Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect Jackson Blake will have a bright future in the NHL but it will have to wait a little bit longer to start.
On Monday the Hurricanes sent F Jackson Blake to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Blake, 21, had a strong training camp for the Canes but ultimately wasn’t able to win a roster spot, for now.
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With Seth Jarvis, Marty Necas and Andrei Svechnikov occupying three of the four spots in the top six on the wings, and newcomer Jack Roslovic earning what could be the top LW spot on the top line, there simply wasn’t enough spots for Blake to earn a spot on the roster.
In regards to the Hurricanes’ bottom-six, the additions of veterans William Carrier, Eric Robinson and Tyson Jost left no room for Blake either, as they all would require waivers to make room for Blake, something that GM Eric Tulsky felt no need to risk. Aside from that aspect, a player with Blakes’ skillset isn’t a match for a bottom six role. A player of Blakes’ age and skillset need to play a lot of minutes in a top scoring role at even strength and on a top power-play unit, something that he will get to do playing in the AHL.
Blakes’ stay in the AHL however, may not be that long. If the Hurricanes decide to move Jesper Fast to LTIR, that would open up space on the roster for Blake to be recalled. One potential road block preventing that from happening is when a team uses LTIR, they do not accrue cap space during the season.
So for now, the Hurricanes will open their season without Blake. In the meantime, Blake will figure to be one of the top scorers for Chicago, along with fellow prospect Bradly Nadeau
Related: Getting To Know Hurricanes Prospect Bradly Nadeau: 7 Facts About The 19 Year-Old Forward
The Hurricanes are hoping that when Blake does become a NHL regular he can produce like his father, Jason Blake, who was a 5-time 20+ goal scorer in the NHL, including a 40 goal season with the New York Islanders in the 2006-2007 season.
