Upside’s Chief Rankings Officer Eldon MacDonald has produced Top 10 Prospects lists for all 32 NHL teams as well as organizational rankings.

The criteria: Simple. The definition of a prospect is anybody that we thought was not on the team permanently at the time we produced the list (November 17, 2025).

The Carolina Hurricanes prospect pool ranks 20th of 32 NHL teams. Stay tuned as we roll out all 32 teams Top 10 prospect rankings with a few honorable mentions. We’re keeping these posts brief and to the point.

November 2026

Carolina’s system is deep and diverse, with talent across all positions.
Pool Grade: B+

Bradley Nadeau (RW) – 2023 1st round | Chicago (AHL)
High-end shooter and scorer. AHL transition ongoing.
Upside: Top-6 sniper

Semyon Frolov (G) – 2025 2nd round | MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)
Athletic Russian goalie with starter tools.
Upside: NHL starter

Kurban Limatov (D) – 2025 3rd round | MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)
Big, mobile defender. Raw but promising.
Upside: Top-4 D

Charlie Cerrato (C) – 2025 2nd round | Penn State (NCAA)
Two-way center with offensive upside. NCAA standout.
Upside: Middle-6 C

Pyotr Kochetkov (G) – 2019 2nd round | Chicago (AHL)
Experienced, athletic goalie. Fighting consistency.
Upside: NHL tandem

Felix Unger Sorum (RW) – 2023 2nd round | Chicago (AHL)
High-IQ, versatile forward. Adapting to NA pro.
Upside: Top-9 forward

Nikita Artamonov (LW) – 2024 2nd round | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
Skilled, competitive winger. KHL experience valuable.
Upside: Middle-6 winger

Charles-Alexis Legault (C) – 2023 5th round | Chicago (AHL)
Big, defensive center. Limited offense.
Upside: Fourth-line C

Dominik Badinka (D) – 2024 2nd round | Chicago (AHL)
Smooth-skating two-way defender. Adjusting to AHL.
Upside: #5-6 D

Ivan Ryabkin (C) – 2025 3rd round | Chicago (AHL)
Creative, undersized center. Needs strength.
Upside: Bottom-6 playmaker

HMs: Justin Robidas, Alexander Rykov, Gleb Trikozov

Carolina Hurricanes Organizational Score: 20

How organizational ranking scores determined:

10 pts: 1st line, 1st pairing, starting goalie

7 pts: 2nd line, 2nd pairing

3 pts: 3rd line, 3rd pairing, backup goalie

1 pt: possible significant other given out haphazardly.

For all of our NHL Team Prospect Rankings, visit our dedicated page on Upside Hockey.

Upside Hockey.

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