Over the last few months I had too much time on my hands, so I wasted it by looking at this year's draft more deeply. I purchased both the HockeyPropspect.com Black Book and McKeen's draft guide; I also watched quite a few Scouching and DraftDynasty videos.
This is my list of players I would most like to see the Canes draft. I am pretty sure most of these will be available where the Canes have a pick. The order is based on my personal preference—in fact I think my #1 is likely available with Buffalo's 3rd. The number in parentheses is where I think the Canes should/could grab them.
1. Ronan Seeley—a defenseman who skates as well as the top tier guys. His positioning and play within Everett's defensive system might be the best in the draft. Seeley is one of the younger D-men available. He has by far the best score in my PSF model the past two drafts. (69)
2. Theodor Niederbach—a prospect who I think can be an ideal 2C in a few years. I haven't seen him enough to make a stylistic comparison, but his potential reminds me of Krejci. In fact, several of the scouting reports for Niederbach used almost the exact same description that is on EliteProspects for Krejci: "a very smart center with a great two-way game. He is a terrific passer and playmaker with excellent vision." Ironically, both scored at a 1.20 ppg pace in their draft year in their respective U20 leagues. (41)
There are several good options for the Canes second pick in the 2nd.
3. Brett Berard—in a draft that has more than an abundance of players 5'10' or shorter, Berard is my favorite. I believe he was #1 in one of the Scouching "drives offense" metrics (even higher than players like Rossi and Perfetti). The game reports I read all mentioned his tenacity and willingness to attack. Even younger than Seeley, I liken Berard to Nick Robertson as a player almost eligible for the next draft, he has lots of room to improve production.(53)
4. Jack Finley—could be the tallest player drafted at 6'6". Finley is a solid two-way contributor despite also having a September birthday. His combination of size, playmaking, and defensive responsibility gives him tons of upside. (53)
5. Daniel Torgersson. Niederbach's teammate this season and last. Torgersson is a big winger who skates well, has a responsible two-way game, and has been finding the net with increasing frequency. He has been moving up the rankings in the past month, so he might already be gone. (53)
A few others:
6. Brock Faber— Faber is another strong skating d-man who also has an August birthday. He is a right-shot and is often described as always in the right place and quick to move the puck in transition. (69)
7. Viktor Persson—a right shot defenseman with decent size who scouts refer to as "aggressive" and "competitive." His combination of size, skating, and two-way play might be worth a middle-round pick. (115)
8. Owen Pederson—a big winger who the Black Book called "an absolute force in front of the net," and McKeen's noted "excels at both ends of the ice." If his skating improves, he could be a late-round boom pick. (140)
9. Matej Kaslik—the opposite end of the spectrum from Pederson as he isn't big but is one of the faster skaters in the draft. He has been consistently productive in international play and U18 leagues, but barely scored in SuperElit. Worth a flyer in the 7th. (199 or 208)
10. Axel Kumlin—another right-shot D-man. Kumlin isn't flashy but he is consistent and has a good combination of skating, IQ, and calmness to be worth a look. (199 or 208)
11. Michal Gut—Gut didn't garner tons of notice in the WHL with Everett. But he has leadership qualities (Czech captain for both U17 and U18) and has shown in international play that he can produce. Another August birthday, which makes me think he will have a breakout year this coming season.