Coming out of the draft many fans had high hopes for the fifth overall pick. In 2013, Elias Lindholm was the first offensive player the Hurricanes haddrafted in the first round since Jeff Skinner three years prior. Carolina Hurricanes’ fans hoped Lindholm could wash the bad taste out of their mouths. That bad taste was a man named Philippe Paradis. At the time, Paradis was the most recent first round center drafted by Carolina and unarguably the franchise’s biggest swing-and-miss.
In Lindholm’s first full season, the Swede netted a respectable 17 goals and 39 points. Things looked promising.