The Canes were able to turn their 20th overall pick into the 26th and 60th, and were able to turn Tim Gleason into a 2015 3rd rounder. A solid though unspectacular haul to be sure. There were other offers on the table that were considered but nothing much came of them unfortunately, mostly due to GM Greybill's hastiness.
Anyway, on to the picks:
The Canes seemed to have a clear mentality of making their middle 6 much more difficult to play against in the long term with their offensive situation already prettymuch hashed out short and long term, and the defense being an absolute pipeline of talent since the last draft. It seems that this was a mentality shared by many other managers this year as well, which made for some interesting picks and a bit of rage that Cotton got picked before I could get to him by Bub, you bastard.
#26 - LW/C Shane Eiserman - Dubuque (USHL)
Weighing in at 6'2/201, Eiserman was a man amongst boys in the USHL last year and projects to be your prototype 3rd line power forward with some ability to slot up if needed. Offensively he doesn't give you much of anything special, though his goal scoring ability is pretty nice, but defensively he's sound and he'll hit you like a freight train. His faceoff skill could use some work, but if this next guy pans out he might not need to be a factor there, and will likely play the wing opposite Tom Wilson. Shane will play at UNH next season.
#50 - C/RW Nick Magyar - Kitchener (OHL)
While Magyar's more of a project then his first round counterpart in Eiserman, he's the better player if he pans out and there should be no doubt about that. His skating won't be quite as good, but he'll be a more offensively gifted player, especially his playmaking skill which would be an ideal combination to use with Eiserman on his wing. And defensively he's possibly one of the best shut-down forwards in this draft capable in all regards at the position. He's better (though still not exceptional) on the draw as well, which makes him ideal for the #3 centerman role long term. I mean, this Canes team being able to roll Eric Staal, Brandon Sutter, and Nick Magyar at you in 2-3 seasons? Yeah watch out.
#60 - D/RW Miro Keskitalo - Jokerit (Fin U-20)
A rather unique skillset on this one, capable of bringing a bit more of an offensive punch on the blueline, or a bit of a physical presence to the wing on the 3rd or 4th line. He doesn't quite have the upside of the prior two picks, but he's a gifted enough player with a unique enough skillset that it would have been tough to pass him up. At the very least he's a sure bet to be a contributor on a checking line if only to bang some heads and make some nice passes.
#80 - LW/RW Vladimir Tkachyov - Moncton (QMJHL)
A bit of a departure from what the first and second rounds saw, mostly out of necessity, Tkachyov is an offensively gifted and very consistent player that likely isn't too far out from being able to play in the Canes minor league system and making an impact in the NHL. His size should be the only knock against him, as offensively he's quite the dangler and playmaker though his shot is nothing special, and while he'll never be confused for Brandon Sutter defensively that aspect of his game is hardly lacking. The only hard part may be finding a place to play all these guys the Canes have in their system.
#110 - D Lukas Bengtsson - Mora (Allsvenskan)
The breakout overager is a bit of an offensive dynamo from the back end... and very inconsistent. Hey, the 4th round is all about taking risks, and with the Canes looking for an eventual replacement for Pitkanen here, rolling the dice on the Swede here isn't necessarily the worst option on the table for that. Very gifted offensively with a heavy shot, he's a bit of a wanderer in his own zone with no penchant for the physical. If the Canes are able to overdevelop what most believe his upside to be defensively they have a potentially special player on their hands, if not, well, he'll still be a possibly useful weapon... just mostly used in a 3rd pairing roll until the team needs a spark on the PP.
#140 - C/L W Radel Fazleyev - Calgary (WHL)
Gifted offensively but inconsistent, the Faz is likely to take the long route to the NHL if he gets there. Strong enough defensively and having both solid goal scoring and playmaking ability, the Faz does have the skillset to make it if he wants to. Definite offensive #2C upside if he can reach it... but that also may have to be on another team with the Canes insane depth down the middle right now.
#170 - G Keven Bouchard - Val-D'Or (QMJHL)
This guy has all the makings of a top goalie prospect with one exception... his consistency. We don't know if it's just a case of a young guy that needs to work some things out, or if we have another Gilles Graton on our hands. One thing we do know, is that the kid can play if he can iron out his consistency issues.
#200 - C/LW Filip Karlsson - Rögle (SHL)
While there could be more to this kid then would appear at first glance, all indications are that he's here to be AHL depth for the Canes and little more then that long term. He's a boost candidate, but how high that could go? We're unsure, and that alone makes him a significant long shot to make the league. But hey, retooling isn't just about the NHL level.
