While the draft plays a key role in filling up an organization’s prospect stockpile, it doesn’t necessarily have an immediate impact on the AHL club. Many of the players selected will come out of the CHL and be younger than 20 years old, rendering them ineligible to play in the American League, while the younger Europeans often return to their home country to continue their development if they don’t make the NHL squad.
So while tomorrow’s draft won’t likely have many immediate repercussions for the Checkers, players selected in previous years are now preparing to begin their pro careers. Here’s a look at a group of recent draft picks who could be passing through Charlotte this season.
HAYDN FLEURY (2014, 1st round – 7th overall)
Scouting Report-Since being taken seventh overall in the 2014 draft, Fleury has been a highly-touted prospect for Carolina. After seeing a dip in production the season following being drafted, the left-shooting defenseman rebounded with a solid 2015-16 campaign with Red Deer, ranked second among Rebels blue liners with 41 points and a career-high 12 goals. A physical presence on the blue line, the 6-foot-3 Fleury has worn an A on his sweater for each of the last three seasons and led Red Deer defensemen in scoring during the 2016 postseason.
2016-17 Projection-Given the depth that the Hurricanes have stockpiled along their blue line, there is a good chance that Fleury’s pro career could begin with Charlotte next season. Fleury, who turns 20 next month, has already made his professional debut, suiting up for the Checkers for one game on an ATO in 2014-15 and lighting the lamp.
ROLAND MCKEOWN (2014, 2nd round – 50th overall)
Scouting Report-Though he’s not a Carolina draft pick, McKeown joined the organization last February in the trade that sent Andrej Sekera to the Los Angeles Kings. This past season, he led all Kingston blue liners with 42 points and tied for eighth among his OHL peers with 35 assists. That strong play earned McKeown, who captained the Frontenacs for each of the last two seasons, an OHL Most Outstanding Player of the Year nomination, as well as one for Defenseman of the Year.
2016-17 Projection-Much like fellow draft class member Fleury, McKeown could be slated to begin his pro career in Charlotte next season due to Carolina’s increasingly stacked defensive corps. Also like Fleury, the 20-year-old made his pro debut at the end of the 2014-15 season, stepping in for four games with the Checkers and notching one assist.
CLARK BISHOP (2014, 5th round – 127th overall)
Scouting Report-Noted as a physical, defensive-minded forward, Bishop has seen the offensive side of his game grow in each of his four seasons in the QMJHL. The St. John’s native turned in a career-high 39 points this past season with Cape Breton, serving as team captain for the second year in a row, and has been a driving force for the Eagles over his career despite sustaining a slew of injuries.
2016-17 Projection-Bishop inked an entry-level deal with the Hurricanes in April, avoiding the June deadline that would have sent him back into this year’s draft had he not signed. The fifth-round pick turned 20 years old in March, making him eligible to play in the AHL next season should he turn pro and not make the Hurricanes out of camp. If that is the case, the Checkers will get what Carolina GM Ron Francis describes as a “strong two-way player and a proven leader”. The Telelgram, Bishop’s hometown newspaper, projects the forward to join the Checkers as a “third or fourth-line energy player”.
JOSH WESLEY (2014, 4th round – 96th overall)
Scouting Report-Despite being caught up in the strange situation that unfolded in Flint, Wesley turned in a career year split between the Firebirds and the Niagara IceDogs. The blue liner put up a career-high 18 points in 57 total games, nearly doubling his previous best mark, and helped lead the IceDogs to an OHL Eastern Conference title. At 6-foot-3, Wesley is another big body in the Carolina defensemen pipeline who brings a self-described “in-your-face, nasty-to-play-against” style of play with him.
2016-17 Projection-Wesley, who signed his entry-level deal earlier this month, is “ready to begin his professional hockey career” according to Francis, and will likely do so in Charlotte. He is another blue liner who got a taste of the pro game at the tail end of the 2014-15 season, appearing in the season finale at Grand Rapids.
ALEX NEDELJKOVIC (2014, 2nd round – 37th overall)
Scouting Report-Nedeljkovic likely wrapped up a stellar junior career with a superb 2015-16 season split between Flint and Niagara that saw him earn a spot on the OHL Third All-Star Team for the second year in a row following appearances on the First All-Star Team in 2013-14 and the First All-Rookie Team the year before. The 20-year-old was also named a finalist for the OHL’s Goaltender of the Year Award, an honor that he won in 2013-14. Although not the biggest presence in net (he’s listed at 5-foot-11), Nedeljkovic has shown the ability to come up big in goal, stepping up both in the OHL playoffs and internationally with Team USA.
2016-17 Projection-Poised to turn pro next season, Nedeljkovic should be right in the thick of the Checkers’ goaltending situation. With Cam Ward and Eddie Lack holding down the organization’s top two positions as of right now, Nedeljkovic will battle Daniel Altshuller and any offseason veteran acquisitions for a place in the Charlotte net. The netminder enjoyed a quick pro stint with the Florida Everblades at the end of the 2014-15 season, going 2-1 over three games.
LUCAS WALLMARK (2014, 4th round – 97th overall)
Scouting Report-A left-shooting center, Wallmark took a big step forward this past season in the top Swedish league . As a 19-year-old he tied for second on Lulea with 32 points, just one shy of the lead, as well as leading the team with seven postseason goals. Possessing a “good hockey sense” and the ability to “contribute in all three zoens in different situations,” Wallmark has made an impact not only playing against much older competition in the SHL, but also on an international level, where he has represented Sweden at several tournaments.
2016-17 Projection-A fourth-round pick in 2014, Wallmark has been on the radar to join the Checkers over the last two seasons but has returned to his home country each year. Should he not make the Hurricanes out of training camp, he could again go that route, but there is a chance that he follows up his breakout season by making the jump to North America with Charlotte.
ALEKSI SAARELA (2015, 3rd round – 89th overall)
Scouting Report-Acquired by Carolina in the trade that sent Eric Staal to the Rangers, Saarela is a “talented, offensive-minded player” who enjoyed a breakout season in his native Finland last year. He led Assat Pori of the Finnish elite league in goals and ranked third in points, as well as being the second-youngest of the league’s seven 20-goal scorers.
2016-17 Projection-Like the other European prospects, Saarela has the option of returning overseas should he not make the NHL squad out of camp. But the most-recently signed Cane could begin his North American career with the Checkers next season, which would give them a potentially dangerous offensive weapon.
