While everyone waits for the start of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, we are officially less than a month away from the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The draft is being held at The Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28-29. The Carolina Hurricanes have the 27th-overall pick in the first round. There are many questions from the fanbase on who the organization could select at that pick. In the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, they selected Bradly Nadeau from the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) with the 30th-overall pick.
The Hurricanes will have some huge decisions to make with their first-round pick. It is possible they go with a center to shore up their depth at the position. There is also a chance they go defense or even goaltending because you can never have too many of those guys in the system. However, one player can perfectly fit within the Hurricanes’ system based on how he played in the 2023-24 season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). His play style can fit in well with head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system, which values players who can play a two-way, 200-foot game. Furthermore, he is someone who weighs less than 180 pounds but can also throw the body. He is a right-winger who is the best underrated player in the draft and has the best chance of contributing to the Hurricanes in the near future.
Let’s Talk Sam O’Reilly
London Knights right-winger Sam O’Reilly is the player who can fit perfectly into the Hurricanes system. The 18-year-old Toronto, ON native, had himself quite the a season. He finished the 2023-24 campaign tallying 20 goals and 56 points in 68 games and five goals and 12 points in 16 playoff games. It was his first full season with London after appearing in five games for them in the 2022-23 season. O’Reilly is no stranger to scoring as he put up impressive numbers in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League where he had 26 goals and 63 points in 35 games for the London Nationals.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide
Regarding his overall playstyle, O’Reilly has become one of those prospects who needs to be watched more closely to be fully appreciated for what he can do on the ice. When he was being scouted, scouts saw him as someone who at times appears to be pacing himself. However, in that aspect of his game, he’s calculating with his approach and can generally be reliable in all three zones.
The way he plays is why he is ranked 24th in the NHL Central Scouting rankings for North American skaters. O’Reilly has made himself a great two-way player with a versatile 200-foot game. He is someone who can play a responsible game without the puck and his strong work ethic has made him a strong presence in the offensive zone for the Knights. Furthermore, he doesn’t shy away from any chance for physicality, which is something you see in current Hurricane Seth Jarvis.
NHL Central Scouting had some praise for O’Reilly and how he plays, writing “He has good game habits, is hard to play against and plays with some bite while playing within the rules. He has very good offensive hockey sense and puck skills, is hard to contain down low and gaining more confidence offensively as the season progresses. O’Reilly can play the fast/smart game in traffic and small areas and has all the tools in his kit to contribute offensively.” That could raise some eyebrows and put him squarely on the radar of interim general manager Eric Tulsky and assistant general manager Darren Yorke, especially with Yorke, who leads the amateur scouts.
Related: Hurricanes’ 2024 Draft Target: Waterloo Black Hawks’ John Mustard
When asked about O’Reilly as a player, Knights associate general manager Rob Simpson stated “the nice thing that Sam brings is he’s a little bit of a throwback to me because he does a lot of little things on the ice that are hard to find. He drives the net extremely hard, can tip pucks, screen goalies. He’s physical all over the ice and he can play a 200-foot game.” That quote alone should give Hurricanes fans a glimpse into how good O’Reilly could be for Carolina with how well he would fit into Brind’Amour’s system.
Furthermore, to that point, he can provide some deception off the rush with the puck on his stick. O’Reilly is someone who can catch teams off guard with his sense of transition and is able to crash the net and the offensive zone. He has an extra gear he can tap into when he sees a lane to attack which could cause fits for the opposing defences. When it comes to his stick skills, he can handle the puck very well at his age. His hockey sense is very solid plus and he has an above-average touch with the puck that can develop more over time. O’Reilly’s puck movement, passing, hockey IQ, and compete level — when combined with his two-way, 200-foot play — all adds up to someone who can slide into the Hurricanes’ lineup with ease.
The Hurricanes are thiin on the right side and getting someone like O’Reilly can give them a boost in that position. He can be someone who could fit within the top nine, maybe even within the top six, in the future while seeing some power-play time. O’Reilly’s style just makes him the best candidate for the Hurricanes to take him with the 27th-overall pick if he is still available.
2024 NHL Entry Draft
Carolina has three sixth-round picks (two via Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs) while having one pick each in of the other rounds. They have the 60th-overall pick in the second round to kick off Day 2 of the draft.