Who will be NHL’s next Keith or Doughty?
BUFFALO, N. Y. • The last time Noah Hanifin played more than half the game was about two months ago in the NCAA playoffs.
Boston College was down three goals in an elimination game and badly needed offence. And so Hanifin, an offensive defenceman, rarely left the ice. At the time, he had no idea how much he had been playing. He just kept hopping over the boards and moving his feet.
It was not until after the game, when he was sitting in his stall soaked in sweat, that he realized what he had done.
“I probably played 32 minutes,” he said. “You have to be very smart, conservative and pace yourself. It’s really hard.”
Hanifin paused and then smiled. “It was a lot of fun.” When evaluating a prospect, things such as skating ability, shot accuracy and hockey IQ are continually brought up. But when it comes to defencemen, NHL general managers are not only looking for someone who can quarterback the power play or shut down the other team’s top offensive players, but also a horse who also can play big-time minutes.
Essentially, they are looking for the next Duncan Keith.
At this year’s draft, there are at least three defencemen — Hanifin, Ivan Provorov of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Zach Werenski of the University of Michigan — who meet those requirements.
“I think when you look at that trio of defencemen,” Craig Button, TSN director of scouting, said, “what you’re looking at are top-two defencemen who are capable of playing those minutes and in those situations and everything that goes with it.”
The argument for a defenceman over a forward — especially a winger — is simple. While a forward can help you win games by scoring goals, he is only going to be on the ice for 15 to 20 minutes. A defenceman, meanwhile, can play half the game and do so much more. Perhaps that was why the Florida Panthers selected Aaron Ekblad with the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft.
“Defencemen aren’t just for defending,” Button said. “If you want to create offence, you have to have defencemen into the attack. It’s not about blocking the puck. It’s about getting the puck and making a play.”
It used to be that young defencemen wanted to be the next Nicklas Lidstrom or Scott Niedermayer. Now, they want to be like Keith or Drew Doughty.
“He’s unbelievable,” Hanifin said of Keith, who is averaging 31 minutes and 20 seconds during the playoffs. “He’s my favourite defenceman. I love watching him. It just shows that for a team to make it far, you need great defencemen.”
“I think what he’s doing right now is incredible,” said Werenski, who played nearly 27 minutes a game as a college freshman. “I like being out there, but I’d have to train for what Keith’s doing. I can’t imagine the toll it’s taking on his body.”
While NHL Central Scouting ranked Hanifin as the No. 3 North American skater, most scouts and general managers do not believe there is much separating him from Provorov (No. 7) and Werenski (No. 9). In fact, Button has Provorov ranked fifth, Werenski ranked seventh and Hanifin ranked 12th.