It was a strange one for the Carolina Hurricanes: after eight straight drafts with at least one Russian pick, they came away from this class without taking a Russian player at all. What they did add was a pretty wild mix of profiles - one defenseman, a run of highly skilled forwards, and two goalies. The class leans hard into upside, but there’s enough floor in spots to make it interesting too.
The headliner on the back end is William Hakansson, the lone defenseman in the group, taken out of Lulea in the SHL. He put up 60 games, 3 goals, 13 assists and 16 points.
The Canes have a pretty clear type on defense, and Hakansson fits it: a strong skating base, plus at least one or two traits that really pop. At 6’4, he moves well, plays with a physical edge, and knows how to use that frame to separate man from puck and keep possession.
He’s useful in breakouts, and while the offense still trails the defense, the idea of him as a future number 1 penalty killer and shutdown NHL defender makes him a pretty intriguing grab at 51.
Then the draft shifts into a full-on skill run. Wiggo Sorensson might have the most eye-catching production in the entire class, with 59 games, 61 goals, 52 assists and 113 points for Boro/Vetlanda in Division 2.
Those numbers only include domestic games, including playoffs, not international play. The upside here is obvious.
He’s a good skater with really good puck skills, plus the speed to get around defenders and the hands to make it work once he has the puck on his stick. The competition level will raise questions, and so will the size, but he also produced at every level he touched.
He had a strong year in the 4th division of Swedish hockey, solid showings in both the U18 and U20 Nationell, and then put up 6 points in 6 games at the U18 World Juniors, finishing second on Sweden behind first-rounder Elton Hermansson. This is exactly the kind of high-upside swing Carolina tends to take.
Zach Lansard, picked from the Regina Pats in the WHL, adds a different flavor. He posted 73 games, 27 goals, 32 assists and 59 points.
The size concern is there on paper - he’s around 5’10-5’11 - but there’s plenty to like once you watch him. He plays with a high motor, gets to the middle of the ice, can work around defenders, and contributes even when he’s away from the puck.
The “Got that dog in him” tag from Elite Prospects apparently did a lot of work here, and the tape backed it up. He looks like a player built for this organization, with the next step being more work in transition.
Mikey Berchild keeps the theme rolling. The US National U18 Team winger posted 69 games, 31 goals, 41 assists and 72 points, and yes, he’s another slightly undersized but highly skilled forward at 5’10.
He gets to the slot, isn’t shy about shooting, handles the puck smoothly, skates well, and brings a nice motor too. There’s also a pretty appealing next step waiting for him at the University of Denver, where David Carle will coach him.
Berchild also had a strong U18 World Juniors, finishing with 6 points in 5 games and ranking third on the US team behind first-round pick Wyatt Cullen and Lucas Zajic.
The goalie group is where this class really starts to stand out. Ryder Fetterolf, taken from the Ottawa 67s in the OHL, went 50 games with a 2.65 GAA and a .912 save percentage.
The size will draw immediate attention, but there’s a reason to be optimistic. He’s the first goalie the Canes have drafted from the CHL since Jeremy Helvig in 2016, and the first sub-6-foot goalie they’ve taken since Alexander Nedeljkovic in 2014, depending on where you look for the measurements.
Fetterolf’s game is built on stopping the puck at a high level. He gets in front of shots, can make explosive movements, and has the kind of athletic save-making that stands out.
Penn State next year will be worth watching closely. And, as for his award list from this season: that ain’t bad.
Zachary Jovanovski gives Carolina a second goalie in the class. He came out of the Guelph Storm with 56 games, a 3.80 GAA and an .888 save percentage.
The Hurricanes rarely go this route, and it’s even more notable that 3 of their 6 picks came from the CHL, with 2 of those being goalies. But the position was clearly an area they wanted to address, with Ruslan Khazheyev and Semyon Frolov the only two prospect goalies by the author’s standards.
Jovanovski brings the kind of frame teams want first, standing around 6’3, along with solid quickness, good technique and a nice glove hand. The questions are about his movement and tracking, but the bet is that those parts can come along while the size and raw traits already give him a foundation.
All told, it’s a class built around Carolina’s taste for skating, skill and upside - with a few different paths to follow from here.
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Hurricanes Just Clarified One Roster Question And A Fan Frustration
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The bigger off-ice win for fans came in the form of a wider reach for the teams broadcasts, as Carolina announced an expanded agreement with Cox Media Group and Gray Media for a 10-game Saturday Night Hockey package. Those games will air on free over-the-air channels in multiple markets across North and South Carolina, while the Hurricanes will still keep their Hockey Network and streaming options in place for viewers who prefer to watch that way. [Read more 🡒]