Welcome to Carolina, Bradly Nadeau.
The Hurricanes chose the 18-year-old Nadeau as the No. 30 overall pick in the first round of the NHL Draft, making him the first of nine picks the Canes are scheduled to make this year — barring any Day 2 trades.
The left wing is the first first-round pick for the Hurricanes since Seth Jarvis in 2020, and comes from the Penticton Vees in the BCHL.
Much of the pre-draft speculation surrounding the Hurricanes focused on a desire to stock up on goal scorers, even if the first pick is a few years out from his NHL debut.
Nadeau is a speedy winger who has developed both his wrist shot and one-timer during his two seasons with Penticton, racking up 65 goals and 94 assists for a combined 159 points in 103 regular season games — good for 2.09 points per game. In each of two seasons Nadeau has played with the Vees, he’s played 17 playoff games, scoring 28 goals and 31 assists for 59 points.
“Hopefully going there and help them win one day, I think it’s something really special,” Nadeau said during media availability in Nashville. “Hopefully I’ll be able to help them and make a huge impact and help them win.”
Nadeau said he chose to take the BCHL route in his development because he wanted more “exposure” during his junior hockey seasons. Wrapping up his time in the BCHL, he was named the league’s regular season and playoff MVP.
Skating on the same line with Nadeau for both seasons was his older brother, Josh, and they were the two leading scorers during the 2021-22 season. They also won back-to-back Fred Page Cup Championships together. Nadeau is committed to University of Maine for NCAA hockey, where he’ll play at least one year, perhaps more. And he’ll once again play alongside his brother.
And when it comes to that wrister or one-timer, Nadeau said he takes pride in that power he’s put into the shot.
During his first news conference as a Hurricane, Nadeau said he models his game after Mitch Marner — a sharper passer with a high hockey IQ — and he admired the skating abilities of Seth Jarvis.
“I want to get my skating to Seth Jarvis,” Nadeau said. “So that’s a player comparable from the team I got drafted from.”
He is undersized for a first-round winger, standing 5 feet, 10 inches and only weighing just 163 pounds, but still possesses speed with the puck. He’s got an ability to find open space, and if a lane isn’t immediately open, his toe drag has caused some damage.
Nadeau admitted that he didn’t know too much about the Hurricanes as an organization, but was prepared to start doing his research now that he’s wearing the team’s jersey.
“That’s my plan here,” he said. “Just kind of do my research and and kind of learn more about the organization over the next few days.”
Nadeau, along with whomever the Hurricanes select Thursday, will have their first opportunities to skate as an NHL player later this summer during prospect camp in Raleigh.
