"When it came to balancing an average-sized player or an undersized player against a bigger player, the bigger player won out in terms of the selection, but we didn't give up anything in terms of skill or potential," Tony MacDonald, the Hurricanes' Director of Amateur Scouting, said in an interview conducted after the draft.
Information and profiles on each day-two pick is below. The team finished the event with three defensemen, including seventh overall pick Hayden Fleury on day one and Raleigh native Josh Wesley on day two, three forwards and one goaltender. Charlotte's Bryan Moore, a forward with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, was not selected.
Round 2, 37th overall - (G) Alex Nedeljkovic
Alex Nedeljkovic of the OHL's Plymouth Whalers, a frequent source of Hurricanes draft choices due to the teams' shared ownership, was the pick. He becomes the third goaltender drafted by the Hurricanes in the last three years, joining Daniel Altshuller (third round in 2012) and Collin Olson (sixth round in 2012). The pick was the highest the Hurricanes have used on a goaltender since selecting Cam Ward 25th overall in 2002. They selected Justin Peters 38th in 2004.
According to NHL.com, Nedeljkovic is known for his athleticism, puckhandling and maturity. The 6-foot, 186 pound native of Parma, Ohio, went 26-27-2 with a 2.88 goals-against average and .925 save percentage for the Whalers last season, earning him OHL goalie of the year honors.
"Alex is an athletic goaltender and is very quick," said MacDonald. "He's a very smart goaltender and understands the game very well. He positions himself well, plays his angles well, is a very good puckhandler and a great competitor."
Like Fleury before him, Nedeljkovic is not eligible to become a full-time AHL player until the 2016-17 season.
Round 3, 67th overall - LW Warren Foegele
According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, Foegele is committed to play with the University of New Hampshire in 2015-16 but plans to first play one season with Penticton of the BCHL (Update - Foegele told media in Raleigh that he plans to attend New Hampshire this fall). Should he decide to leave school early, something players taken in the later rounds of the draft rarely do, Foegele would be eligible to play in the AHL immediately regardless of his age.
McKenzie calls Foegele a late bloomer whose profile as a prospect increased as he went through a late growth spurt. McKenzie goes on to praise Foegele's skating, determination and all-around play.
"With the (offensive) numbers you have to factor in that he was playing against high school players, but he's got good size and we like the physical game that he plays," said MacDonald. "He plays a power game and is a very good skater and a high-energy guy."
Round 4, 96th overall - D Josh Wesley
A shutdown defenseman with the Plymouth Whalers, Wesley (6-foot-2, 194 pounds) scored nine points (2g, 7a) in 68 games over the course of his first OHL season. He only converted to defense in 2011-12 after spending most of his time in the Jr. Hurricanes program as a forward.
"We'd never want to give the impression that it was only because Wes was a Hurricanes and Josh was his son," said MacDonald of the selection. "I interviewed Josh myself in Toronto and found him to an outstanding young man. He's got some good physical tools, he's growing and developing as a player and he had a pretty solid season in Plymouth. We think he'll continue to grow and develop as a player.
"The kids that have dads that have played and have been around the game, it gives them a little bit of an advantage in terms of having some feel for what goes on and what you have to do to get there."
As a player drafted from Canadian juniors with a late (April) birthdate, Wesley will also not be eligible for full-time AHL duty until the 2016-17 campaign.
Round 4, 97th overall - C Lucas Wallmark
Wallmark (6 feet, 176 pounds) posted 10 points (3g, 7a) in 41 games with Lulea in the top Swedish league last season. He also scored eight points (3g, 5a) in seven games during the most recent World Junior Championship, where he was teammates with the Hurricanes' Elias Lindholm.
"Lucas is a player that we liked a lot last year and he went through the draft last year," said MacDonald. "He played in Lulea this year in the Swedish league and had modest statistics but he was a young player playing with men. We feel that he's going to get better. He had a very strong World Junior tournament and played very well there. He's got good hockey sense, he's a good skater and he has good skill. We feel that he can continue to grow and develop in Sweden, probably."
Round 5, 127th overall - C Clark Bishop
In a Yahoo! Sports profile, Bishop (6 feet, 193 pounds) described himself as a responsible player capable of playing in all situations. The third overall pick in the 2012 QMJHL import draft, Bishop patterns his game after Johnathan Toews.
"Bishop was a bit of an under-the-radar guy that we had a lot higher on our list than when we took him," said MacDonald. "He's a player that can play with good players, but he's more of a role-type player and bottom-six type at the NHL level. He's a great penalty killer, he's got great hockey sense and he's a high-energy player."
Round 7, 187th overall - D Kyle Jenkins
Carolina selected another defenseman with their seventh and final pick - Kyle Jenkins of the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.Jenkins (6 feet, 160 pounds) played alongside fellow Hurricanes prospects Sergey Tolchinsky and Tyler Ganly and Charlotte native Bryan Moore this past season. The Brampton, Ontario, native posted 25 points (7g, 18a) in 63 games to go along with 28 penalty minutes in his first OHL season.
"He's kind of a lightweight and might need to put some weights in his socks starting out," said MacDonald. "He's a very intelligent defenseman, he's sound positionally, he's got good hockey sense and reads the rush well, he uses his stick well, he moves the puck well and he's got skill and poise with the puck. All he has to do is get stronger. We don't think we've seen the best of him yet."
