When Carolina Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis drafted 18-year-old defenseman Noah Hanifin fifth overall at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, he probably knew he was getting a future franchise player. He probably also knew Hanifin’s size and maturity gave him a good chance to play in the NHL this year, something not often done by blueliners in their draft year.
When Hanifin was picked, it was known he would join an incredibly strong group of defensive prospects for the Hurricanes and was expected to have a bright future. What was not known was that the wait for that future would not be long as Hanifin, along with fellow rookies Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin[KM4] , is getting a lot of experience at the professional level.
The three, along with 23-year-old Justin Faulk, who is having an exceptional season himself, and veterans John-Michael Liles and Ron Hainsey have combined to form an excellent defensive corps for Carolina, as the team allows a league-low 26.2 shots on goal per game. The fact that Carolina has been able to do this with three rookies on their blue line, which is arguably the hardest position for a young player to learn, is nothing short of amazing.
What Hanifin has done — making the team and playing well as an 18-year-old in his rookie year — puts him in a selective group. In the last 10 seasons dating back to 2005-06, only eight other defensemen have made it to the NHL in their respective draft years.
Defensemen normally take a long time to develop, with most going back to either their college or junior teams for at least one more year. Most spend at least a year or two in the American Hockey League, the NHL’s top farm system, for a year or two before making it to the big leagues. All Hanifin has done is total 10 points on one goal and nine assists while averaging 17:20 MPG, placing him ninth on the team. No prior professional experience and only one year of college hockey puts him in a special category.
It’s one thing for Carolina to play solid defense with an inexperienced rookie getting heavy ice time, but three? That’s almost unheard of. Although they were not considered to be in the same class as Hanifin, Pesce and Slavin were both thought of as good future components to the Hurricanes’ blue line as well. However, they were not expected to join Hanifin quite so soon. Neither has more pro experience than Hanifin, with Pesce appearing in seven total games for the Hurricanes’ farm team, the Charlotte Checkers, and during the past two seasons, turning pro following his junior season at the University of New Hampshire. Slavin joined the Canes 14 games earlier this season and turned pro following his sophomore season at Colorado College.
Like Hanifin, both have been key components to the Hurricanes’ impressive blue line this season. In fact, Pesce has arguably been the best of the three rookies so far. He has scored three goals and eight assists in 36 games and averages 18:34 of ice time, placing him fifth on the team. Slavin has also been impressive, logging a goal and five assists in 24 games and ranking fifth on the team in ice time at 16:57 per game.
After a rough start to the season, the Canes have surged recently, as the team is 10-6-3 since the start of December, earning points in 13 of 19 games. This surge has brought Carolina three points out of a wildcard spot, and its rookie blueliners have played a big role in the turnaround. Not only have they been key parts of the Hurricanes’ league-best shot suppression, but they all possess great offensive instincts, demonstrated by the two plays from the team’s 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday night, as both Hanifin and Slavin made big plays that led to goals.
The three rookies have each continued to earn head coach Bill Peters’ trust, as each see regular minutes on Carolina’s power play and penalty kill units. In the team’s 4-3 overtime win over Columbus Saturday, both Hanifin and Slavin were on the ice for Jordan Staal’s game-winning goal, with Slavin earning an assist.
The Hurricanes’ recent surge has made ending their playoff drought that stretches back to 2009 look like a possibility. In order to do so, the team will need continued strong play from its rookie defenders — something it has so far shown to be perfectly capable of providing as it tries to lead the team back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
