Noah Warren – 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Noah Warren

2021-22 Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Date of Birth: Jul. 15, 2004
Place of Birth: St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, CAN
Ht: 6-foot-5 Wt: 214 pounds
Shoots: R
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2022 first-year eligible

Rankings

The CHL Top Prospects Game is always a great way to see which prospects impressed and increase their value and stock for the NHL draft. Many names stood out this year, including Gatineau Olympiques defender Noah Warren as he’s been a stand out in the Quebec Major Junior League.

Noah Warren Gatineau Olympiques
Noah Warren, Gatineau Olympiques (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)

Warren is a hulking right-handed defenseman that plays a very sound and responsible two-way game with a lot of physicality. He plays with such poise, simplicity and calmness in his game as he makes strong reads. He shows great awareness as he doesn’t rush to make plays, taking his time but executing quickly when he spots a chance to create a play.

Related: THW 2022 NHL Draft Guide

Warren excels defensively, being aggressive to pressure opponents while providing his physical presence. He has no problem getting into shooting or passing lanes to breakup plays with a blocked shot or provide a stick check using his long reach. He’s quick on retrievals to regain possession and shift to offense. In transition, he displays great positioning and gap control to keep players to the outside. He provides a strong net front presence with his size as he does a great job to box opponents out.

Warren has tremendous strength as he isn’t afraid to step up and make a hit. There’s always talk about players making a hit for the sake of making one, but Warren does so without having a negative impact on his team, stepping up when he needs to. Especially in one-on-one situations and transition where he isn’t afraid to attack a forward and lay a heavy hit. He positions himself perfectly that allows him to separate the player from the puck and without leading to a dangerous chance against. Given his size and strength, he isn’t someone you would want to go toe to toe with.

While the offensive side of things isn’t his strong suit, Warren has seen some improvement in his production as he does a lot of great things to have a positive effect. He’s a decent skater and even though he’s not the quickest, he remains effective in transition with his smooth stride as he isn’t afraid to join in on the rush. He does a great job at distributing the puck cleanly, making strong and accurate tape to tape passes to connect with his teammates. In his own zone, he does a great job at stretching the play quickly in transition as he can make a quick and accurate breakout pass while also displaying great control and vision when carrying the play. 

Warren is great at finding the seams and passing lanes to set up his teammates for a quality scoring opportunity. He has the awareness to make medium or low-level shots from the point in order to create a rebound or secondary scoring chance. He has a powerful one timer and shot from the point as he does have a powerful release. 

Other THW Draft Profiles

Noah Warren – NHL Draft Projection

From the start of the draft season, Warren has been steadily rising up draft boards, as scouts have taken note of his steady two-way play. Usually, players with his skillset could be great value as a third or fourth round selection. However, with his consistency, smarts and positioning, Warren is making a case to be a mid-second round selection. Drafting a player like Warren in this spot would benefit many teams.

Quotables

“Warren implements solid pressure against the half-wall, will sandwich attackers at the perimeter, but looks to take away lanes to the slot and force the attacker to work the boards when the oppositional rush enters the zone. He will look cut off the rush by throwing his weight. But, he doesn’t just use his weight to suppress pressure off the rush. Warren has strong net-front presence and if someone is looking to park themselves in front, Warren will throw his weight.”– Josh Tessler, SMAHT Scouting 

“Warren is an extremely raw, physical, defensive blueliner who has continued to jump up our board throughout the season thanks to his high-level play and constant progression… The 6-foot-5 prospect is finding his groove as one of the best lockdown defenders in the QMJHL, and, he’s even starting to show more offensive flashes — which has always been the biggest knock on his game.”– Andy Lehoux, FC Hockey

“I’d probably have to say, get faster and better decision-making for the next level. I feel like my decision-making is good for the Q, but the NHL is a way faster league so I’m gonna need to continue to improve on that.”– Noah Warren, Olympiques defenseman  

Strengths 

  • Physicality and strength
  • Defensive positioning and awareness
  • Breakout passes
  • Active stick and puck retrieval
  • Compete level

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

  • Improve offensive output
  • Increase mobility and speed
  • Decision-making for better competition

NHL Potential

At best, Warren would be a steady option as a second pairing, but he could mostly be utilized as a third pairing defender while seeing him on the penalty kill. He has the potential to be a strong shut down defender given his ability to be a difference maker in the defensive zone but can still be noticeable offensively as he can be a strong transitional player. 

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk- 2/5, Reward 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 5.5/10, Defense 7.5/10

Awards/ Achievements

Warren won a bronze medal for Team Canada at the Youth Olympic Games in 2020. He was named to Team White at the CHL Top Prospects Game as they won 3-1 over Team Red. 

Noah Warren Statistics

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