About Last Season: Andrej Nestrasil Performance Review and Grade

Andrej Nestrasil: 2016-2017 By the Numbers

• Age: 26
• NHL Seasons: 3
• Games Played: 19
• Scoring: 1g-4a-5pts
• Ice Time: 10:54 all situations, 10:23 ES, 0:31 PP, 0:00 PK
• 5-on-5 stats: 51.9% CF, 45.5% GF
• Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent

About Last Season

Jamie Kellner

Canes Country’s player-by-player review and grades for the 2016-17 season.

• April 13: Sebastian Aho
• April 14: Klas Dahlbeck
• April 15: Patrick Brown
• April 17: Phil Di Giuseppe
• April 18: Justin Faulk
• April 19: Brett Pesce
• April 20: Victor Rask
• April 21: Elias Lindholm
• April 24: Eddie Lack
• April 25: Brock McGinn and Jay McClement
• April 26: Andrej Nestrasil and Joakim Nordstrom
• April 27: Noah Hanifin
• April 28: Ryan Murphy
• May 1: Derek Ryan
• May 2: Jeff Skinner
• May 3: Jaccob Slavin
• May 4: Jordan Staal
• May 5: Lee Stempniak
• May 8: Matt Tennyson
• May 9: Teuvo Teravainen
• May 10: Cam Ward
• May 11: Others receiving votes
• May 12: Coaching staff and front office

Making the Grade

The 2016-2017 season began with Andrej Nestrasil still recovering from an injury, and never really got on track at the NHL level after that. After suffering a fractured vertebra to end his 2015-2016 campaign, the long road to recovery put Nestrasil behind in getting ready for the season, and he never fully got back as a consistent player in the Hurricanes lineup, playing only 19 games this season. For Nestrasil, that culminated in the Hurricanes actually placing the young forward on waivers in January, which ultimately ended in him not being claimed and then reporting to Charlotte to play the remainder of the season.

In his 39 games in Charlotte, Nestrasil has not exactly shown the offensive punch the Hurricanes are likely looking for, as he netted only five goals in 39 games, while chipping in nine assists. Nonetheless, the 26-year old forward goes into the offseason with an uncertain future both with the Canes and in his own hockey career.

In the 2015-2016 season, prior to his injury, Nestrasil was a constant in the Canes lineup, suiting up for a total of 55 games and showing some flashes in what was ultimately a 23 point season. After his injury, and into the 2016-2017 season, his placement within the organization has been surpassed by the likes of Phil Di Guiseppe, and the obvious young talent in Sebastian Aho, Valentin Zykov, Brock McGinn, and even veteran Derek Ryan. With yet another wave of talent to come in the form of youngsters such as Aleksi Saarela, opportunity may have officially dried up in Raleigh for Nestrasil. He may have realized this himself, giving an interview to a Czech newspaper in March in which he seemed to call time on his Hurricanes career.

Going forward, if Nestrasil is to remain in the organization, it is likely he will do so as an AHL rostered player, providing depth for what the Hurricanes hope to be a much more productive group of forwards next season and for years to come.