The Carolina Hurricanes are participating in the rookie showcase in Nashville, TN from Friday, Sept. 13 through Monday, Sept. 16, sending a roster of 22 players (20 skaters and 2 goalies), including 14 recent draft picks. Of course, the names people will be keeping a close eye on are Bradly Nadeau, Scott Morrow, Jackson Blake, and Felix Unger-Sörum. They have the best chance to make some noise and crack the main roster for opening night on Oct. 11.
However, there are other notable names that fans should be aware of before the Hurricanes’ training camp starts on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Here are three players, in particular, who should hope to be getting a boost in their confidence and have the coaches give them more opportunities before training camp starts.
Don’t You Forget About Me
Ronan Seeley – Defense
The first prospect to watch has to be defenseman Ronan Seeley. The 22-year-old Yellowknife, NT, native has a huge opportunity to capitalize on the reunion of the Chicago Wolves and the Hurricanes. He finished the 2023-24 season with the Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL) with 12 assists and 14 points in 58 games. Seeley is no stranger to putting up points, especially in his final season with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He tallied 11 goals and 44 assists in 52 games during the 2021-22 season. He’s heading into the final year of his entry-level contract (ELC) with the hope of securing an extension next summer.
Related: Hurricanes Roundtable: Goaltending, Prospects & Dark Horses
What makes Seeley a great defenseman is that he makes tremendous reads of complex rushes, dealing with hand-offs and mini-2-on-1s. He’s physical along the boards to separate opposition forwards from the puck. Furthermore, he is an aggressive, confident defender who uses his off-puck awareness to tie up attackers. Seeley has a great combination of anticipation and confidence with and without the puck. He has great timing to stop the opposition in transition and minimize risk, making his game a big plus. Expect a huge rookie showcase and training camp to kick off a strong 2024-25 season from a player who could make the Hurricanes roster sooner rather than later.
Noel Gunler – Forward
Up next is 22-year-old Swedish winger Noel Gunler. Gunler, like Seeley, is in the final season of his ELC which will make him a restricted free agent next offseason. He played for Karpat of SM-Liiga, tallying five goals and eight points in 24 games. Gunler last played in North America in 2022-23 when he had eight goals and 18 points for the Chicago Wolves in 32 games.
What makes him an interesting player is his offensive ability. He has the skill to make room for himself in the toughest of situations and then whip out his incredible shot. His wrist shot is deadly and several goaltenders in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) can confirm that.
His hockey IQ is right there with his shot. Gunler’s offensive arsenal is full, whether that’s in the form of a shot or a pass. What makes him a deadly forward is how he reads the ice so well, knowing where everyone is going to be on top of where they currently are.
While he’s known to rack up the goals, don’t be surprised to see the highlight reel, behind-the-back passes from him. He is a 6-foot-2 winger who does not view himself as a perimeter player. Gunler has consistently shown he’s willing to drive into traffic both off the rush and inside the offensive zone. His shot is already NHL-level, and given the proper time to play in the right system, he could reach the potential that led to the Hurricanes selecting him 41st overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Justin Robidas – Forward
Finally, we have Plano, TX native Justin Robidas. The 21-year-old right-shot center tallied 12 goals and 27 points in 32 games for the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL. While he wished to have started in the AHL instead of the ECHL, he still made the most of his rookie pro campaign.
Robidas in 2022 came off of a championship with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL after totaling 11 goals and 36 points in 36 regular season games. He followed that up with 11 goals and 27 points in 18 playoff games. There was no slowing down the Texan as he had only four penalty minutes (PIMs) in all of the playoffs and regular season combined – two in the regular season and playoffs each. All of that came after playing four seasons with Val d’Or Foreurs of the QMJHL, which saw him get 82 points in 68 games back in 2021-22.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes’ Top 5 Prospects for 2024-25: Preseason Edition
He will be entering the second season of his three-year ELC. The 5-foot-7 Robidas has been using his biggest strengths, which are his fluid skating, intelligence, and awareness, which are crucial for a player his size. For a player who tries to model his game after Brayden Point, Robidas excels at finding open ice and creating space for his linemates.
He also has good hands with the puck and can elevate it in tight spaces. Furthermore, his hockey IQ helps him understand where to be as plays are developing, and often skates himself into positions that make him difficult to defend against. Unlike players like Nadeau and Gunler, who have NHL-ready shots, he places his well despite not being overly powerful.
Where to Watch Rookie Showcase
The Hurricanes’ prospects will be going head-to-head with other prospects from the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Fans can watch all the games on the Hurricanes’ website by checking in 10-15 minutes before the puck drops as the team will provide links to game feeds. The schedule for the Hurricanes prospects are:
- Friday, September 13 vs. Tampa Bay – 6 p.m. ET
- Saturday, September 14 vs. Florida – 3 p.m. ET
- Monday, September 16 vs. Nashville – 2 p.m. ET
While it will be exciting to see all the prospects, especially Nadeau, Morrow, Blake, etc. fans definitely need to keep an eye on Robidas, Seeley, and Gunler. These three could have huge seasons for the Wolves with a better chance to make the Hurricanes roster in the future. The showcase could go a long way to kickstarting a big 2024-25 season, no matter where they start.
