This Carolina Hurricanes preseason has been one of the most open and exciting we’ve seen in a long time. We expected battles from NHLers for their roster spots, especially on the blue line. Carolina’s loaded defensive core had nine players who would think of themselves as full-time NHL players competing for places on a roster looking to win the Stanley Cup this season. You could be forgiven for thinking the excitement in the Hurricanes training camp would be focused on the blue line.
As it has emerged, however, the young talents fighting it out among the forwards have grabbed the headlines for the most part. Ryan Suzuki has enjoyed quite the performance with the big club, making a case to grab a roster spot. Vasili Ponomarev’s injury has robbed him of a chance to really stake a claim for a roster spot, but in his absence, there has been one gigantic surprise package. Felix Unger Sorum has come into this training camp and has a greater than zero chance of making the roster as an 18-year-old.
Felix Unger Sorum’s Path to Raleigh
From Trondheim in Norway, Unger Sorum was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Hurricanes, 62nd overall. Born Sept. 14, 2005, he was the youngest prospect in his draft class. Coming out of Leksands IF in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the Norweigan right winger has played in Sweden for as long as he’s been tracked by prospect websites. He’s always played with age groups older than he is, further demonstrating this young man’s talent.
Last season with the Leksands IF Under-20 team, Unger Sorum scored ten goals and 36 assists for 46 points in 42 games. Let me remind you, he was 16 when that season started. He made his debut with the Under-20 team the year prior, so this is a kid who has shown a lot of upside. However, that is not the crowning achievement for the 5-foot-11 winger.
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He made his SHL debut last season, playing seven games. While he could not get on the scoreboard, cracking an SHL lineup at the age of 17 should outline what a talent he is. It should be mentioned that this is in Europe, where there’s a little more room, and the game is perhaps a little bit slower than it will be in North America. Still, it’s impressive nonetheless.
Unger Sorum’s Skillset
Unger Sorum is a winger who is very much pass-first. He loves to try and create chaos with his hands, whether that be sitting a defenseman down or passing the puck through the eye of a needle. We’re seeing in the preseason that he doesn’t mind imposing himself in the dirty areas. Unger Sorum seems to have no trouble diving into the corners for puck retrieval, indicating his coachability. He appears eager to learn and improve, which is the most important thing you can get from a prospect.
Some may be skeptical of all this praise being heaped on the Norweigan. After all, why was he available to be picked in the second round if he had all this upside? Well, Unger Sorum is probably undersized by NHL standards. 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds is average for day-to-day life, but going up against the best hockey players in the world, some teams likely feared he wouldn’t fill out into the size they would have wanted.
Young players like Unger Sorum also tend to have defensive issues, especially wingers who aren’t taught too much about the defensive side of the puck in their youth setups in Europe. Instead, they’re encouraged to enjoy their offensive excellence because it’ll bring in more fans. Unger Sorum has a little bit of that with the defensive side of his game, but that will be ironed out with time.
Can Unger Sorum Make the Team?
I mentioned earlier that the chances of this player making the roster were larger than zero. Rod Brind’Amour refused to rule out a return to Sweden for this young man. He’s been one of the most promising sparks in the preseason. His tenacity has earned him high praise from the Hurricanes’ coaching staff. This has been quite the showing from Unger Sorum.
This Brind’Amour quote shouldn’t draw too much attention. This is probably him suggesting that the organization looks at American Hockey League (AHL) fits for Unger Sorum just as much as a potential European return. However, without an AHL affiliate, the Hurricanes will need to find a team to take him if he is going to get his first taste of North American hockey this season. Without the Hurricanes having the input in coaching, perhaps a return to Sweden is more likely, but Unger Sorum has given himself every chance to make this roster.
Where Does Unger Sorum Fit In This Lineup?
If Unger Sorum made this roster, trying to find where he fits could be difficult. As a right winger, players like Teuvo Teravainen, Martin Necas, Seth Jarvis, Jesper Fast, and Stefan Noesen already clog that side of the ice. Noesen and Teravainen can play left wing as well, but with Michael Bunting, Andrei Svechnikov, and Jordan Martinook on the other side of the ice, it could be challenging to accommodate another winger. They could play Unger Sorum on a line with Noesen and whichever young center makes this roster, but then he won’t get much ice time.
Something I’ve seen suggested by some fans is to have Unger Sorum on Jordan Staal’s wing with Martinook, but splitting up the line that was so good for the Hurricanes last season seems counterintuitive. With Carolina’s current construction, it would be difficult for him to slide into the lineup, so if he makes the lineup, it’ll speak volumes about him.
If a good training camp were enough to determine if a player makes a team, the preseason would hold much more weight than it currently does. There needs to be a good fit for all involved. With Unger Sorum, it may feel a little forced, depending on where in the lineup they put him. It would need to be a natural fit, which there doesn’t seem to be right now. So, I leave you with a question the Hurricanes organization must answer: What would you do with Unger Sorum right now? There is no correct answer to this, but with time holding the solution for the Hurricanes, the fans get to speculate until presented with the answer.
