Learn More About The Canes' 2026 Draft Picks

RALEIGH, NC. - The Carolina Hurricanes added six young players to their prospect pool on Saturday, during the second day of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Entering the weekend with just four picks, the Canes continued what's become tradition, wheeling and dealing along the way. After moving their first-round choice to Nashville late Friday night, Eric Tulsky and crew turned #31 overall into two second-round picks, a third-round choice, and a fourth-rounder.

Tulsky explained after the first 32 picks that there were several players that the team had their eyes on, and although they came to the event without a slot between #31 and #105, they wound up obtaining and making four choices during that time.

Here's a rundown of all the selections made by Carolina, and a brief description from Associate General Manager Darren Yorke, who runs the draft for the team:

Yorke also told reporters that five of the six selections will be at this week's Development Camp at Invisalign Arena, with Wiggo Sorennson as the only one who will not be.

William Håkansson

Round 2, #51 Overall | Defenseman | 6'5", 217 lbs. | Luleå (Sweden)

Following the same playbook as last year, the Canes traded back twice before eventually making their first pick. The third time was the charm, though, and the group started their day by adding a big defenseman to their pool.

"There's a defensive acumen to his game, there's no question about it," NHL Network analyst Jason Bukala said in the moments after the pick. "He has skating ability."

Playing 22 games in Sweden's highest league last year, the 18-year-old is under contract with Luleå again through the 2027-28 season, but is tabbed as someone who is a perfect fit for this organization.

"He's a leader. He plays exactly the way the Carolina Hurricanes value their players to play. I really, really like the character of this kid. Honestly, in one of my mock (drafts), I had him inside the top 25. He's a Mattias Öhlund type of player."

A few fun facts? The big blueliner learned how to skate in his backyard in Sweden as a kid, on a rink that his father had made out of frozen towels, and when asked for a player comparison, he mentioned Jaccob Slavin.

Yorke: "William Håkansson is a player that we've known very well, playing in the international events and in Sweden... Big, rangy defenseman that skates well and has nastiness. (We want our defensemen) to be able to hold tight gaps and play fast defensively, and he fits that style of play perfectly."

Wiggo Sörensson

Round 2, #61 Overall | Forward | 5'11", 181 lbs. | Boro/Vetlanda HC (Sweden)

The first player ever selected from Sweden's fourth-tier league, Sörensson got the attention of the Canes for having the ability to do it all.

Drawing a comparison to the Buffalo Sabres' Zach Benson from the broadcast crew, he was a gold-medal winner with his native country at the U18 World Championship, scoring the opening goal in the finale.

"He sticks his nose in there. He wants to be part of it. He's going to be engaged in the game," longtime staple of the hockey world, Tony Granato, glowingly reviewed. "As an opponent, you know he's going to show that he's somewhere out there and be that agitator. I've got a lot of time for him."

Yorke: "Wiggo Sörensson is probably a name that not too many people are familiar with, given the league that he plays, but we kind of look at that as very similar to guys coming out of Minnesota High School hockey that get the opportunity to play for the U.S. Development Program. He got to play for the national teams, and in every single tournament, he started earning a little bit more ice time, and a little bit more ice time, and when you're able to go from a lesser league up to the top leagues and just be able to adapt, that's saying something. It goes to his hockey sense, his ability to play hard, his ability to play fast, and (be) a centerman that was snapping pucks back (on faceoffs) against the best of the best in the April tournament. This is a player that has an all-around game that suits what we're looking for when we're trying to draft forwards."

Zachary Lansard

Round 3, #68 Overall | Forward | 6'0", 217 lbs. | Regina (WHL)

Named the Regina Pats' Rookie of the Year for the 2024-25 season, the right-handed forward followed up the strong start with a massive step forward for his 17-year-old season, producing 56 points in 68 games.

"(He's) not the biggest guy, but he's tenacious, competitive, [and] fast," NHL Network analyst Jason Bukala offered. "He creates turnovers, and then when he gets the puck around the net, he knows what to do with it. That's a Carolina Hurricane in a nutshell."

Yorke: "Gritty. Competitive. High skill level. He's a kid who kept getting better and better every single year, and throughout the year this year. [He has] the ability to hold onto the puck and defend guys, and get them on his back hip, while also being able to see the open man."

Michael Berchild

Round 4, #105 Overall | Forward | 5'10", 180 lbs. | U.S. National Team Development Program

Moments after the broadcast was raving about him being one of the best options available, the Hurricanes made the call.

A skilled forward who is headed to the University of Denver this fall, "Mikey" was reviewed as "a heart and soul type of player."

"We had him ranked 43rd overall," Mike Kelly of NHL Network said. "Competitive, competitive player. Smart. Good skills... A well-rounded player."

Yorke: "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."

Ryder Fetterolf

Round 4, #125 Overall | Goaltender | 6'0", 185 lbs. | Ottawa (OHL)

Backstops started to come off the board at a rapid pace during the middle rounds, and the Canes joined the parade by nabbing the reigning Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Goalie of the Year.

Impressing mightily during his first season with the Ottawa 67s, the Pittsburgh-born last line of defense went 29-9-3 and posted an OHL-best .923 save percentage in 41 games.

"Boy, oh, boy, does this kid compete to make saves," NHL Network analyst Jason Bukala said as he explained the tape to the audience on NHL Network.

This past season, Fetterolf was teammates with Carolina's 2025 seventh-round selection Filip Ekberg. The 18-year-old is set to attend Penn State University this fall.

Yorke: "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."

Zachary Jovanovski

Round 6, #165 Overall | Goaltender | 6'3", 185 lbs. | Guelph (OHL)

Going with back-to-back OHL backstops, Jovanovski features a different frame than Ryder Fetterolf, who was picked 40 spots earlier.

Standing at 6-foot-3, the 18-year-old was a workhorse for a young team in Guelph, playing 52 games, the third-most among all netminders in the league.

Yorke: "Jovanovski is another (player) of our goalie coaches targeted for us in Guelph. He's got the opportunity to backstop Guelph in the Memorial Cup next year. [He has] powerful side-to-side movement, [he's] really athletic, and a little different in terms of the type of goalie because he's more 6-foot-4. He's somebody who our goalie coaches really loved, the powerful balance and movement that he has."