Carolina Hurricanes 2023 first-round pick Bradly Nadeau is one year into his professional hockey career, but already he's been turning heads.
The 20-year-old winger lit up the AHL last season, becoming just the sixth teenager in league history to score 30+ goals, while also being named to the 2025 Top Prospect Team, an honor bestowed to the AHL prospects projected to be the best future NHL players.
Now, Nadeau is hoping to convert his efforts and experience into a full-time NHL role.
The New Brunswick native has enjoyed essentially linear progression since being drafted by Hurricanes, dominating at every level he's played at.
From the BCHL to the NCAA and, last year, the AHL, Nadeau has continually demonstrated the talents that made him a first-round pick.
"When you go up a level, sometimes it feels like players will try to change their game," Nadeau said. "They don't want to make mistakes but I think you just have to play your game. Mistakes are going to happen in hockey today and it's just about trying to limit them. If you can play with confidence, you can keep your game going and play how you've played at all those levels before."
After a strong showing at the 2025 Prospects Showcase, the talented winger is now taking part in his second Carolina training camp, something he feels much better prepared for this time.
"It's real hard," Nadeau said about training camp. "You can be really good, but you have to fight for your spot. But this year, coming in, I know what to expect. I just want to make a good impression, but also have fun and just try to do all the small details right. This year, I feel like the game is slowing down a bit. I feel more confident out there. There's going to be a lot of good players again this year, so I know what to expect and I'm ready for camp to get going full tilt here."
Does Bradly Nadeau Have A Shot At Making The Carolina Hurricanes Opening-Night Roster?The Carolina Hurricanes kick off training camp this Thursday, with the opening of the NHL season just a few weeks after that.
On top of gaining professional experience, Nadeau has also grown a bit more into his body.
At his first training camp, Nadeau was listed at 5-foot-10 and 160lbs. Now, he measures in an extra inch taller and 12 pounds heavier.
"He's making the right steps and you can't skip steps," Brind'Amour said. "You want him to keep dominating every step and that's what he's done. Now, it's just one more step and he's knocking on the door for that."
The biggest hurdle for Nadeau though is the current depth of the Canes' roster.
The team has 13 forwards under contract who played significant NHL roles last season, so he has quite the hill to surmount.
However, Nadeau doesn't view the current roadblock as detrimental.
"I wouldn't say there's any frustration," Nadeau said. "I think it's just that you're waiting for your chance. You can always use all the time you can get to prepare. Right now, it's just about working hard and doing all those things right until that chance comes. ... Carolina is going to have a good team this year and it's always fun to know that you're trying to get a spot on a team like that."
It's exactly the attitude that Brind'Amour wants to see too.
"There's nothing he can do about that,' Brind'Amour said about the "He can only worry about doing his thing and then it's up to us to find a seat on the bus for him if he deserves it.
"I thought he grew as a player. We know his ability to score goals, especially with that shot. Lots of power play goals there, one-timers. It looks very familiar to some players you've seen over the years. Like, it's a threat every time he rips one. Now he has to add the other elements to his game so that he can be an everyday player here."
Nadeau knows that if he wants to make the team, he's going to have to have a better camp than last year, which he described as just an 'okay' showing.
"For myself, I had an okay camp, but I could have been better," Nadeau said. "I felt like I was rushing plays and felt like the game was fast. But now, with the season last year, the experience I got, it changed how I see the ice now, so I think that's going to be a big factor for me that'll help me."
All Nadeau can do is focus on his own game and if he's ready, the team will find a way to make it work. I mean, it's exactly what happened last season.
Last year, Nadeau was one of three promising rookies looking for a spot, but in the end, Jackson Blake was the one who made the most of the opportunity, turning a strong camp and preseason into a consistent NHL role and eventually an eight-year contract extension.
"Jackson, we were in the same spot last year and now obviously he's signed an extension and he's doing great for himself," Nadeau said. "You never know what can happen, you just have to work hard and hopefully things will go your way."
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