The Carolina Hurricanes swept the competition at the 2023 Southeast Rookie Showcase, winning all three of their matches against the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators.
Quite a few Canes had a hand in the wins and among those players were a few that really stood out among the crowd.
Here's who I believe stood out the most from the showcase and will therefore have a leg up entering training camp.
Vasily Ponomarev
If there's going to be any prospect to make the jump to the big club this year, it's going to be Ponomarev. After a stellar season in first professional season last year with the Chicago Wolves, Ponomarev has only gotten better.
At the showcase, Ponomarev led the way for the Hurricanes with a goal and four assists and he was a noticeable player on both special teams units and in all three zones.
He's been in Raleigh for weeks now, working with the NHL regulars at the captain's skates. He's got the commitment, the belief and the skill to be successful, he just needs to take that next step.
Ryan Suzuki
After so many disappointing seasons shortened due to injury, it was nice to see Suzuki showcasing his high-end talent.
He had his best game against the Nashville Predators where he was a menace all over the ice. He's got a good shot and he scored in all three of his shootout attempts.
Time is against Suzuki, but he's looking like the player he's supposed to be.
Domenick Fensore
Fensore was hands down the best defenseman for the Hurricanes at the showcase. From offensive puck movement to defensive acumen, Fensore was doing it all.
He looked composed quarterbacking PP1 and he showed good offensive instincts with when to jump into plays and pinch.
I even saw him blow up a Tampa Bay Lightning player with a reverse hit. Pretty good for a 5-foot-8 defender.
Yaniv Perets / Jakub Vondras
Both Carolina netminders were great over the course of the showcase. Perets stopped 41 of 44 shots and Vondras turned aside 42 of 45 shots.
Perets has strong positioning and is a calm presence in net. He stopped three of the five shootout attempts he faced.
Vondras on the other hand is a bit more raw, but his athleticism is apparent. He stopped all 10 of the shootout attempts he faced.
Justin Robidas
Another skilled, forechecking center had a good showcase. How shocking.
Just like Suzuki and Ponomarev, Robidas was doing it all and put up the stats to show too.
I'm curious to see what he will be able to do in his first professional season.
Honorable Mentions
- Bryce Montgomery - While Montgomery didn't pop off the page at the showcase, he was overall dependable and solid from what I saw. It's kind of what you want out of a defenseman.
- Aleksi Heimosalmi - Heimosalmi had a good showing despite not really opposing off on the scoresheet. He looked composed, skated well, and even got physical.
- Markus Vidicek - One of the Hurricanes' camp invitees, it seemed that every time I looked up at an offensive chance for the Canes, Vidicek was right there in front of the crease. Finish wasn't there, but he was noticable.
- Jack Beck - Another invitee, Beck paired well with Suzuki throughout the showcase and looked comfortable beside him.
