Could there be another Seth Jarvis for Canes in prospects showcase? 5 skaters to watch
No one knows the importance of an NHL prospects showcase more than Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes.
A year ago, the winger was a 19-year-old prospect who showcased himself well enough to earn a spot in the Canes’ preseason training camp, then a spot on the NHL roster. By season’s end, Jarvis was playing on the Canes’ top line centered by Sebastian Aho.
Jarvis was on the Canes’ team that traveled to Tampa, Florida, for the 2021 NHL Prospects Showcase hosted by the Lightning. He said he had one thing in mind when he left Raleigh:
“Be the best player,” he said.
And not just the best player for the Hurricanes.
“Be the best player in Tampa, on any team,” Jarvis said this week. “I wanted to be the guy everybody looked at and said, ‘Whoa, I want to get to his level.’ I think I did a good job of that and it set me up good for camp.”
Some of the NHL scouts who were in Tampa said Jarvis was just that — the best player on all four teams.
There was little or no consideration during the preseason camp that Carolina’s 2020 first-round draft pick would be sent back to his junior team, the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. He was making the big team.
“He’s a very quick learner,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of the decision last season. “He doesn’t look out of place.”
Jarvis would finish with 17 goals and 40 points as a rookie with the Canes, then have eight points in 14 Stanley Cup playoff games. He wasn’t out of place.
With that said, there are other Canes prospects who will be hoping to follow Jarvis’ lead when the 2022 NHL Prospect Showcase begins this week — first at Invisalign Arena in Morrisville on Friday and then at PNC Arena on Sunday and Monday as the Canes play host to a showcase for the first time.
It could be a tough task and a big ask. The Hurricanes, the Metropolitan Division winners in 2021-22, could have few if any roster spots available when preseason camp begins next week.
Jarvis’ words of advice to those who will play against Florida, Nashville and Tampa Bay:
“You can’t leave anything on the ice and you must try to be impressive every time you play,” he said. “You’re not only making an impression on our scouts and our staff but impressing other teams. If you don’t make it here there are 31 other teams that might pick you up.
“It’s about impressing everyone that watches and making sure they know you’re ready “
Who to watch? Here are five Hurricanes prospects:
Forwards
38 Noel Gunler 6-2, 176, Lulea, Sweden
Gunler was a Canes second-round draft pick in 2020. Playing for Brynas in the Swedish Hockey League last season, the right-shot winger had 33 points in 52 games. He joined the Chicago Wolves of the AHL late last season and was in 10 playoff games in their Calder Cup run.
92 Vasily Ponomarev 5-10, 180, Moscow, Russia
Another second-round pick in 2020, the center joined the Chicago Wolves after the KHL season in Russia and also was a part of the Wolves’ Calder Cup championship. Scouts say he’s a 200-foot player and tough competitor.
61 Ryan Suzuki 6-1, 183, London, Ontario
It has been a tough go for the center taken 28th in the 2019 draft by Carolina. An eye injury in junior hockey was a setback, and he was inconsistent last season with the AHL Wolves. This is another chance to shine.
Defensemen
84 Anttoni Honka 5-11, 190, Jyvaskyla, Finland
A third-round pick in 2019, the right-shooting D signed a three-year entry-level contract with Canes in August. He played in 57 games for JVP in the Finnish top-division Liiga last season.
43 Grigori Dronov 6-3, 201, Magnitogorsk, Russia
Dronov, 24, is an invitee to the showcase who has played the past six seasons for Magnitogorsk Mettalurg of the KHL. Had 14 points in 24 games in the 2022 playoffs as Mettalurg lost in the Gagarin Cup finals. Was a member of Russia’s World Junior team in 2017.
2022 NHL Prospects Showcase
(Admission to all games is free)
Friday, Sept. 16
10 a.m. – Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers (Invisalign Arena)
1 p.m. – Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Nashville Predators (Invisalign Arena)
Saturday, Sept. 17
Practice Day
Sunday, Sept. 18
10 a.m. – Hurricanes vs. Nashville Predators (PNC Arena)
1 p.m. – Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers (PNC Arena)
Monday, Sept. 19
10 a.m. – Nashville Predators vs. Florida Panthers (PNC Arena)
1 p.m. – Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (PNC Arena)
This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 7:10 AM with the headline "Could there be another Seth Jarvis for Canes in prospects showcase? 5 skaters to watch."
