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Carolina Hurricanes 2012 draft preview Photo: Selected 12th overall, Ryan Murphy is one only a small number of defensemen the Carolina Hurricanes have drafted in the first round. (Mark Spowart/Icon SMI)
For the third consecutive year, the Carolina Hurricanes hold one of the first dozen picks of the NHL Draft. With franchise cornerstones Eric Staal and Cam Ward firmly in their prime, Carolina is looking to improve and return to the postseason in 2012-13. Future of defense looks bright in Carolina Photo: Defenseman Ryan Murphy is not only the top prospect for the Carolina Hurricanes but among the top defensive prospects in all of hockey. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Kellner)
One could argue that since the Hartford Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes, the franchise has never had the true number one defenseman most teams covet. Even the 2006 Stanley Cup-winning team was a mash-up of role players. Hockey’s Future Organizational Rankings, Spring 2012: 11-20Below is the middle third of Hockey's Future NHL Organizational rankings as voted by the Hockey's Future staff. To determine the ranking, each team's entire prospect pool was taken into consideration. For reference, just the top five prospects are listed. To be eligible, a prospect must meet HF's prospect criteria. The rankings are done twice each season, in the fall and spring. Young, talented defenseman highlight Hurricanes NCAA and European prospect pools Photo: Defenseman Mark Alt is part of a large group of very talented blueliners with a great deal of promise. (Photo courtesy of Josh Holmberg /Icon SMI)
Already featuring two highly-touted blueliners in Justin Faulk and Ryan Murphy, the Carolina Hurricanes list of talented defensemen has only continued to grow with the impressive production of some of their other draftees. Brian Dumoulin, Danny Biega, and Mark Alt are all 1991 birthdates who played major roles with their collegiate teams and are all on track to impact the organization in the near future. 2012 World Championship: Justin Krueger, Germany
 Photo: Carolina Hurricanes prospect Justin Krueger is taking part in his third Men's World Championship tournament with the German squad (courtesy of Jamie Kellner/HF)
A 2006 draftee of the Carolina Hurricanes, restricted free agent Justin Krueger just completed his first full year in the AHL after 4 years at Cornell and a season in the Swiss NLA. The 6’3”, 205-pound defensive defenseman put up mild offensive totals, but did manage to collect a plus 16 rating in 58 games while playing for the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. |
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