MORRISVILLE — For most 19-year-olds, a 30-goal season in the AHL comes with an express ticket to an NHL locker room.
For 2023 first-round pick Bradly Nadeau, that’s probably not the case. The Hurricanes, perennial contenders since Rod Brind’Amour took over as coach in 2018, were already stacked at wing heading into the offseason, and the addition of top free agent Nikolaj Ehlers only made the path to Raleigh for Nadeau that much harder.
“I wouldn’t say there’s any frustration,” Nadeau said Friday after the second on-ice day of training camp. “I think it’s just you wait for your chance, and you can always use all the time you can get to prepare. So I think when the chance comes, it’s just to really take it. And now it’s just to work hard and do all those things right until that chance.”
Nadeau has made the most of all his chances in recent years. In his draft year, Nadeau scored 45 times in 54 games, finishing with 113 points with Penticton of the BCHL in 2022-23. After being picked 30th overall by Carolina, he played one college season at Maine, scoring 19 goals with 46 points in 37 games for the Black Bears.
Then last year, he turned pro and played 64 games for the Chicago Wolves. He again averaged a goal every two games, scoring 32 times to lead all AHL rookies.
Still, there doesn’t appear to be a spot for Nadeau on the Hurricanes’ crowded roster — unless he forces his way in.
“There’s nothing he can do about that,” Hurricanes coach Road Brind’Amour said about the team’s depth. “He can only worry about doing his thing, and then it’s up to us to find a seat on the bus for him if he deserves it.”
Jackson Blake did exactly that during last year’s training camp, leapfrogging Nadeau and the rest of Carolina’s forward prospects to win a spot in the opening night lineup. Eighty games, 17 goals and 34 points later, Blake has a new eight-year, $45 million contract that will kick in at the start of the 2026-27 season.
“Jackson, we were in the same spot last year,” Nadeau said. “And now, obviously, he signed an extension, and he’s doing great for himself. So you never know what can happen. You just have to work hard and hopefully things will go your way.”
While Blake seized his opportunity last year, Nadeau’s first training camp was, by his characterization, “OK … I could have been better.” But a year in the AHL gave the 5-foot-11, 172-pound sniper more confidence.
“I feel the season last year, the experience I got, kind of changed how I always see the ice now,” he said. “So I think that’s going to be a big factor for me and how I play on the ice. That’s going to help me.”
The team was impressed with how he played at the Prospects Showcase in Tampa last week, scoring twice in three games and being a consistent threat in the offensive zone.
“He has ability to score goals,” Brind’Amour said, “and especially that shot. … It’s a threat every time he rips one. So now he’s got to add the other element to his game so he can be an everyday player.”
Playing a 200-foot game is essential for anyone who wants to have success under Brind’Amour, which is why Nadeau saw time on the penalty kill at the tournament and will try to improve defensively without losing sight of what got him this far.
“It’s really try to limit those mistakes and still play how you can play,” Nadeau said, “and that way, you’re doing all the things that you’re good at.”
If Nadeau can blend those two things together, he might be able to force the franchise’s hand with a big training amp.
“You want him to keep dominating every step, and that’s what he’s done, right?” Brind’Amour said. “OK, good. And now it’s just one more step, and he’s knocking on the door for that.”
