 World Juniors team. Many expected him to be on the squad in some capacity but a stacked roster pushed him off. While surely Fleury and the Canes organization would have loved for him to get the seasoning a tournament like this would bring, maybe it will ignite the competitive spark that has Fleury working even harder on his game.

3. Ryan Murphy (Drafted 1st Round, 2011 – Currently with Charlotte/AHL)

Murphy was taken by previous GM Jim Rutherford with the hopes that he would turn into a top 4 defenseman with puck moving abilities a la Scott Niedermayer. So far, Murphy has shown that he can skate the puck up the ice fluidly and gain the offensive zone, but once there he is often unsure of what to do. Still, there is no doubt that Murphy has puck skills and an offensive flair to his game. So far, that has not transitioned to the professional game in counting statistics. Now in his second professional season, Murphy has yet to take the leap that many expected for him. He began the season in Raleigh playing in six games while tallying 1 assist before being sent down to Charlotte. Since arriving he has been asked to log more minutes while still adding his offense. In what seems to be a recurring theme for the top prospects of the Hurricane organization, the team’s lack of talent is definitely affecting Murphy. He has 16 assists in just 21 games and leads the team in scoring. With the NHL team all but done for the season, one has to wonder if Murphy will be called up to learn on the fly or if his time with the Canes is drawing to an end.

4. Alex Nedeljkovic (Drafted 2nd Round, 2014 – Currently with Plymouth/OHL)

Joining in a tradition of players being selected from the Plymouth organization to Carolina, Nedeljkovic is one of the few that truly deserved to be selected where he was. His talent projected him to go somewhere between the late first and late second round and he ended up right in the middle falling to the Canes at 37th overall. While he does not have excess size like many goalies of the modern era, he does offer exemplary positioning and a solid technical side. This year, he is on a mixed bag team that is truly hurting his statistics. So far he has played 26 games with a 3.43 Goals Against Average and a .905 Save percentage. While none of those numbers will scream "Future #1" at you, it should be noted that his team is young with what almost everyone could consider a weak defensive core. More appropriately, it should be noted that Nedeljkovic was selected to represent the US at the World Juniors as part of a three goalie committee. It would not be surprising to see him get some time against a weaker opponent during the round robin phase.

5. Brock McGinn (Drafted 2nd Round, 2012 – Currently with Charlotte/OHL)

If Nedeljkovic was following the Plymouth tradition of players going to the Canes, Brock McGinn is trying to keep another tradition alive – the drafting of McGinn’s to the NHL. While brother Jamie and Tye do their own work for their respective franchises, Brock’s goal was to make an impact in training camp and then adjust to the pro game. He certainly has started that process as many were clamoring for him to make the team out of camp once word of the injuries spread. However, the team wants to be patient with the grinder and sent him to Charlotte where on the season he has 5 goals, 8 assists through 28 games. While he may not be the biggest forward at 6’0", 185 lbs., he is known for his sandpaper game and ability to put up points as well. On a better team, McGinn may have had more opportunity to score, but a lack of offensive talent in Charlotte is not helping that part of his game. It is still expected that his scoring will come around where he can be a valuable third or fourth line type that chips in some secondary scoring.

6. Victor Rask (Drafted 2nd Round, 2011 – Currently with Carolina/NHL)

Many expected that Rask would get a chance this season to see some NHL time when someone was dinged up or had the flu. With Eric and Jordan Staal, Riley Nash and Jay McClement all lined up in front of him and Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner able to handle emergency Center duties, Rask was expected to lead Charlotte in the AHL and gain another developmental year adding to his offense. Instead, both Staals started the season hurt and Rask was asked to handle a much larger load. Spending much of the season so far centering the second and third lines for the big squad, Rask has looked exactly like one would expect from a rookie – some great moments; some forgettable. His defensive game has helped him look like he belongs and his offensive totals of 4 goals and 5 assists through 34 games show that he still has work to do. As the team gets healthier, there may still be a chance that Rask is sent back to Charlotte, but at this point it seems like he will stay with the big club and learn to hone his game on the fly.

7. Daniel Altshuller (Drafted 3rd Round, 2012 – Currently with Florida/ECHL)

While more of the "new" prototypical sized goalie (6’3", 201 lbs) and having the better statistics in juniors, Altshuller is the lower ranked prospect of the two goalies in Carolina’s top-10. Some of this has to do with the fact that he played on better OHL teams and some has to do with the fact that he has been in the system longer and is not the new shiny toy. Either way, Altshuller has not been as impressive in his brief professional debut being outplayed by starter Allen York and only posting a 3.19 GAA and .886 SV% in his eight games played. With Florida atop their ECHL division standings, it may be a long season for Altshuller before he gets a chance to start or gets called up to Charlotte. He still has time on his side however, as he is only 20 years old and goalies usually take longer to develop. Depending on personnel, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him start in Florida next season with Charlotte a late season promotion.

8. Jaccob Slavin (Drafted 4th Round, 2012 – Currently with Colorado College/NCAA)

Another product of the 2012 draft, Slavin is another big defenseman standing in at 6’3" and 195 lbs. At 20, he can still add some muscle to his frame to prepare for the pro game. After winning the CCHA’s Rookie of the Year award with 5 goals and 20 assists, much was expected of the left handed defenseman. He has started the season slow with only 2 assists in his first 15 games but his game has started to show glimpses of what made him the ROY last year. The team in general has not performed up to standards but Slavin continues to get praise from his coaches and teammates. With the Holiday Break almost over, Slavin and the rest of the Tigers hope to shake off the early season funk and get back into gear.

9. Trevor Carrick (Drafted 4th Round, 2012 – Currently with Charlotte/AHL)

The 2012 draft just keeps on giving. Another left handed defenseman, Carrick is more of steady and sturdy type. Never known for racking up huge point totals in his junior days, Carrick has taken on a two-way role in his professional journey. With Charlotte, Carrick has totaled 1 goal and 7 assists in 29 games while piling up 45 PIM. He has shown a willingness to drop the gloves with five fights already on the season. Carrick may not be the flashy scoring type D that teams covet nowadays, but he has plenty of value as a bottom pairing type that can stand up for himself and teammates. With another season or two in the minors, Carrick may be able to fill the role that Jay Harrison and Brett Bellemore have played the past few seasons.

10. Brett Pesce (Drafted 3rd Round, 2013 – Currently with New Hampshire/NCAA)

A junior at UNH this season, Pesce’s numbers have taken a step back from his sophomore campaign where he scored 21 points in 41 games. So far he has put up 1 goal and 2 assists in 11 games. The defenseman has been known as a heady defender with a nose for the offensive side of the game, but this season he has taken a step up on the defensive side. A right handed shot, if Pesce can find a balance between his defensive duties and offensive contributions he could be a valuable asset for the Canes when he finally turns pro.