In the NHL Draft, who is the best Hurricanes player selected in each round?

The Carolina Hurricanes have had mixed results drafting players since moving from Hartford in 1997, but who’s stuck out? Who rose to the occasion and made it big as a late-round pick?

There are many players who have had success during their time in Raleigh — either as a lifetime player or for just a few seasons.

So, who stood out? Who are the best of the best from each round?

Here’s how this will work: For a player to qualify for the list, they must have been drafted by the Canes, and played for the team for at least two seasons. And while there are impact players who joined the organization via trade, or blossomed in their post-Canes era, those individuals will fall under the “honorable mentions” list.

Let’s get into it.

Round 1: Eric Staal (2003), Andrei Svechnikov (2018)

This shouldn’t be a big surprise. However, what separates former captain Eric Staal and young Andrei Svechnikov is exactly that — time. Staal played for the Hurricanes for a decade, won a Stanley Cup and held the captaincy from 2010-16. The center is also the highest draft pick in franchise history, since the organization has never received the No. 1 overall pick.

Why Svechnikov makes the list is because of how quickly the 23-year-old made himself a top-line, all-round player in the NHL. He’s earned a plus-35 rating in 347 career games, scoring 112 goals and 152 assists. Also a second overall pick, Svechnikov was on pace to beat his career-best 30 goals from the 2021-22 season before having season-ending knee surgery earlier this year. How quickly the left winger picks up where he left off could prove how impactful Svechnikov is in the long haul for the Hurricanes.

Staal might hold the title for now, but Svechnikov’s potential could eventually give him sole possession as the top first round pick. Both players have stepped up to their billing as second-overall picks throughout their careers, and have been valuable additions to the franchise in two entirely separate eras.

Honorable mention: Cam Ward (2002). Ward had the longevity and, of course, a Conn Smythe as playoff MVP in 2006. But this round was deep with impact players.

Round 2: Sebastian Aho (2015)

This franchise has found quite a bit of success with its second-round picks, but none has evolved quite like Sebastian Aho. Aho was drafted by the Hurricanes in the second round, No. 35 overall, after an illustrious career as a junior player. Having just scored a Game 7 overtime championship-winning goal for Karpat in 2015, and following it up with a gold medal for Team Finland in the 2016 World Junior Championships, the center had high expectations.

His rookie campaign was enough to sell Hurricanes fans, and he became the team’s top center in almost no time. Aho is becoming a point-per-game player, has made two NHL All-Star appearances and earned an alternate captain title for 2021-22, all before he turned 26.

Honorable mention: Brock McGinn (2012), Victor Rask (2011), Justin Faulk (2010).

Round 3: Erik Cole (1998)

Another member of the Stanley Cup-winning roster, former left winger Erik Cole was a member of the famed “BBC line” with Bates Battaglia and current head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Cole’s selection at No. 71 overall put him on a path to becoming another fan favorite in the team’s championship season.

There’s an argument that Cole’s injury during the 2006 run was a catalyst in the Hurricanes’ run, and the winger did get the opportunity to play in Games 6 and 7 to hoist the Cup.

Cole scored 265 goals and racked up 532 points in his 892 games throughout his career, playing 557 of them with the Hurricanes. He came back and signed a one-day contract to announce his retirement from the sport as a Hurricane in 2017, and was named a team ambassador by current General Manager Don Waddell.

Honorable mention: Brett Pesce (2013). The defenseman is tied with Cole for games played as a Hurricane with 557, and has helped anchor the Canes’ top four since 2015.

Round 4: Jaccob Slavin (2012)

Seeing how defenseman Jaccob Slavin has developed since hearing his name called at No. 120, it’s surprising he was drafted in the fourth round. The Hurricanes didn’t have to do too much trading to acquire the 6-foot-3 lefty, nor did it take him long to move up the pipeline once he was drafted. Slavin was a steal for General Manager Jim Rutherford. His smooth skating ability, coupled with his stickhandling and hockey sense, has helped him develop an innate skill of making big defensive plays that minimize penalties.

Slavin spent a year in Chicago in the USHL and two seasons at Colorado College, then only played 14 games with the Charlotte Checkers before getting the call to the NHL — and he hasn’t looked back. His performance in the 2016-17 season made him a fan favorite, where he was one of six players to play all 82 games, and led the team in blocked shots (161), time on ice per game (23:26), shorthanded time on ice per game (3:07) and takeaways (83) for a plus-23 rating despite not making the playoffs. Slavin isn’t the most prolific goal-scorer, but his 192 assists and 78 total penalty minutes have made him a powerful force on the ice.

Honorable mention: Niclas Wallin (2000). A key defender on the Canes’ Stanley Cup team, Wallin had almost as many penalty minutes in his first full season (71) as Slavin has in his career. But, he was clutch in the playoffs in 2006, playing all 25 postseason games to help hoist the Stanley Cup.

Round 5: Chris Terry (2007)

Historically, the Hurricanes haven’t had the best track record with fifth-round picks, nor have they made many of them. Since 1997, the team has had 11 year in which it did not pick in the fifth round, due to trades for players or higher picks. Left winger Chris Terry is the only player with significant playing time with the organization that was drafted in the fifth round.

He’s spent the majority of his career in the AHL, but played a total of 152 games across four NHL seasons with the Hurricanes, posting 22 goals and 16 assists.

Round 6: Brett Bellemore (2007)

Defenseman Brett Bellemore is one of very few Carolina’s sixth round picks to make it to the NHL, but he still played 121 games from 2012-15. A physical, gutsy player, Bellemore was a shutdown defender who played with an edge.

He spent three seasons in the AHL before making his pro debut with the Hurricanes during the 2012-13 season, when he played in eight games. After that, Bellemore played two full seasons with Carolina before heading back to the AHL with the Providence Bruins. He then closed out his playing career playing in the KHL and in Denmark before retiring. He’s now an assistant coach at the University of Windsor.

Round 7: Steven Lorentz (2015)

Wait, what about Frederik Andersen?

He’d be a sneaky possibility here, but going strictly by the qualifications, Frederik Andersen doesn’t fully qualify. Despite being initially drafted by the Hurricanes in 2010, he never signed a rookie contract and was drafted again by the Anaheim Ducks in 2012 in the third round.

So instead, the title goes to Steven Lorentz. He just came off a personal best season in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks, scoring 10 goals for the first time and earning nine assists over 80 games. He danced back and forth with the Checkers and Florida Everblades in his AHL days, but got his chance during the 2020-21 season and hasn’t left the big stage yet.

Honorable mention: Frederik Andersen (2010). So yes, technically Andersen was drafted by the Canes, and has played in Raleigh for two seasons, which lands him here. In two years with Carolina, the veteran keeper has played in 86 games, with a record of 56-25-4 and five shutouts.