RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — After picking up another Staal, the Carolina Hurricanes got back to restocking their system during the second day of the NHL draft.
The Hurricanes went heavy on offense Saturday by selecting five forwards — including the son of a former assistant with division rival Washington.
“It was just the way it worked out with the players that were available as we went,” said Tony MacDonald, the club’s director of amateur scouting. “We took what we felt was the best player … and it wasn’t really a predetermined agenda to take wingers. I know we just ended up that way.”
Of course, none of those prospects deliver quite the name recognition of their prized acquisition: Jordan Staal.
Carolina provided the biggest jolt of Day 1 by acquiring the younger brother of team captain Eric Staal from Pittsburgh on Friday night in exchange for center Brandon Sutter, defenseman Brian Dumoulin and the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft.
That meant that, for the second time in three years, the Hurricanes came away from the first day of the draft with a new NHL-ready forward.
They drafted Jeff Skinner in 2010 and he went on to make the All-Star team that season and claim the club’s first Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
The Staal acquisition left Carolina out of the first round for the first time since 2006 — when they sent their selection to St. Louis in the deal for Doug Weight, who wound up helping bring the club its only Stanley Cup.
They’ve made the playoffs only once since then, and they hope their new stable of Staals can help them get back into the postseason.
They certainly were busy during the final six rounds with nine picks. A handful of those went to forwards — all of whom were listed as left wingers.
“Having the two picks in the second (round) and the extra picks in the fourth, that helped,” MacDonald said. “We’re able to come here this morning ready to go.”
At the very least, they’re built to contend in the Big Ten — three draftees are affiliated with schools in that conference, which will sponsor hockey beginning in 2013.
They spent their first pick, the 38th overall, on Phil Di Giuseppe, an 18-year-old who had 11 goals and 15 assists as a freshman at Michigan this past season. He went to high school with defenseman Ryan Murphy, Carolina’s first-round pick last year.
Carolina then snatched up Brock McGinn — the 18-year-old brother of Colorado forward Jamie McGinn — nine picks later. Brock McGinn had 12 goals and six assists in 33 games with Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League. That team is coached by former Hurricanes forward Scott Walker.
“He’s got some bloodlines,” MacDonald said.
They also picked up Swede Erik Karlsson, who doubles as a center, a round later at No. 99. They added Wisconsin’s Brendan Woods — the son of ex-Capitals assistant Bob Woods — in the fifth round at No. 129, and wrapped up their selections by taking Brendan Collier at No. 189.
The Hurricanes took Canadian goalie Daniel Altshuller in the third round with pick No. 69 — the earliest they’ve taken a goaltender since selecting Justin Peters at No. 38 in 2004 — before drafting their first defenseman, Canadian Trevor Carrick, in the fourth round at No. 115.
They added another defenseman — Denver native Jaccob Slavin — five spots later, and in Round 6 they picked Ohio State-bound goaltender Collin Olson.
