3 Unsigned Carolina Hurricanes Prospects to Watch in 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

As of now, we’re 42 days away from the Carolina Hurricanes’ home opener and banner-raising to begin the 2026-27 season. The Hurricanes, for the first time in 20 years, will be defending a Stanley Cup title instead of chasing it. While all eyes will be on the team in Raleigh, the next batch of Hurricanes are slowly developing across the hockey landscape. From the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) to Europe, the NCAA, the United States Hockey League (USHL), and more league, prospects are developing to hopefully become NHL players.

That said, with college hockey right around the corner, which three unsigned players should Hurricanes fans watch at the collegiate level this upcoming 2026-27 season?

Justin Poirier

One guy who’s been electric everywhere he has played is Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC native Justin Poirier. Back in November 2024, Poirier was tearing it up with Drakkar de Baie-Comeau of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). At the time, he had 17 goals and 30 points in 16 games. He ended up finishing the 2024-25 season with 43 goals and 80 points in 58 games.

The next season, he became a freshman sensation at the University of Maine, just like Bradly Nadeau a season prior. He finished his first season in the NCAA with 18 goals and 29 points in 27 games. Dating back to the 2023-24 season, when he finished with 51 goals and 82 points in 68 games with Drakkar, Poirier has been a man on a mission to be a point-per-game-plus player anywhere he goes.

This season, he will be playing with the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big 10. While the Maine Black Bears are a good team, Big 10 hockey is on another level. Between Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Minnesota, talent is all over that conference.

Plus, if there is any indication of how good the Nittany Lion program is, look at how Gavin McKenna went first overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Plus, many people are high on Charlie Cerrato in the Hurricanes’ system. If there is someone to watch who has some elite scoring and shooting outside of Nadeau, Justin Robidas, and Felix Unger Sorum, look at Poirier.

It also doesn’t hurt that he will be teammates next season with another Hurricanes prospect.

Ryder Fetterolf

The player that Poirier will be playing with at Penn State next season? It’s none other than the 125th-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, Ryder Fetterolf. Fetterolf, in his last season with the Ottawa 67s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), had a 29-9-3 record in 41 games. He finished with a 2.07 goals-against average (GAA), a .923 save percentage (SV%), and six shutouts, earning him OHL and Canadian Hockey League Goalie of the Year honors.

Fetterolf was teammates with 2025 seventh-rounder Filip Ekberg and will now be joining forces with Poirier at Penn State. If there was someone to be excited about for the Hurricanes in the future, especially in the crease, Fetterolf is that guy. While he is only 6-foot, he has a high compete level and can read the game well.

When asked about Fetterolf, associate general manager Darren Yorke stated, “Fetterolf comes into the OHL as a rookie, wins Rookie of the Year, backstopping Ottawa deep into the playoffs. I think he had the third-best year in the last 10 years in terms of rookie save percentage. He just stops the puck. It doesn’t matter that he’s a little on the shorter end. The ability to read the game and go to the side to side movements [is great]. He just had an unbelievable season.”

Mikey Berchild

Last but not least is University of Denver product Mikey Berchild. During the 2025-26 season, he tallied 23 goals and 53 points in 58 games for the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) U18 team. He also had eight goals and 19 points in 21 games for the USNTDP – juniors in the USHL.

The Excelsior, MN native was ranked 43rd overall on NHL Network’s Mike Kelly’s draft board. The fact the Hurricanes selected him at 105th could be seen as a steal of the best player available in the middle rounds. Berchild is a smaller player who is not afraid and plays hard. By the way he plays, the Hurricanes might have found another Logan Stankoven or Seth Jarvis.

With Berchild going to a winning program like Denver, he is someone to keep an eye on for the next couple of years in the NCAA. It seems like Yorke and the Hurricanes will be keeping a close eye on him this upcoming season as well. “He’s smart, competitive, and drives the net. He likes the little under-the-stick move as he’s driving the net. He’s able to read the spacing. He’s not afraid, despite being on the shorter side of things. He plays hard and plays smart,” Yorke stated after selecting Berchild 105th overall.

While there are a handful of prospects to watch around the hockey landscape, it seems like the NCAA is reaching another level, especially in Division 1 hockey. Now that the Hurricanes have Poirier and Fetterolf at Penn State and Berchild at Denver, fans could be watching more NCAA hockey this upcoming season.