Hurricanes Could Have Long-Term Scoring Fix in Bradly Nadeau – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes
For years, all we have heard about is the Carolina Hurricanes’ need for a goal scorer. Since relocation, only four players have scored at least 35 goals in a season for this team: Jeff O’Neill, Jeff Skinner, Eric Staal, and Sebastian Aho. Staal and Aho have done it multiple times, so in total, there have been nine instances of a Hurricane reaching the 35-goal mark or exceeding it. Only 26 times has a Hurricane hit the 30-goal mark.
That will change when Seth Jarvis eventually hits it this season, since he’s got 28 goals and a third of the season left. Andrei Svechnikov and Aho himself should hit that mark again. However, that upper-echelon goal scorer continues to elude the Hurricanes. Statistically, that is partly due to the system the Hurricanes deploy under Rod Brind’Amour, but that hasn’t stopped the front office in Carolina from looking for one. Mikko Rantanen and Jake Guentzel were attempts to remedy the situation, but Carolina’s permanent fix might lie in Bradly Nadeau.
Nadeau’s Chicago Dominance
In 46 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Chicago Wolves, Nadeau has 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points. That’s domination at that level from a 20-year-old. Last season, he had 32 goals and 26 assists in 64 games. At 19, he had 30 goals. The list of teenagers who have hit 30 goals in the AHL is small, and he’s on it. There’s no doubt he knows how to fire the puck into the back of the net.
It’s a unique problem because keeping him in the AHL gives him more playing time. But how much more can he achieve at this level? Nadeau is eighth in AHL goalscoring with significantly fewer games played than six of the seven guys above him. He’s already one of the best players in that league. How much more can he learn from domination? The Hurricanes understandably want him to master his craft, but what else has he got to learn?
Related: Hurricanes’ Young Second Line Holds the Solution to Past Playoff Shortcomings
At the NHL level, in the 2025-26 campaign, Nadeau has two goals in eight games. If he did that over 82 games, he’d end up with 20 goals, and he did that on the fourth line. Now, you can argue that eight games is too small a sample size to be definitive about what Nadeau would be at the NHL level, and that is a completely fair point. However, in the small sample size, he’s struck twice.
Nadeau’s NHL Stint
I mentioned he played eight games? In those eight games, he had eight shots. Four of them, according to NHL EDGE, are considered “high-danger” chances; that area right around the crease, where most NHL goals are scored. He gets to the greasy areas, which is what any good goal scorer does. He gets to the net to cause chaos with his shot for goaltenders and defenders alike.
The Hurricanes are one of the best-run organizations in the NHL. They will know this. So, why isn’t he in the NHL now? Well, he’s had his analytical issues, and Carolina is perhaps the poster child for analytically run hockey clubs. In the 80 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time Nadeau played, he had a goals for per 60 (GF/60) of 1.49. Yes, he was playing on the fourth line, and he only played 10 minutes a night on average, but the on-ice production wasn’t there. As for expected goals for per 60 (xGF/60), Natural Stat Trick has him just under two at 1.96. That’s underwhelming from someone with as much talent as Nadeau possesses.
What about the defensive side of the game? Well, in the preseason, that looked like an issue that kept him off the roster to begin the season. But truthfully, his defensive numbers are fine. His goals against per 60 (GA/60) is 2.24. That’s better than average. Of all 16 forwards Carolina has used this season, that’s 7th best. His expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) is 2.47. That’s joint 11th on the roster with Jackson Blake, but again, a limited sample size in a limited role.
Maximizing Nadeau’s Impact
For Carolina, the argument against bringing Nadeau up has been “he’s wasted in a fourth-line role”. That’s true, and should not be overlooked. So, the Hurricanes need a line for him in the top nine where he can sit, get fed the puck, and learn how to play at the NHL level, because he’s still only played 11 total NHL games. How do you accommodate him in the top nine? Nadeau is a right-wing forward. Carolina’s right wing is currently occupied by Jarvis and Blake in the top six, with Logan Stankoven having the ability to slide over from center. That means the top six is unlikely. So, what about the third line?
Carolina’s third line is unique because it’s deployed so differently. They don’t use it like a typical third line; it frequently leads the team in 5-on-5 ice time because its shutdown capabilities are essential to the style of play the Hurricanes use. I said his defensive numbers were decent, and he can certainly score. A third line of Jordan Staal, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Nadeau sounds great in theory. Rotation for Jordan Martinook, William Carrier, Nicolas Deslauriers, and Eric Robinson on the fourth line to keep them all healthy and rested has benefits, too.
The Hurricanes have a precedent for giving goal scorers a chance. In 2021-22, the Chicago Wolves won the Calder Cup with the help of Stefan Noesen, a guy who had never really found a home in the NHL. He came to this organization, worked well, scored bucket loads of goals, and got a big payday. Noesen was 29 on that Calder Cup winner. Nadeau is 20. He’s going to keep getting better. It’s not quite an apples-to-apples comparison since Noesen prefers sitting in front of the net while Nadeau prefers to get free and weaponize his shot, but it’s close enough to enjoy the thought of what he can become. Is he the answer to Carolina’s scoring issues? I don’t know, but he’s earned the opportunity to try to be.
