As we are now fully engulfed in the second half of the 2009-10 NHL season and with a look at who sits dead last in the league standings, it's almost remarkable to think back to last spring and the thought of the Carolina Hurricanes defeating two rival heavyweights (New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins) on route to losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Hurricanes seemed to have a lot going for them. Decent team speed, grit, scoring ability, playoff experience, and world-class goaltending. So much so that many pundits expected them to be similarly dangerous this season.
Unfortunately for the team though, age seems to have caught up with the club. The 'Canes look slow and old. With just about a month left before the trade deadline, it shouldn't come as a surprise to see the team shift into youth movement by shuffling out some of the old and bringing in some of the new. In fact, recent injuries to Hurricanes regulars Sergei Samsonov, Erik Cole, Chad Larose, and Scott Walker has already initiated the process.
Whenever a team makes a shift to youth, it is usually followed by fantasy owners clamoring to obtain the teams' young players. So without further ado, let's take a look at some of the prospects who could be making fantasy noise for your clubs in the future.
Zach Boychuk, LW
Boychuk is an undersized winger with a boat-load of speed and the ability to find the back of the net. He saw a two-game stint with the big club in November and was recalled aqain on January 2nd. He's only registered one point in six games this season, and surely he will need some time to get used to the speed of the NHL game. Boychuk was a solid scorer with Lethbridge of the WHL, twice surpassing 30 goals. In his rookie season this year with the AHL's Albany River Rats Boychuk scored 11 goals and 24 points in 34 games. If he doesn't stick for the rest of the season in the NHL he should be a fixture in 2010-11 and will develop into a top-6 forward for the Hurricanes.
Jiri Tlusty, C
Tlusty, once a highly regarded prospect in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, fell out of favour with the new Brian Burke regime and was traded to the Hurricanes in December. Tlusty plays a bit of a peripheral game, which does leave some doubt as to whether or not he's going to cut it in the NHL. For the time being though, he's centering the 3rd line in Carolina where he's been somewhat indifferent despite scoring 3 points in 6 games. It should be noted that Tlusty is still only 21 years of age despite already played 80 NHL games and 111 at the AHL level, so there's plenty of time for him to develop into the 2nd line center he was projected to become when drafted.
Drayson Bowman, LW
While many observers drool over Boychuk's upside, I believe it could be the American-born Bowman who ends up having a better career. Bowman has looked good in his rookie AHL season which has included a selection to the league's All-Star Game. In 26 games Bowman has 8 goals and 15 points with Albany. Bowman is an excellent skater with great speed and has decent NHL size. He could be a late-season call-up for the 'Canes and has potential to be an NHL fixture next year.
Jamie McBain, D
The 6'2, 200 lb defenseman plays an all-round game that could see him develop into a point producing top-4 defenseman within the next few years. McBain was nominated for the Hobey Baker award last season and has continued his strong play in his rookie season with Albany of the AHL. His 15 points in 39 games doesn't tell the enitre story. While McBain is an offensive-minded defenseman, it's his play in his own zone that should have him fast-tracked to the NHL. He's no Drew Doughty, but the possiblity is there for him to become a 40 point dman eventually.
Of course, the Canes also have a few other interesting young players worth keeping an eye on. Jerome Samson and Brett Carson have both received call-ups. If the Hurricanes continue to wallow in the deep end of the NHL standings, there's a possibility the club could land coveted consensus #1 pick Taylor Hall at next summers NHL Entry Draft which would only help the team and the young players we have mentioned.
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