Carolina Hurricanes Prospects Are 'Storming' The NCAA

Carolina Hurricanes Prospects Are 'Storming' The NCAA

David Cotton and Jack Drury are two prospects for the Carolina Hurricanes who are taking NCAA hockey by storm.

Jan 22, 2020 by Jacob Messing
Carolina Hurricanes Prospects Are 'Storming' The NCAA

Last season, the Carolina Hurricanes burst onto the scene following a wave of offseason changes, shaping the team for a run to the Eastern Conference Final and bright future.

The Hurricanes are led by forwards Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, and Andrei Svechnikov, along with defenseman Dougie Hamilton, and with each of the four fitting into the 26-and-under category, there’s real promise in Carolina as a contender with an opening Stanley Cup window.

There is far more to Raleigh’s “bunch of jerks” — a term the team rallied behind following criticism from former Hockey Night in Canada host Don Cherry, last season. In his second season, coach Rod Brind’Amour’s squad continues to bring it every night, fueled by a deep offense, offensive-minded, but still responsible defense, and a strong goaltending tandem.

Brind’Amour has shown a knack for getting through to young players, which is important in Carolina given that the Hurricanes were the fourth-youngest team in the league to begin the 2019-20 season. Of course, that was before the addition of 38-year-old Justin Williams, but he’s a veteran leader any team would love to have both on and off the ice.

That’s where the future gets even brighter; Carolina’s young core hasn’t resulted in barren cupboards: rather, there remains young promising talent in the system ready to breakthrough over the next couple of seasons.

Down in the NCAA, where prospects can hone their skills for up to four years, a pair of former Hurricanes draft picks are showing off their development among college hockey’s top scorers.

David Cotton

SR | Boston College 

C | 20 GP, 10 G, 18 A, 28 pts.

Drafted in the fifth round, 169th overall in 2015, Cotton’s growth in the NCAA is exactly what NHL team’s hope for from college programs. The two-way center has shown steady maturation over his four years with the Eagles, where he has amassed 52 goals, 64 assists, and 116 points in 136 games.

Cotton is on pace to blow away last season’s 36 points (23 G, 13 A in 39 games) with 28 points through his first 20 games of the season, good enough for the fifth-best points-per-game ratio in the NCAA. As the scoring leader for the No. 4-ranked Eagles, Cotton has helped flip the team to a 15-5 record following last season’s 14-22-3 mark.

As a senior, there is little question to Carolina’s intentions in extending a contract his way when the Eagles’ season comes to a close. Cotton would play his way into a late-season audition with the Hurricanes, but is certain to bring some competition to training camp ahead of the 2020-21 season.

Cotton’s play has earned him an early nomination for the 2020 Hobey Baker, an award with a strong NHL-translation track record, currently being supported by last season’s winner and current NHL Calder Trophy favorite, Cale Makar.



Jack Drury

SO | Harvard

C | 14 GP, 8 G, 11 A, 19 pts.

Another promising center, Drury was selected in the second round, 42nd overall in 2018. After a strong freshman season in 2018-19 with 24 points (9 G, 15 A) in 32 games, Drury sits just one goal and five points shy from those marks in 18 fewer games.

Drury, son and nephew of former NHL players Ted Drury and Chris Drury, respectively, possesses an enviable face-off game after finishing 19th in the NCAA last season, winning 58.2 percent of his draws.

Should he translate a comparable number to the NHL, Drury’s offensive upside has a future in Carolina, where he could slot in as a depth center, likely fitting into the third line behind Aho and Jordan Staal.

For now, Drury is focused on No. 16-ranked Harvard’s season and the chance at an NCAA tournament berth with the 9-6-2 Crimson. His 1.36 points-per-game pace is seventh in the NCAA this season. With a five-game point streak, where Drury has accumulated four goals and ten points, he’s proving to be a vital piece for the Crimson this season.

While not limited to Carolina, the Hurricanes have benefitted from the development offered at the NCAA level, where two players are maturing their games to hopefully add to the young, talented core in Raleigh in the coming years.


Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.