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The Carolina Hurricanes added to their stable of top defensemen and selected Jake Bean, (6' 0 175) of the Calgary Hitmen with their 13th overall pick.
They needed scoring and a couple of good forwards were still on the board, including 50 goal scorer Kieffer Bellows, but the Canes must have gone with the highest player on their list, regardless of position.
He was ranked-
15 - by Hockeyprospect.com
16 - ISS Hockey
18 - Future Considerations
10 - McKeen's Hockey
15 - by NHL Central Scouting (North America)
12 - Bob McKenzie TSN
6 - Red Line Report
Some scouts had tremendous things to say about Bean.
The Red Line Report was very impressed and had him ranked at 6 overall and said that he had the highest offensive upside of any defenseman in the draft. Here is more of what they had to say:
Offensive package that rivals any defenseman coming out of the west in more than a decade. An exquisite puck-mover. Very smooth in both skating and puckhandling. Never looks rushed and never forces a play. Light on his skating edges and terrific 4-way movement. Has great passing touch - can make accurate, delicate saucer passes from both sides of his blade or can make a rocket crisp pass the length of the ice. Great vision, sees plays developing up ice. Never makes a bad decision. Chooses ideal times to pinch. Game-changing snap shot, picking apart goalies while hiding release. Compares to Kris Letang.
On the other side of things, Steve Kournianos of "The Draft Analyst" had him ranked at 22 overall.
Steve has many positive things to say about his offensive game and confirms he might be the best offensive defenseman in the draft but then adds this:
To be blunt, he's a liability in his own end. He tries to make up deficiencies in physicality with good positioning but is far to inconsistent in that regard. He's prone to lose his man in board battles or in the slot. Still, he's too good to overlook in the later stages of the first round.
It's not unusual that scouts will disagree. Hopefully, the Canes get the forward they want at number 21. We will see.