Carolina Hurricanes Prospects: Noah Hanifin Looks to Live Up to High Expectations
By Brett Finger
Between now and the start of the preseason, Cardiac Cane will preview every Carolina Hurricanes prospect as they enter the 2015-2016 season and what we expect from them in the coming year.
Player: Noah Hanifin
Position: Defense
Date of Birth: January 25, 1997 (18-years-old)
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts (USA)
Height/Weight: 6″3″/206 lbs.
2015-2016 Team: Carolina Hurricanes (NHL), Charlotte Checkers (AHL), or Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
The Carolina Hurricanes sprinted to the stage in South Florida in June at the NHL Draft to draft the top ranked blue liner in the 2015 class, Noah Hanifin at 5th overall.
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It wasn’t long after when the Hanifin officially became a Hurricane. On July 11, Noah Hanifin inked his three-year entry level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes in front of fans at the annual summer fest at PNC Arena. So what is next for him?
Noah Hanifin will come in and compete for a spot on the Canes opening night roster on a very crowded blue line. There will likely be two open spots on defense, three if you want to count a healthy scratch, but Hanifin would not be that healthy scratch player. He’d play in the minors before being a healthy scratch.
With Justin Faulk, James Wisniewski, Ron Hainsey, and likely John-Michael Liles all having spots secured somewhere in the top-six for opening night, Noah Hanifin, Trevor Carrick, Rasmus Rissanen, Danny Biega, Jaccob Slavin, Michal Jordan, and Ryan Murphy will all compete for the remaining spots.
This competition is great for young guys, especially Hanifin. It will be a great way to measure just how good he is already. Is he already more NHL ready than guys like Ryan Murphy and Michal Jordan who have already spent many stints with Carolina? We will likely find out in September and October, then throughout the 2015-2016 season.
If Hanifin doesn’t make the opening night roster, he will likely jet off to the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League, though the Quebec Remparts do own his QMJHL rights, but he doesn’t have to go play for them because he went to college route and not the junior hockey right. Due to NCAA rules, he can not return to Boston College since he signed a contract with the NHL club. If he was to go play junior hockey in the QMJHL, the Canes would have to decide within the first 9 games of the NHL season to send him.
Sending Hanifin to the Remparts would be a last resort of sorts if the pro game is just way too much for him.
It wouldn’t be a disaster if Hanifin didn’t make the club. In fact, it may be for the best. If he isn’t ready, then it makes absolutely no sense to rush him into the league. Spending time in the AHL could get him more accustomed to playing with big, skilled professional hockey players before playing against the best of the best in the NHL.
Bill Peters has made it clear, and even told Hanifin at the draft, that he expects the NHL’s top defensive prospect to play with Carolina this season. Ron Francis, on the other hand, has also made it clear that he won’t play until he is ready.
It makes sense for Peters to be excited about this kid, and it also makes sense that Francis is looking at the long term and realizing that rushing this potential super star could be a devastating mistake and one that can’t be fixed.
It is certainly a risk to throw Hanifin in right away, but he does have the skating, skill, and size necessary.
I think Hanifin has a good shot at starting the year in Raleigh, but it won’t be easy. I don’t see him playing a full-season in the NHL, however. Realisticly, I see him splitting the year with Carolina and Charlotte.
Playing in Charlotte would give him top flight minutes with a defense that will be young and very talented.
Noah Hanifin will also likely be a part of this year’s U20 World Junior Championships for the U.S. squad, and he will join tons of other Hurricanes players in that tournament, including Haydn Fleury, Roland McKeown, Sebastian Aho, and others who have been invited to their respective country’s camp in preparation for the tournament.
This will be a big opening year for Noah Hanifin. Will he break into the league like Seth Jones and Aaron Ekblad did in years past, or will his game take a bit longer to develop? That will be one of the biggest stories to watch in training camp and beyond.
Click HERE to check out an in-depth scouting report on the Hurricanes’ top prospect, Noah Hanifin.