Who Are They? A Closer Look at the Carolina Hurricanes 2026 Draft Class
· Yahoo Sports
The 2026 NHL Entry Draft has officially wrapped up, and the Carolina Hurricanes made something great out of what was anticipated to be a meh draft year in Buffalo, N.Y.
As for why it was expected to be, ahem…’meh‘? The Hurricanes entered with just four draft picks, with their first-rounder being so late that it was the next to last of Round One. However, some wise trades turned those four picks into seven, with their last of the draft being sent to the Anaheim Ducks for the signing rights of defenseman John Carlson. But, that last bit is a conversation for another time…
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Without further ado, let’s discuss just who these kids joining the club are!
William Hakansson (Round Two, 51st Overall)
The Hurricanes’ first selection of the draft was 6 ‘4 ” Swedish defenseman William Hakansson, who spent last season playing with Lulea HF of the SHL, and won gold with Sweden in the 2026 World Juniors (U20).
Refreshingly, he is a defensively minded defenseman – a shutdown type of player – with great skating ability and, as Hurricanes associate general manager Darren Yorke put it, a ‘nastiness’ about his game.
The NHL’s Central Scouting list for International Skaters ranked him 12th out of 147.
Wiggo Sorensson (Round Two, 61st Overall)
History was made Saturday as the Hurricanes selected Swedish forward Wiggo Sorensson from HockeyEttan’s Boro/Vetlanda HC, who became the first player from Sweden’s fourth-tier league to be drafted into the NHL. During the post-draft press meeting, Yorke likened it to drafting a player out of high school, as opposed to the typical major junior hockey leagues.
Interestingly, it seems that his placement in the fourth tier was not due to a lack of skill, but rather, so he could be closer to home, as he is a type 1 diabetic.
With the jumps between fourth-tier league to competing for his nation internationally (with which he won a gold medal in the 2025-2026 U18 World Junior Championship), Yorke noted Sorensson’s exceptional ability to quickly adapt.
As for his playstyle, he is known to be a bit of an agitator, bringing a gritty, physical edge to the ice despite being under six foot tall.
The NHL’s Central Scouting list for International Skaters ranked him 84th out of 147.
Zach Lansard (Round Three, 68th Overall)
The Hurricanes’ third pick was for Canadian forward Zach Lansard, from the WHL’s Regina Pats. He won a WHL Cup gold medal in 2023-24 – before his rookie season with the Pats – and was also invited to Canada’s 2026 U18 World Championship camp, but was ultimately one of the final cuts.
He is noted to be tenacious, competitive, fast, and able to create a lot of turnovers.
The NHL’s Central Scouting list for North American Skaters ranked him 70th out of 224.
Mikey Berchild (Round Four, 105th Overall)
With their fourth pick, the Hurricanes selected American forward Mikey Berchild. He has competed numerous times for the USA on the international stage, and in his latest appearance in the U18 WJC, he wore the ‘A’ as an alternate captain for the team.
He has been known as a smart player and a hard player, with a fearlessness in spite of his smaller size (5 ’10”).
The NHL’s Central Scouting list for North American Skaters ranked him 77th out of 224.
Ryder Fetterolf (Round Four, 125th Overall)
The Hurricanes’ first (yes, that’s right, there was more than one) goaltender selection was Ryder Fetterolf – a strong, American goaltender with the honors to back it. As a member of the Ottawa 67’s, he was named the CHL goaltender of the year, and was named to both the CHL All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team. Additionally, he also received the same honors in the OHL, and also won the OHL’s trophies for best goals against average (one individually, one as a team), as well as the trophy for best save percentage.
As for his playstyle, he is very quick and makes phenomenal desperation saves, all while being a bit on the smaller side at 5 ’10”, giving shades of Juuse Saros. He is a notably good skater with great balance and a fantastic ability to read the game.
The NHL’s Central Scouting list for North American Goaltenders ranked him 11th out of 37.
Zachary Jovanovski (Round Six, 165th Overall)
The Hurricanes’ final selection of the draft was Canadian goalie Zachary Jovanovski, from the OHL’s Guelph Storm. Interestingly, he breaks the general mold of larger goalies, coming in at 6 ‘ 3” and playing with a highly athletic style, rather than positional.
The NHL’s Central Scouting list for North American Goaltenders ranked him 12th out of 37.
Also Read:: GM Eric Tulsky Gives Hybrid Exit and Draft Interview: Hurricanes Injuries, Nikishin Contract, UFAs, and More
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