The Journey: 2015 Top-10 Defensemen
Kevin LeBlanc
2015-07-11
Looking at the fantasy potential of Noah Hanifin, Ivan Provorov and Zach Werenski …
In this week's edition of The Journey, we take a look at a trio of defensemen drafted in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Noah Hanifin
Elite Prospects File | DobberHockey File
Drafted 5th Overall by the Carolina Hurricanes
A native of Norwood, Massachusetts, Hanifin's road to the NHL started at hockey powerhouse St. Sebastian School in nearby Needham, MA. Like many elite American born players, Noah moved on to the U.S. National Team Development Program to further his growth as a hockey player. He starred for the U17 team, being named captain and was featured with the U18's as well, playing up a year from his age group. At the 2015 World Junior Championships, the young defenseman was one of four 2015 draft eligible players on a squad that finished in a disappointing fifth place.
After one season in Ann Arbor, Hanifin returned to New England, becoming the second youngest player in program history at Boston College. By graduating from high school early, Noah was able to enroll as a 17 year-old. With the Eagles, Noah cemented himself as the top defensive prospect in his age group. His 23 (5g,18a) points in 37 games were good enough to earn him Hockey East Second All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team honors.
Top Skater Views
| Players | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| RYAN LEONARD |
 WSH | |
| NAZEM KADRI |
 COL | |
| OWEN TIPPETT |
 PHI | |
| ROOPE HINTZ |
 DAL | |
| JOSH DOAN |
 BUF
| |
Top Goalie Profile Views
| Players | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| JAKUB DOBES |
 MTL | |
| JET GREAVES |
 CBJ | |
| KAREL VEJMELKA |
 UTA | |
| LINUS ULLMARK |
 OTT | |
| JESPER WALLSTEDT |
 MIN
| |
LINE COMBOS
| Frequency |
 CGY Players
| |
|---|---|---|
| 21.5 | MATVEI GRIDIN MORGAN FROST MATT CORONATO | |
| 21.4 | JOEL FARABEE BLAKE COLEMAN MIKAEL BACKLUND | |
| 16.2 | YEGOR SHARANGOVICH ADAM KLAPKA RORY KERINS | |
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