Carolina Hurricanes Prospects: Center

Welcome to week 4 of this series where I go through the Carolina Hurricanes prospect farm, pick out a position group, and update everyone on these players. Not to say there isn’t some NHL promise with the group, but going off of solely talent level and the number of prospects compared to the rest of the farm, the Canes desperately need some talent at center. The Canes currently have 4 true centers in the farm and while some players like Bradly Nadeau and Jackson Blake could eventually play center down the line, I find that unlikely.

Ryan Suzuki

If there are hockey gods out there somewhere, Ryan Suzuki must’ve done something to piss off the injury one. But it looks like he has finally turned a corner on his health scares, playing in the most games since his Barrie Colt days. Carving out the 2nd line center role for the Springfield Thunderbirds, Suzuki had 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points in 51 games while also playing on both the power play and the penalty kill. Suzuki is what I would describe as the perfect 4th line center, having the versatility to play on special teams when needed but also more than responsible holding his own at even strength and in the dot, having a 59% win percentage there.
His strengths are evident, with his playmaking standing out more than his shot. Suzuki loves to make the extra pass and is more than content to dish the puck to more trigger-happy shooters. But don’t be fooled, his shot is also something to note, as this season Suzuki had a 20.3% shooting percentage. Some would call this an outlier (I’m looking at you David Cotton in 2020-2021) but this is the 4th straight season Suzuki had a shooting percentage higher than 19%, which is good enough for 5th in the entire AHL out of forwards that player more than 50 games. His skating has also held strong since his draft year, letting him do incredible things with the puck on his stick like this goal.
His weaknesses are also evident, being the injury issues and strength. Even though he did play in the most games since his OHL days, it still wasn’t a full season. Whether it was healthy scratchings or an actual injury, Suzuki still just cannot seem to get one full season under his belt. His strength has also improved since his junior days, but I would like to see him get a little stronger to help with the day-to-day of the NHL life as a center.
Notice how I said NHL center? That’s because I still truly believe that there is an NHL center within Suzuki. The fundamentals are all there and since being able to play 50+ games in back-to-back seasons, he’s gotten noticeably better. But he needs to stay healthy and showcase the 200-foot talent that is there in training camp and Chicago. I think Suzuki could have his NHL debut this upcoming year but I also wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t.
NHL Timeline: Soon

Justin Robidas

After Robidas dominated the competition in both the QMJHL and the CHL on the way to winning the Memorial Cup with the Quebec Remparts, he was rewarded with an entry-level contract with the Hurricanes. After the whole AHL team situation (which I am just ecstatic to have figured out, by the way), Robidas got to play with the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL and he was nothing short of good. Posting 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 32 games played before an injury ended his season in January, Robidas was excellent. He quickly earned the top center spot, along with being on the top power play and getting some penalty kill minutes. In his first professional season, Robidas impressed a lot of people.
His strengths are pretty straightforward, being his skating and his playmaking. His skating stands out as it can help him to weave in and out of opponents, which is great for someone of his size (which I will touch on in a minute). His playmaking is evident when watching Norfolk’s power play, which sorely missed having Robidas for his overall ability. Another underrated part of Robidas’ game is his shot, which has seemingly improved from his junior days. It’s noticeably faster and more accurate.
His weakness is not much of a weakness, more of a genetic drawback, that being his size. It’s always going to be tougher for a 5’8, 176-pound forward to break into the NHL but Robidas has cracked the code on how to use his size to his advantage. He wins a surprising amount of board battles for a player of his stature.
Talking about an NHL future, I’m intrigued with Robidas. His skill and hockey IQ might be enough to carve out something down the line, but his size will always be something that is used against him. Going to hold out full judgment until he gets some AHL time but count me intrigued by Robidas’s development, especially going into his second professional season.
NHL Timeline: 2026+

Lucas Mercuri

One of the first prospects that I had the opportunity to watch in person, Mercuri is interesting. He has the prototypical size you love in a center (6’3, 220 pounds) and his skating is solid enough, but sometimes he just does the dumb thing. As well, his defensive game is shaky and his offense might never be NHL-caliber. But, the jump from his Sophomore year to Junior year was everything you could ask for, his production jumping from 14 points to 25 (9 goals and 16 assists)!
His strength is, well, his strength. The term I used when speaking with UMass PxP (and friend) Nathan Strauss was “bash brother”, that fourth liner that uses his god-given size to just piss you off. Mercuri did every bit of that against Maine when I watched, consistently being in the middle of scrums and being the one to lay the hit. Some other strengths include his shootout ability, which I know is more niche than anything but I cannot remember for the life of me when the last time he didn’t score a 1 on 1 was, as well as his shot, which improved from a measly 6% to 14% in the span of one season.
His weaknesses are his defensive game, which still isn’t horrible but it’s not penalty-kill worthy, and his overall ceiling. It caps out hard as a 4th line grinder or an AHL top 6 player, but you always need those in your system to help out the other talent.
His NHL timeline seems somewhat clear as Mercuri is heading back to UMass for his senior season. So he’s got one year there and then some seasoning time in the AHL, so he’s still a good amount away.
NHL Timeline: 2027+

Blake Murray

The last true center within the prospect system, Blake Murray has had a go of it. After playing for the Norfolk Admirals and the Florida Everblades in the ECHL, he finally found a home with the Allen Americans and had a respectable go, posting 19 goals and 31 assists for 50 points in 54 games played, which would be good for 3rd on the team. He also added 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points in 12 games played for Norfolk and Florida.
His strength is his playmaking. He can be streaky at times but when the puck is on his stick, he’s creative and free-flowing. Murray is honestly the prospect I have watched the least of so I will apologize now for the inequality talking about him compared to other guys.
Murray’s overall weakness is his skill ceiling. The kid has a lot of talent but just can’t seem to put it all together at a level higher than the ECHL. Now, is that unfair to say since Murray has never had more than 20 AHL games in a season? I would argue yes, it’s hard to truly see talent if it’s stuck at a certain level.
Murray might never see the NHL in complete honesty, at least in Carolina. It’s hard to see an NHL player with those traits, but maybe he stands out for Chicago next year.