NHL Draft: The Bold Gamble of the Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina's scouting department pulled off a remarkable feat at the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles. What seemed like a quiet draft with just six picks—including a late first-rounder and no second-round selection—transformed into a potential goldmine as Assistant GM Eric Tulsky orchestrated multiple trades to acquire three second-round picks and a high third-rounder. Nick Bass, from Canes Prospects & Dobber Prospects, joined me to breakdown the draft for the Hurricanes & discuss highlights from the Canes' Development Camp that followed shortly after. The Hurricanes' strategy focused heavily on Russian prospects, selecting four players from Russia among their seven total picks. This continues their pattern of finding value where other NHL teams hesitate due to concerns about transfer agreements and development pathways. Their first selection, goaltender Semyon Frolov (41st overall), was their top-rated netminder and ranked second among international goalies by NHL Central Scouting—a 6'3" athletic presence who joins an impressive pipeline of Russian goaltending prospects in the organization. Perhaps most fascinating were the contrasts in their selections. Charlie Cerrato (Penn State) surprised many as a 49th overall pick despite being ranked much lower by draft analysts. Ivan Ryabkin brought elite offensive skills but fell from projected first-round status. The Hurricanes loaded up on massive defensemen with exceptional skating ability in Kurban Limatov (6'4") and Roman Bausov (6'5"), while also taking fliers on smaller, skilled forwards like Viggo Nordland and Filip Ekberg—the latter possibly being the biggest steal of the entire draft after falling to pick #221 despite being named MVP of the U18 World Championships. The subsequent development camp revealed promising signs from these newcomers alongside established prospects like Josh Nadeau, Bradly Nadeau, and Jayden Perron. While not every Russian prospect will make the immediate jump to North America—with standouts like Stanislav Yarovoy and Vladimir Grudinin continuing in the KHL—the Hurricanes have positioned themselves with extraordinary organizational depth spanning multiple positions and playing styles. Wondering which of these prospects could make the fastest impact? Follow along this season as we track their development across leagues worldwide, with special attention to Alexander Nikishin as he enters his first full NHL campaign. 00:00 Introduction: NHL Draft Overview & Strategy 01:23 Goalie Semyon Frolov: A goalie of the future for the Canes 04:55 Charlie Cerrato: Surprising NCAA Pick 08:10 Ivan Ryabkin: High-Risk, High-Reward 11:55 Kurban Limatov: Expected to go much higher 17:12 Roman Bausov: another hulking D-man 19:18 Viggo Nordlund: Highly skilled Swede 21:04 Filip Ekberg: a shocker this late in the draft