Okay, but Who Are They? A Closer Look at the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Draft Class

Carolina Hurricanes latest selections expected to join previous draftees at the Hurricanes annual Prospect Development Camp

With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft wrapping up on Saturday afternoon, the Carolina Hurricanes have some shiny new hopefuls to potentially line their roster in the future. The next generation of players is looking bright, and with the Hurricanes’ Prospect Development Camp beginning Monday morning, many want to know more about this year’s draft class.

Chances are, unless you are a scout or a local fan of the Junior Leagues, you probably don’t recognize many, if any, of these young players—and you aren’t expected to, no matter what X or Facebook tells you! So fret not, I’ve got you covered with a few quick stories on each of the seven talents and how they were selected.

Semyon Frolov

The Hurricanes were not the first team to pick a goaltender, but they were the only one to start the Draft with one, marking the first time they began with a goalie since drafting Cam Ward in 2002.

Making second in the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau’s international goalie rankings, Semyon Frolov had an outstanding season in Russia’s Junior League, the MHL. Darren Yorke, who serves as the Hurricanes’ Assistant GM (as well as the GM of the Chicago Wolves), praised the 6’3” goalie for his athleticism and ability to read plays while moving.

Jason Muzzatti (the Hurricanes’ Goaltender Development Coach) led the way to draft him, alongside Paul Schonfelder (the goalie coach in charge of the Hurricanes’ current NHL talents) and Ward. “They were getting a little nervous that we might not have been able to select,” said Yorke, who spoke with the media regarding the draft. “But we’re obviously happy that we’re able to get him.”

Charlie Cerrato

The stories we always hear are those of the kids who are called onto the stage, eagerly donning their new team’s colors as their name flashes onto the screen. However, it is rare that anyone talks about those who walk out of the building without a snazzy new sweater and baseball cap.

For two years, this was Charlie Cerrato.

However, his third time throwing his name into the ring was different. Following an incredible season with Penn State (in which the club made it to the Frozen Four–the NCAA’s championship semi-finals), the 20-year-old centerman’s ranking with the NHLCSB had improved, leading to a second-round draft by the Hurricanes.

“Cerrato has gone through the draft a couple of times, and it's really not fair to him. We didn't want to wait too long to get him”, Yorke said, before describing the 20-year-old’s abilities. “Strong on the faceoff, strong two way game, smart defensively, has a lot of skill. Plays exactly how we want to play, so this is a guy that would fit right into our system.”

Ivan Ryabkin

Out of all the Russian players that Carolina selected in the draft, Ivan Ryabkin was the only one with experience playing stateside. A recent member of the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, the centerman did not shy away from physicality as he put up 30 points in just 27 games with the team, helping them to their first championship title in franchise history.

“An unbelievable goal scorer with bite to his game”, Yorke said. “He drives to the net, he can hit you, he takes hits, he can score off the wrist shot, he can score off the one-timer, he can make plays in tight.

“Somebody that we didn't expect to sort of slip where he did, and pretty happy that we were able to get him there in the second round.”

Kurban Limatov

Ranking ninth in international skaters per the NHLCSB, Kurban Limatov had remained undrafted throughout the first two rounds. When the Los Angeles Kings mulled over their choices for the 67th pick, the Hurricanes swooped in with a trade proposition, sending the 125th pick and a 2026 third-round pick to the Kings in exchange for their spot on the board.

Yorke explained their decision: “This was somebody that, after trading back and trying to look at where we may be able to select guys, was someone where we felt like we had to get back into the draft and step up and get him.”

As for the defenseman’s style, he displays a high hockey IQ and an aggressive edge, eager to mix into the fray for control of the puck. Later, when asked about his skills, the young defenseman mentioned what he believes to be his top ability.

"I think the skate the best of my game”.

Roman Bausov

With the pick they received from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Jack Guentzel trade, the Hurricanes selected the blueliner, Roman Bausov.

“6'5 frame that can skate”, Yorke explained. “You look at where the game is going, and trying to take away time and space, and he's able to do it with both his feet and his reach.”

Viggo Nordlund

Coming off a strong season as an alternate captain for Sweden’s Skellefteå AIK J20, Carolina snatched up Viggo Nordlund in the sixth round. Though a smaller fella at 5’9”, the left wing is a playmaker with the ability to create strong offense and slip past opponents with ease (we recognize this kind of player, Caniacs).

“This was somebody that maybe slipped in the draft because of his size”, Yorke said. “We're pretty happy to get another offensive bet late in the draft.”

Filip Ekberg

Another smaller left wing at 5’10”, Filip Ekberg possesses a strong sense of knowing where the puck is, where the puck will be, and how to get it where it needs to go. Though projected to top out as a bottom-six forward, he has one heck of a resume from the latest U18 World Junior Championship–leading all players in goals (10), points (18), and was even named the Best Forward and MVP of the competition.

As a quick comparison, notable players who have achieved all four of those feats were Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid, while Nikita Kucherov won all but the MVP, which was not awarded to anyone in that year.

His season with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s was a bit slow, as noted during the NHL Network’s coverage; however, there was more to the story that Yorke disclosed.

“Battling an illness in Ottawa”, he told the media. “Some of the games at the very beginning of the year, he wasn't able to play the entire game, so something that got a little bit undiagnosed. Once he was able to manage it, his season took off.”

Final Thoughts

This year’s draft class is certainly impressive, but it may be a while before we see any of them crack into the professional level. However, this year’s Prospect Camp will at least give the Hurricanes Training Team a clear picture of what areas each player will need to focus on improving as they continue their development.