RALEIGH, N.C. – Who will the Carolina Hurricanes select with their top pick, fifth overall, in the upcoming 2015 NHL Draft that will take place at BB&T Center in on Friday?
Many opinions and thoughts have been written and discussed with the numerous possibilities that exist as Carolina has 10 selections available to make or deal throughout the event that continues through Saturday.
As deep as this incoming class of future National Hockey League (NHL) pros is, many teams, including the Hurricanes, have numerous personnel decisions to make on re-signing, not re-signing, or attempting to put together trades of current pros that could be transacted leading up to and during the weekend.
This draft will truly put to the test Hurricanes executive vice president and general manager Ron Francis’ ability to effectively assimilate his management team and scouting staff’s work and enable him to pull the trigger on picks and deals that will shape the franchise’s future under his direction.
With only three days to go, speculation will increase on the possibility that Francis could announce a blockbuster deal on the draft floor that could include Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Alexander Semin, or even Jeff Skinner, to name a few.
All have been included in trade rumors for quite some time when the Hurricanes have been mentioned, so anything is possible and shouldn’t be ruled out.
The right situation and components of such a deal haven’t been available to do so in the past.
However, this weekend in Florida, the time will be right for something big to happen.
Coupled with draft picks and moving up in the pecking order, the possibility of another team wanting to pick up the large contracts of players like those mentioned would make such a transaction more palatable.
One organization’s challenges present another with opportunities.
With that said, the drama that will unfold beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday during the first round will continue the next morning, when rounds two through seven take place.
In fact, Saturday may very well be the most exciting part of this year’s draft, an exception to years past.
Carolina will still have nine picks remaining – one in each round with an additional one in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds.
Not to be forgotten, and depending on what Francis has in mind, in addition to 2015 picks, a bevy of currently signed prospects are available to dress up an impressive deal on either day.
Something has and will happen at this year’s draft – it has to.
If there was any time to truly take some bold steps to reshaping and rebuilding the Carolina Hurricanes, it is now.
Notes: For the league’s future draft picks, a variety of events are scheduled earlier in the week for them to get their faces in the crowd in Florida. As per the NHL’s public relations team, the Draft’s Top Prospects will take batting practice with the Miami Marlins on Wednesday afternoon…On Thursday, they’ll be part of an on-ice clinic at the Panthers Ice Den at for 90 minutes in the morning and then get ready to be under the full lights of the media later in the day…For fans, an NHL Trading Card Show begins on Friday (5-10:30 p.m.) and continues on Saturday (8 a.m. – 1 p.m.) at the BB&T Center while the draft continues.
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2015 NHL Draft – Order of selection
Carolina Hurricanes noted in bold.
Round 1
1. Edmonton
2. Buffalo
3. Arizona
4. Toronto
5. Carolina
6. New Jersey
7. Philadelphia
8. Columbus
9. San Jose
10. Colorado
11. Florida
12. Dallas
13. Los Angeles
14. Boston
15. Calgary
16. Edmonton (from PIT)
17. Winnipeg
18. Ottawa
19. Detroit
20. Minnesota
21. Buffalo (from NYI)
22. Washington
23. Vancouver
24. Toronto (from NSH)
25. Winnipeg (from STL via BUF)
26. Montreal
27. Anaheim
28. Tampa Bay (from NYR)
29. Philadelphia (from TBL)
30. Arizona (from CHI)
Round 2
31. Buffalo
32. Arizona
33. Edmonton
34. Columbus (from TOR via LAK)
35. Carolina
36. New Jersey
37. Boston (from PHI via NYI)
38. Columbus
39. San Jose
40. Colorado
41. New Jersey (from FLA)
42. Ottawa (from DAL)
43. Los Angeles
44. Tampa Bay (from BOS)
45. Calgary
46. Pittsburgh
47. Winnipeg
48. Ottawa
49. Dallas (from DET)
50. Minnesota
51. Buffalo (from NYI)
52. Calgary (from WSH)
53. Calgary (from VAN)
54. Chicago (compensatory pick – CHI did not sign 2010 1st-round pick Kevin Hayes)
55. Nashville
56. St. Louis
57. Edmonton (from MTL)
58. Columbus (from ANA)
59. NY Rangers
60. Arizona (from TBL via NYR)
61. Philadelphia (from CHI)
Round 3
64. Washington (from BUF)
63. Arizona
64. Tampa Bay (from EDM via ANA)
65. Toronto
66. Carolina
67. New Jersey
68. Columbus (from PHI)
69. Columbus
70. Philadelphia (from SJS)
71. Colorado
72. NY Islanders (from FLA)
73. Detroit (from DAL)
74. Los Angeles
75. Boston
76. Calgary
77. Florida (from PIT)
78. Winnipeg
79. Edmonton (from OTT)
80. Anaheim (from DET via CBJ)
81. Arizona (from MIN)
82. NY Islanders
83. Calgary (from WSH)
84. Anaheim (from VAN)
85. Nashville
86. Edmonton (from STL)
87. Montreal
88. Florida (from ANA)
89. NY Rangers
90. Philadelphia (from TBL)
91. Chicago
Round 4
92. Buffalo
93. Carolina (from ARI via WSH)
94. St. Louis (from EDM)
95. Toronto
96. Carolina
97. New Jersey
98. Philadelphia
99. Philadelphia (from CBJ)
100. Nashville (from SJS)
101. Colorado
102. Florida
103. Dallas
104. Los Angeles
105. Boston
106. San Jose (from CGY)
107. Toronto (from PIT)
108. Winnipeg
109. Ottawa
110. Detroit
111. Minnesota
112. NY Islanders
113. Washington
114. Vancouver
115. Nashville
116. St. Louis
117. Edmonton (from MTL)
118. Tampa Bay (from ANA)
119. NY Rangers
120. Tampa Bay
121. Chicago
Round 5
122. Buffalo
123. Arizona
124. Edmonton
125. Toronto
126. Carolina
127. St. Louis (from NJD)
128. Philadelphia
129. Columbus
130. San Jose
131. Montreal (from COL)
132. Florida
133. Dallas
134. Los Angeles
135. Boston
136. Calgary
137. Pittsburgh
138. Carolina (from WPG)
139. Ottawa
140. Detroit
141. Columbus (from MIN)
142. San Jose (from NYI)
143. Washington
144. Vancouver
145. Nashville
146. St. Louis
147. Florida (from MTL)
148. Anaheim
149. Vancouver (from NYR)
150. Tampa Bay
151. Chicago
Round 6
152. Buffalo
153. Tampa Bay (from ARI)
154. Edmonton
155. Toronto
156. Carolina
157. New Jersey
158. Philadelphia
159. Columbus
160. San Jose
161. Colorado
162. Florida
163. Dallas
164. Chicago (from LAK)
165. Boston
166. Calgary
167. Pittsburgh
168. Winnipeg
169. Carolina (from OTT via WPG)
170. Detroit
171. Minnesota
172. NY Islanders
173. Washington
174. Vancouver
175. Nashville
176. St. Louis
177. Montreal
178. Anaheim
179. NY Rangers
180. Tampa Bay
181. Chicago
Round 7
182. Buffalo
183. Arizona
184. Edmonton
185. Toronto
186. Carolina
187. Los Angeles (from NJD)
188. Philadelphia
189. Columbus
190. San Jose
191. Colorado
192. Florida
193. Dallas
194. Los Angeles
195. Boston
196. Calgary
197. Pittsburgh
198. Winnipeg
199. Ottawa
200. Detroit
201. Minnesota
202. NY Islanders
203. Winnipeg (from WSH)
204. Minnesota (from VAN via TBL)
205. Nashville
206. Florida (from STL via NJD)
207. Montreal
208. Tampa Bay (from ANA)
209. NY Rangers
210. San Jose (from TBL via NYI)
211. Chicago