Why a few of the Carolina Hurricanes’ top prospects are along for the NHL playoff ride

Jackson Blake is too young to remember when his father was New York Islanders royalty, so he has no personal ties to his new team’s opponent in the first round of the playoffs. Everything from here going forward is a clean slate. As it should be.

That’s the whole point of having Blake and Bradly Nadeau, two of the Carolina Hurricanes’ recently signed top prospects, hanging out with the big club during the postseason. They’re not in the main locker room, and they don’t get to skate with the main group, and with their combined two games of NHL experience, they would only be asked to play in the most dire of circumstances — unlike defenseman Scott Morrow, another recent signee after the end of his junior season at UMass, who got in two NHL games at the end of the season and has been practicing with the NHL group.

The two forwards are here to learn and observe and absorb. Blake, who turned pro after his sophomore year at North Dakota, and Nadeau, who turned pro after his freshman year at Maine, may not yet be the Hurricanes’ present. But they could very well be a big part of the Hurricanes’ future, and this pseudo-internship will go a long way toward setting expectations for what it means to be a part of this franchise.

“I think what I’m hoping to get out of it is just the experience,” Nadeau said. “See how it is when they go on a playoff run and how the players, what they do and stuff. It was fun to get that first one out of the way and play with those guys and see how you fit in.”

Even Blake, who grew up in the NHL life — Jason played 871 NHL games, retiring when Jason was 8 — is learning what it takes to be a pro, especially at this time of year.

“Coming here was definitely a learning step, to see how they approach each day, whether it’s practice or a game,” Blake said. “I would say games are pretty similar to college, our routines up there and the pregame stuff. … Obviously the guys here really take care of themselves and make sure that their bodies are the best they can be for the next game.”

Hurricanes build through the draft

Nadeau, as a first-round pick last June, arrives with some in-built expectations, and did nothing to reduce them with 46 points in 37 games at Maine, one of the nation’s top freshman scorers. (Three of the four players ahead of him were drafted ahead of him last year; the other is Macklin Celebrini, the presumed top pick this June.)

Blake epitomizes the Hurricanes’ draft strategy since Tom Dundon bought the team in 2018: Accumulate picks and use them on pure skill. He slipped to the fourth round in 2021 because of his size and concerns about his skating, but there was never any doubt about his playmaking ability or shot.

Draft enough guys like that, and the theory is a few will rise above whatever negatives scared off other teams. Blake certainly did: He was a key player at UND from the moment he showed up on campus and was one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s top player this season as a sophomore, losing out to Celebrini.

The three college players — Blake, Morrow and Nadeau — were among some of the best in the country this year. And , even if only Morrow and Nadeau actually saw each other on the ice (Maine went 3-0 against UMass) they still kept tabs on each other.

“Obviously, Bradly had a heck of a freshman year at Maine,” Blake said. “It’s impressive to see what he did at 18 years old. That was cool. And Scott was another guy, I’d see how UMass was doing and I had a couple buddies on that team too. It’s always fun to see how those guys are doing, because we could be future teammates.”

Learning the ropes

That future was never that far away. Their real future lies ahead. For the moment, they’re interested spectators, watching along with everyone else. It’s what they’re here to do.

“First of all, getting to know staff, the people, the players, that’s probably the biggest thing,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “How we play system-wise. Any experience they can pick up. They got in games, which is big. There’s no point in bringing them (on the road) when they’re probably not going to play, but they’re available. Anytime you can be around it and learn, you’re going to pick up something. Training, all that stuff.”

There is a downside to this experience: Downtime. Nadeau, as a Canadian citizen, can’t take online classes at Maine the way Blake can at North Dakota. When the Hurricanes go on the road, they stay home. They can still skate back in Raleigh but the days get even longer without the team around.

Somehow, they’ll have to find a way to fill the time. Could some athletic young dudes who escaped Maine and North Dakota weather possibly find something to do in a place like the Triangle with their afternoons free?

“My clubs are coming Wednesday,” Nadeau said. “So yeah.”

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