The first day of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft at The Sphere in Las Vegas did not disappoint. It had it all for round one, from shocker picks in the top five, like Beckett Sennecke to the Anaheim Ducks, to draft announcements from Michael Buffer and Celine Dion. Regarding the Carolina Hurricanes, it was mostly a quiet night for general manager Eric Tulsky’s first draft at the helm. After weeks of mock drafts and draft projections of who they could take at the 27th overall pick, the Hurricanes ultimately traded it. When the NHL got to their selection at the end of the first round, Carolina sent the 27th pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for the 34th and 50th overall picks; both selections are in the second round. The Hurricanes potentially have 10 selections in rounds two through seven on Saturday, June 29. Here is where they stand going into day two:
Hoard All the Picks
Going into day two of the 2024 NHL Draft, here is where the Hurricanes will be selecting for rounds two through seven:
- Round 2, 34th Overall via Chicago
- Round 2, 50th Overall via Chicago
- Round 2, 60th Overall
- Round 3, 92nd Overall
- Round 4, 124th Overall
- Round 5, 156th Overall
- Round 6, 168th Overall via Ottawa
- Round 6, 184th Overall via Toronto
- Round 6, 188th Overall
- Round 7, 220th Overall
While they do have 10 picks on day two, there is a high probability that they won’t use all of them. It would not be surprising if Carolina combined some of those round-two and round-six picks in a trade package to acquire a player and other assets. However, it is not certain if they are going after one player in particular because of rumors surrounding their attempt to re-sign Jake Guentzel and trade Martin Necas. There was a ton of noise surrounding Necas to be traded on Day One, but nothing came to fruition. For the sake of argument, let’s say the Hurricanes keep and use all 10 of their picks on the second day of the draft. Some great selections are still on the board in the second round.
Decisions, Decisions for Hurricanes
One name in particular is center Adam Jecho of the Edmonton Oil Kings. The Czechia native made a name for himself in Finland before coming to North America in the WHL. He was the third-overall pick by the Oil Kings in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. In his first year in North America, he played 54 games and tallied 23 goals and 47 points. Jecho comes into the draft as a 6-foot-5, 201-pound right-shot center/right-winger ranked 22nd by NHL Central Scouting for North American players. Hurricanes need to focus on the center depth, which is slim after Jack Drury. If they can draft him, Jecho is one to keep an eye on for either pick at 34 or 50.
Related: Hurricanes’ 2024 Draft Target: Edmonton Oil Kings’ Adam Jecho
Another name for pick 34 or 50 is center Julius Miettinen from the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Helsinki, Finland native tallied 31 goals and 67 points in 66 games during the 2023-24 season. Coming in at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, he’s an imposing figure on the ice, and he already uses his size well. He’s strong on the forecheck and does well to win one-on-one battles when his team decides to play dump-and-chase. He makes a great selection for the Hurricanes in the second round because Miettinen has a strong net-front presence. A massive need for the Hurricanes is someone who can plant himself in front of the net and get greasy playoff-like goals. The Silvertips used him as their net-front presence on their power play, where he used his big frame to provide screens and take away opposing goaltenders’ line of sight. He’s not afraid to do the same at five-on-five, too. He is Stefan Noesen, but make him almost six-and-a-half feet tall.
Regarding his defensive game, Miettinen’s positioning is sound in the defensive and neutral zones already at just 18 years old. Furthermore, he can apply pressure to oncoming attackers off the rush and uses his long reach effectively to knock the puck off opponents’ sticks. He will be an unstoppable center if he can use his stick defensively to even half of what Jaccob Slavin can do. He could potentially be a mix of Slavin and Jordan Staal defensively while having a scoring touch. This applies to all three zones, but Miettinen uses his frame effectively in faceoffs. That could prove valuable at the next level, especially if the Hurricanes can use him in a role on the special teams, probably the penalty kill or even the powerplay.
Related: Julius Miettinen — 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
Those are a couple of options for the Hurricanes early in the second round. Fans could see some movement from Carolina on day two of the NHL Draft, especially with two rounds (second and sixth round) having three picks in each round. Whether it be a trade or just using their draft picks, the team will be busy as Tulsky tries to make his mark in his first draft as the face of the franchise as the general manager.
Final Thoughts
It’ll be anything but quiet for the team that loves to “Cause Chaos” in Las Vegas. Caniacs and hockey fans should buckle in for a wild day two of the draft. Fans can watch rounds two through seven on NHL Network or ESPN+ at 11:30 am ET or 9:30 am MT. The Hurricanes can stockpile the prospect cupboards with 10 picks on Saturday, June 29, or trade some away to go after NHL roster players now. Either way, expect some fireworks in the desert from the Carolina Hurricanes.
