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RALEIGH The Carolina Hurricanes entered the 2026 NHL Draft with just four picks, but ended the weekend with seven new players, six of which they drafted.
As has become almost tradition at this point, Carolina wound up trading out of the first round of the draft, collecting two second round picks in the process, but it wouldnt even be until their third time on the clock before they made their first selection.
When youre picking deeper in the draft, its about trying to maximize your draft chart and by being able to trade down a little bit and get multiple picks, were able to come away with more value while still getting guys that were excited about, said Carolina associate general manager Darren Yorke.
With their first pick, the Hurricanes drafted Swedish defenseman William Hakansson 51st overall, a rangy, mobile defender whose biggest attribute seems to be his responsibility in his own end.
The 6-foot-4 blueliner played 22 games in Swedens top league as an 18 year old and also captured a gold medal at the IIHF U20 World Junior Championship.
How we play and what we want out of our defensemen: to be able to hold tight gaps and be able to play fast defensively, he fits that style of play perfectly, Yorke said of Hakansson.
And then 10 slots later, Carolina went to Sweden again for Wiggo Sorensson, an undersized center who, despite playing in a lower league, impressed the Hurricanes amateur staff at every level he played at.
Sorenssons case was a bit of an unusual one as he was the first player ever drafted out of Swedens fourth-tier league, but his offensive toolkit was impressive nonetheless, especially in the international tournaments he played in.
This is a player that has an all around game that suits what were looking for when were trying to draft forwards, Yorke said.
The Canes next selected a pair of undersized wingers in the third and fourth rounds, taking Zachary Lansard 68th overall and Michael Berchild 105th overall.
Lansard, a Manitoba native who plays for the WHLs Regina Pats, nearly tripled his production from his rookie year, scoring 24 goals and putting up 56 points in 68 games.
Gritty, competitive and also comes with a high skill level, Yorke said.
A kid that kept on getting better and better every single year and throughout the year.
Berchild is a product of the US National Team Development Program and is committed to play for the University of Denver next season.
He just plays hard and plays smart, York said.
The team then went goaltender for each of their final two picks, selecting Ryder Fetterolf and Zachary Jovanovski.
Fetterolf took home CHL and OHL Goalie of the Year honors in his rookie season with the Ottawa 67s, posting a 29-9-3 record and a 0.923 save percentage in 41 games.
He just stops the puck, Yorke said.
It doesnt matter that hes a little bit on the shorter end.
The ability to read the game, his side-to-side movements..
Just had an unbelievable season.
The 18-year-old Pittsburgh native is committed to play at Penn State this upcoming season.
Jovanovski posted a 25-20-4 record and a 0.890 save percentage in 52 games with the OHLs Guelph Storm this season.
Hes 6-foot-4 and somebody that our goalie coaches really loved the power, balance and movement of, Yorke said.
Carolinas final pick, a sixth rounder, actually ended up getting flipped to the Anaheim Ducks for the rights to John Carlson.
Following a 10 minute delay, mind you teams are put on a three-minute clock..
The 36-year-old blueliner should be well known by Hurricanes fans as he spent the past 17 seasons with Metropolitan Division rival Washington Capitals before winding up in Anaheim at this years trade deadline.
Despite being on the backside of his career, Carlson is still an intriguing option for the team as the veteran blueliner is coming off of a 14 goal, 61 point campaign.
Carlson has long been one of the leagues top offensive defensemen and by acquiring his rights, Carolina gets the option to jump the line and secure exclusive negotiating rights on the upcoming free agent.
Free agency is set to open July 1 and with rumors that the team is shopping upcoming RFA Alexander Nikishin, the fit seems evident if they can get a deal done in time.
Were always trying to get better and a move like this is no different, Yorke said.
Just trying to make sure we are always in a position to look at every opportunity to try and get better.