In less than three weeks the course of the Hurricanes organization may drastically change. While I have my suspicions what General Manager Ron Francis may do, they are purely educated guesses. The man has been dubbed “Fort Knox Francis,” at least by Sportsnet’s Elliot Friedman. There is no information coming out of the organization that would tell the public who may or may not be remain with the Carolina Organization past the NHL Trade Deadline on February 29.

But it might not take leaked information to gain insight into his plans.

In two separate drafts, Francis and Company have selected 16 players to join the organization. After two transactions – acquiring Roland McKeown in the Andrej Sekara trade; moving defensemen Jake Massie (2015 6th rounder / 156th overall) in the Kris Versteeg/Joakim Nordström – to leave the net number of prospects from the 2014 and 2015 Drafts at 16 players.

Of those 16, one is an active NHL player – Noah Hanifin. Four 2014 draftees are signed to contracts and eligible to play professionally next season:

• Haydn Fleury
• Alex Nedeljkovic
• Roland McKeown
• Lucas Wallmark

The Canes will have 39 players either under contract or restricted in free agency heading into the offseason ahead of any future transaction. That number includes the four players above. That leaves the organization with 18 forwards, 15 defensemen, and 4 goalies potentially under contract if all restricted free agents are retained.

Since the NHL club tries to carry 22 players on the active roster, this will open the door for seven players – specifically forwards  – to start their professional careers in October.

That leaves room for up to 11 players to sign contracts and play professionally next season. NHL clubs are limited to having 50 active professional players under contact at any given time. Teams rarely sit at the 50-contract-limit to allow for flexibility for injuries and trades. The Canes currently have 45 active contacts. I’m predicting they will carry 46 or 47 contacts next season.

Seven 2014 draftees can play professionally in 2016 once they are signed a contract. Four players from 2014 must sign a contract by June or re-enter the draft this year:

• Warren Foegele (F)
• Josh Wesley (D)
• Clark Bishop (F)
• Kyle Jenkins (D)

Three players from 2015 are eligible to play in either the NHL or AHL next year once they sign:

• Sebastian Aho (F): as a player currently in Europe, he can join the Checkers or Hurricanes immediately at the end of his current season.
• Spencer Smallman (F): drafted as a 19-year-old and has no more CHL eligibility. This is his fourth season in the QMJHL.
• Steven Lorentz (F): drafted as a 19-year-old, though has one more season of CHL eligibility as an overage 20 year old.

My working theory is most of the Hurricanes UFAs will either be traded or allowed to leave via Free Agency, starting with Cam Ward. The addition of a backup for Eddie Lack on a one-year contact will put the team at 47 contacts.

I expect the holes on the Canes roster will be filled by current Checkers, players acquired via trade, and possibly Sebastian Aho. He’ll be the only player I cover, pending some remarkable offseason work, with an opportunity to earn a roster spot.

That leaves 7-8 spots on the Checkers roster open to 11 prospects. Fleury, McKeown, and Nedeljkovic are locks. Foegele, Smallman, and Lorentz will be offered contacts, with two of the three joining the Checkers next season. Both Foegele and Lorentz will be eligible to play Junior next year.

Josh Wesley will be offered a contract, though he is also eligible for another season in Junior Hockey. Jury is still out whether Jenkins will be signed, but things are slowly adding up in his favor.

Any attempt or plan to acquire NHL forwards will mean NHL-capable players will be moved around June.

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Prospect reports for Feb. 2 – Feb. 8, 2016

2015 Draft Picks:

Sebastian Aho, 2nd Round (#35 overall)

• Last week: 3GP – 1G-2A-3PTS, 0 PIM, 11 SOG, 9.0% shooting (Liiga)
• Kärpät went 2-1, 2-0 when Aho registered a point.
• This Season: 36GP – 13G-17A-30PTS, 2 PIM, 125 SOG, 10.5% shooting (Liiga)
  10GP – 3G-6A-9PTS, 6 PIM, 17 SOG, 17.6% shooting (CHL), 7GP – 4AG-8A-12PTS, 4 PIM, 16 SOG, 31.2% shooting (WJHC)
• Next Game: Tuesday, February 9, 2016 vs. Frölunda Gothenburg (CHL Final); Thursday, February 11, 2016 at. Sport Vaasa (Liiga)

Callum Booth, 4th Round (#93 overall)

• Last Week: 2GP (2 Starts) – 0W-2L, .879%, 4.09GAA
• This Season: 34GP (34 Starts) – 15W-15L-3OTL, .902%, 3.06 GAA, 2 SO
• Next Game: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at Victoriaville, Tigres

Nicolas Roy, 4th Round (#96 overall)

• Last Week: 3GP – 1G-4A-5PTS, 2 PIM, 14 SOG, 7.1% shooting, 56.9% Faceoffs
• Chicoutimi Seguenees went 1-2, 1-1 when Roy recorded a point. He had four points (1G, 3A) in the lone victory against Sherbrooke.
• This Season: 46GP – 32G-34A-66PTS, 57 PIM, 190 shots, 16.8% shooting, 61.0% Faceoffs
• Next Game: Friday, February 12, 2016 at Acadie-Bathurst, Titan

Spencer Smallman, 5th Round (#138 overall)

• Last Week: Did Not Play
• This Season: 42GP – 14G-17A-31PTS, 45 PIM, 91 SOG, 15.4% shooting
• Next Game: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 vs. Charlottetown, Islanders

Luke Stevens, 5th Round (#126 overall)

• Last Week: 2GP – 1G-3A-4PTS
• This Season: 21GP – 15G-26A-41PTS
• Next Game: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at Governor’s Academy

David Cotton, 6th Round (#169 overall)

• Last Week: 2GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 2 PIM, 8 SOG, 0.0% shooting
• Waterloo Black Hawks went 0-2.
• This Season: 37GP – 13G-12A-25PTS, 30 PIM, 102 shots, 12.7% shooting
• Next Game: Friday, February 12, 2016 at Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Steven Lorentz, 7th Round (#186 overall)

• Lorentz was suspended 10 games for an illegal check to the head on 1/29. He has served three games of his suspension and is ellibigle to return Saturday, February 27 against the Sudbury Wolves.
• Peterborough Petes went 1-1 with Lorentz out of the lineup last week.
• This Season: 48GP – 20G-21A-41PTS, 22 PIM, 134 SOG, 14.9% shooting

2014 Draft Picks:

Haydn Fleury, 1st Round (#7 overall)

• Last Week: 2GP – 0G-3A-3PTS, 2 PIM
• Red Deer Rebels went 2-0 with Fleury recording a point in both games.
• This Season: 38GP – 9G-22A-31PTS, 35PIM
• Next Game: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 vs. Medicine Hat Tigers

Alex Nedeljkovic, 2nd Round (#37 overall)

• Last Two Week: 2GP (2 Starts) – 1W-1L, 3.00 GAA, .900%
• This Season: 14GP (14 Starts) – 7W-6L-0OTL-1SOL, 2.49 GAA, .911% (NIA)
  19GP (19 Starts) – 9W-7L-1OTL-1SOL, 3.21 GAA, .907%, 1 SO (Flint)
  33GP (33 starts) 16W-13L-1OTL-2SOL, 2.90 GAA, .909% (OHL Totals), 6GP (6 Starts) – 4W-2L, 1.66 GAA, .942%, 1 SO (WJHC)
• Next Game: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at Hamilton Bulldogs

Roland McKeown, 2nd Round (#50 overall)

• Last Week: 2GP – 0G-1A-1PT, 0 PIM, 4 SOG, 0.0% shooting
• Kingston Frontenacs went 2-0.
• This Season: 43GP – 6G-28A-34PTS, 41 PIM, 123 shots, 4.8% shooting
• Next Game: Friday, February 12, 2016 vs. Windsor Spitfires

Warren Foegele, 3rd Round (#67 overall)

• Last Week: 2GP – 0G-2A-2PTS, 2 PIM, 7 SOG, 0.0% shooting
• Kingston Frontenacs went 2-0.
• This Season: 36GP – 7G-29A-36PTS, 34 PIM, 85 shot, 8.2% shooting (OHL)
  5GP – 0G-1A-1PT, 6 PIM, 8 shots, 0% shooting (NCAA)
• Next Game: Friday, February 12, 2016 vs. Windsor Spitfires

Josh Wesley, 4th Round (#96 overall)

• Last Week: 3GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 0 PIM, 3 SOG, 0.0% shooting
• Niagara IceDogs went 2-1.
• This Season: 23GP – 3G-3A-6PTS, 8 PIM, 29 shots, 10.3% shooting (NIA)
  24GP – 2G-10A-12PTS, 21PIM, 49 Shots, 4.0% shooting (Flint)
  44GP – 5G-13A-18PTS, 29 PIM, 78 shots, 6.4% shooting (OHL Total)
• Next Game: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at Hamilton Bulldogs

Lucas Wallmark, 4th Round (#97 overall)

• Last Week: 3GP – 1G-1A-2PTS, 2 PIM
• This Season: 38GP – 7G-19A-26PTS, 18 PIM (SHL), 5GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 4 PIM (CHL), 3GP – 1G-0A-1PT, 2 PIM (Team Sweden / Channel One Cup)
• Next Game: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at IF Malmö Redhawks

Clark Bishop, 5th Round (#127 overall)

• Last Week: 2GP – 0G-1A-1PT, 0 PIM, 5 SOG, 0.0% shooting, 47.6% faceoffs
• Cape Breton went 1-1, 0-1 when Bishop recorded a point.
• This Season: 38GP – 13G-18A-31PTS, 71 PIM, 84 shots, 15.5% shooting, 52.0% faceoffs
• Next Game: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 vs. Baie-Comeau, Drakkar

Kyle Jenkins, 7th Round (#187 overall)

• Last Week: 2GP – 0G-3A-3PTS, 0 PIM, 5 shots, 0.0% shooting.
• Peterborough Petes went 1-1, 1-0 when Jenkins recorded a point.
• This Season: 45GP – 2G-23A-25PTS, 20 PIM, 96 shots, 2.0% shooting
• Next Game: Thursday, February 11, 2016 vs. Oshawa Generals

No 2013 Draft Picks

2012 Draft Picks:

Collin Olson, 6th Round (#159 overall)

• Olson has not dressed for a game in 2016.
• This Season: 9GP (7 start) – 2W-5L, 4.15 GAA, .877%
• Next Game: Friday, February 12, 2016 at Univ. of Nebraska Omaha

Brendan Collier, 7th Round (#189 overall)

• Last Week: 3GP – 0G-1A-1PT, 2 PIM, 5 SOG, 0.0% shooting
• Northeastern went 0-1-1 last week, with Collier earning a point in a tie.
• This Season: 26GP – 3G-7A-10PTS, 10 PIM, 22 SOG, 13.6% shooting
• Next Game: Friday, February 12, 2016 at UMass Amherst

2011 Draft Picks:

Grégory Hofmann, 4th Round (#103 overall)

• This Season: 40GP – 15G-13A-28PTS, 43 PIM