Strengths and Weaknesses of Every Carolina Hurricanes 2015 Draft Pick

The Carolina Hurricanes added nine new prospects to the organization during the 2015 NHL draft, ranging from highly touted No. 5 overall selection Noah Hanifin to virtually unknown No. 186 pick Steven Lorentz.

The eventual success of each of these prospects is far from guaranteed. While more than 96 percent of top-five picks go on to play 100 or more NHL games, less than a third of second-round picks do and less than a third of fifth- through seventh-round picks ever play a single NHL game, per SB Nation.

Which areas are strong and which need improvement for each of the Hurricanes' new youngsters? If success is eventually realized, what role does each prospect project to fill in the NHL?

A full breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses of each Carolina selection falls on the coming slides. 

Strengths 

The indisputable best defenseman in this year's excellent draft, virtually every part of Noah Hanifin's game could be considered a strength.

Offensively, he boasts a strong point shot, a good passing ability and a lucid hockey sense; defensively, he uses his lanky 6'3" frame to be effective with both stick checking and body positioning. He is a confident leader and is also comfortable on special teams.

Weaknesses 

Hanifin's only weaknesses are actually areas that merely aren't noteworthy strengths.

Said Kirk Luedeke of Red Line Report (via Oilers Nation), "He tends to be a body-leverage, angles type of player. ... He doesn't have a robust physical element to his game." 

NHL Ceiling

Hanifin boasts by far the highest chance of reaching his potential out of all the Hurricanes' 2015 picks, and his potential is a first-pairing defenseman of possible superstar-caliber. Justin Faulk should be licking his lips.

Strengths 

Sebastian Aho is a feisty, tireless winger with fantastic speed and quickness in skating and shooting. He has excellent offensive creativity and reminds some of a Jeff Skinner-like player, irritating to opponents and impossible to remove from the thick of play. While his size is average at best, he is comfortable playing a lot of minutes and against bigger opponents.

Weaknesses 

The Finnish winger receives mixed reports about his defensive dedication and can be a bit of a puck-hog offensively, attempting to do everything himself. His playing style may not translate perfectly from Europe to North America.

NHL Ceiling

Aho may not be big or well-rounded enough to become a first-line stud some day, but he could function well as a second-line scoring winger capable of ranking among the top players on the 'Canes in goals.

Strengths 

The 'Canes were surely thrilled that this projected second-round pick, the second-best North American goalie in the draft, according to NHL.com, fell to them early in the fourth round. Callum Booth has good size at 6'3" and operates well down low, sporting fast reflexes and quick pads while using his frame to cover the upper half of the net.

Weaknesses 

Booth tends to get beaten in the upper corners as he is slightly too eager to drop down from the butterfly position. Without a full season as a starting goalie in juniors (not unusual for goaltender prospects), the sample size from which to draw conclusions is lacking.

NHL Ceiling

One of the best goalies in this year's draft, the 'Canes surely hope that either Booth or 2014 second-round selection Alex Nedeljkovic will pan out as Carolina's goalie of the future. Nevertheless, Booth is at least one, if not two years, removed from going pro.

Strengths 

Another player who slid significantly down the board and into Carolina's lap, Nicolas Roy makes up for Aho's size with his 6'4" frame that will likely carry 220 or more pounds on it by the time he reaches the NHL. Roy is a traditional power center in the Jordan Staal mold, noted for his aggressive and physical style, net-front presence and two-way focus.

"A big-bodied, imposing presence on the ice who threatens the opposition with his deadly medley of size and skill," writes Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects.

Weaknesses 

Roy hasn't been a top scorer in the QMJHL and isn't an especially gifted sniper himself, instead creating space and screens for teammates. His defensive vision could improve some, as he can occasionally become too puck-focused.

NHL Ceiling

While Roy has flashed tantalizing glimpses of top-six upside, he most likely projects as a powerful third-line center—a complementary piece on an NHL team.

Strengths 

The son of Kevin Stevens, a former 50-goal scorer with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early 1990s, Luke Stevens has impressive raw abilities. As a 6'4", 190-pound high schooler, Stevens' size and heritage clearly excited the 'Canes.

Weaknesses 

Enrolling at Yale in the fall, Stevens needs to develop more of an eye for the goal and to fill out his body to become a more impactful player. He's a project prospect requiring a lot of development.

NHL Ceiling

Stevens likely won't be more than a fourth-line grinder at the NHL level, and he'll need to specialize on that style of play in college to even eventually reach that humble ceiling.

Strengths 

Spencer Smallman isn't a very small man—6'1", in fact—and plays a grinding, workmanlike game that makes others around him. Kyle Woodlief of USA Today describes him as a "meat-and-potatoes guy" with poise under pressure.

He upped his stats with QMJHL St. John's from 12 goals and 35 points to 23 goals and 56 points to get drafted in his second year of eligibility. 

Weaknesses 

Offensive production still isn't through the roof for Smallman despite considerable improvement, and one must wonder if the 19-year-old might be closer to his ceiling already than the 'Canes realize. There isn't any one particular trait about Smallman that makes him stand out.

NHL Ceiling

Smallman is a safe selection with a relatively high likelihood of reaching the NHL but little chance of being more than a depth player. He could be a bottom-six winger and reliable penalty-killing forward.

Strengths 

Jake Massie wasn't on the NHL radar at all until the last year, during which he's grown three inches and committed to the University of Massachusetts, according hockeyrecruits4u.com. He's an aggressive defenseman in all aspects, both checking and advancing the puck up the ice. 

Weaknesses 

Given Massie's status as a late bloomer, the 'Canes aren't going on much when making this pick. Massie is a long-term prospect, needing a lot of improvement in his consistency and commitment to his position, and he's the epitome of a late-round flier.

Interesting to note is part of Massie's self-description to Michael Smith of Hurricanes.com: "I like to take risks. ... I like to join the rush and make risky plays."

NHL Ceiling

If a number of things click perfectly over the next few years, Massie could theoretically develop into an offensively dynamic second- or third-pairing defenseman with considerable size to boot.

Strengths 

Texas native David Cotton is already 6'2", over 200 pounds and getting bigger. The Boston College commit could become a monster by the time he reaches his early 20s. Cotton rides his physical dominance over his opposition in all three zones, but that could change against tougher competition. He's known for his hockey intelligence and ability to take over a game.

Weaknesses 

Cotton hasn't been tested much against other NHL-caliber prospects, so the potential he's demonstrated to date could fade in years ahead. Scouts, such as Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects and Jeff Cox of SB Nation's College hockey, respectively, share conflicted opinions about his skating speed.

NHL Ceiling

Cotton and the aforementioned Nicolas Roy are somewhat comparable players: big-bodied centers with some risk but upside as second- or third-line behemoths down the middle.

Strengths 

Another late bloomer with a lot of physical growth in recent years, the Hurricanes' second overage selection of the draft is just coming into his own as a hockey player. His fast growth pace helped him sneak into the draft class.

Weaknesses 

Six players on the OHL's Peterborough Petes alone scored more than Steven Lorentz, who managed only 37 points in 59 appearances, did. If he's not a star at the junior league level as a 19-year-old, it's highly unlikely he'll ever find himself playing in the NHL.

NHL Ceiling

Lorentz could shape up as an AHL career player or a depth NHL center, probably not surpassing the role of a mere squad-rotation player. For now, it's hard to foresee what Lorentz's future holds.