Noah Hanifin put himself on the fast track to the NHL by acclerating his studies so he could play at Boston College a year earlier than expected, and the move appears to have paid off. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenseman is entering the 2015 NHL Draft with a full season of college experience despite turning 18 only five months ago.
The older competition helped develop the Norwood, Mass. native into the highest projected defenseman in the 2015 draft class, and second highest American prospect behind Jack Eichel. Hanifin gained valuable experience in the World Junior Championships before he went to BC, leading the U17 to gold, and he spent significant time on BC's power play and penalty kill as a freshman.
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Given his large frame, experience and scoring ability at such a young age, Hanifin presents a great foundation with a lot of room to grow. He is projected as a top-pairing, versatile defenseman who can eat up big minutes.
What team will draft Noah Hanifin?
There are a few possibilites for where Hanifin will end up. There's no real consensus after the first two picks, but Hanifin won't fall far if Arizona passes on him at No. 3 overall. He's not likely to get past New Jersey at No. 6, but he's a great option for Toronto at No. 4 and Carolina at No. 5.
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What are Noah Hanifin's stats?
Hanifin had five goals and 18 assists for 23 points in 37 games for the Eagles.
Why is Noah Hanifin so good?
Hanifin is drawing comparisions to Hall of Famer Rob Blake and has shown great potential against older, elite competition, especially for his age. He is a solid passer with outstanding skating ability, and exhibits quickness and creativity. He might not be an NHL-ready defenseman like Panthers phenom Aaron Ekblad, the No. 1 overall pick in 2014, but the combination of his size, versatility, offensive leanings and experience is going to be too hard to pass up for a lottery pick team looking to rebuild.