In a draft that looks especially unpredictable after the first dozen picks, few prospects better represent the open-to-interpretation excitement (and uncertainty) of the 2018 talent lottery than Oshawa Generals winger Serron Noel.
A year ago, after an eight-goal Ontario Hockey League rookie season and some questions about his skating, the 6-foot-5 forward from Nepean, Ont., looked more like a project than prospect. But Noel spent last summer – and much of this season – working on his mobility and his evolution as a player has been startling.
He had 53 points, including 28 goals, in 62 games for Oshawa and was excellent for Team Canada at the under-18 world championship. His powerful skating, especially at his size, is now considered a strength and the son of former Canadian Football League running back Dean Noel is pegged as a late first-round draft pick.
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Or Serron Noel could go 12th. Or 42nd.
NHL Central Scouting, which has always adored size, ranks Noel as the 10th North American skater available, although most scouting websites list him in the 20s and Jeff Marek’s mock draft put him at 22.
Two months shy of his 18th birthday, the 209-pound power forward is still developing. But he gets to the net, has hands to finish, and all that combined with his size makes for an enticing prospect. No wonder 28 of 31 NHL teams interviewed him at the draft combine.
Team: Oshawa (OHL)
Position: RW
Shoots: Right
Age: 17
From: Nepean, Ont.
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 209 pounds
SKATING LESSONS
These days, describing a prospect as a good skater is like revealing he also eats with his mouth and breathes oxygen. The NHL game gets faster by the year and anyone who can’t keep up has no chance. Speed is a prerequisite, not a bonus. But the improvement in Noel’s skating is noteworthy.
He trains in Ottawa under skating coach Shelley Kettles, a former figure skater.
“I started the skating lessons last summer, twice a week,” Noel said. “I found tremendous improvement and feel more stable on my skates compared to last year.”
He told Future Considerations: “My long legs give me a long, fast stride. I’m able to get to the puck faster. It helps in the corners being this size; it’s hard to pin me. So it’s a benefit in that way. I put a lot of work in the summer on my skating and trying to get faster. I think that’s helped my game a lot. Obviously there’s still a lot of work — I need to get stronger — but it helped a lot.”
Noel’s dad, Dean, who spent five seasons in the CFL with the Ottawa Rough Riders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, understands the work required to become a professional athlete.
“He’s got a good work ethic,” Dean Noel told The Ottawa Sun. “He understands the work involved to progress. You can have all the ability in the world, but if you don’t put in the work, then you’re not going to progress. I’m just happy he’s getting an opportunity. To get drafted to the NHL, if he’s drafted, who’d have thought that?”
WHO’D HAVE THOUGHT THAT?
Former NHL defenceman Jason York, who coached Noel for years in spring hockey in Ottawa, recognized the player’s potential when he was just nine years old.
“You hear the word ‘raw’ used a lot, but the thing that really intrigues scouts about Serron is the fact the skating lessons have been the only specialized training he’s had his entire life,” York told NHL.com. “He has good coaching in Oshawa now, but I think whoever drafts him will be getting a player that’s just at the tip of the iceberg in his development.”
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Oshawa assistant Nathan McIver: “As coaches here in Oshawa, we always knew he had the full package and he’s just needed to put it all together. He’s everything for us. He’s 6-foot-5; he can skate as good as anyone in the league; he tracks pucks better than anyone on our team. We knew he had a little scoring touch — he didn’t score a lot last year, but we knew he had it in him — but this year he’s now breaking out.”
Karl Stewart of NHL Central Scouting: “I think of (Winnipeg Jet Blake) Wheeler when I see Noel just because of his size and feet and hands in tight, and when he puts it all together you can’t get the puck away from him. He’s a young kid and it’s scary to think about the player he’ll be when he’s fully developed. His skating is as close to NHL ready when he wants to skate. He can drive you wide and get around you, and he’s got quick acceleration to separate himself from anyone.”
JEFF CARTER?
Noel sees himself more like the Los Angeles King.
“I’ve watched him a bit and I feel that I kind of play the same way as him,” he said. “I’m just a little bit taller. But we’re both power forwards. We can both score, have a little bit of skill, and can pass the puck.”
At the draft combine, Noel told reporters: “I like to use my physicality and want to be rough, separate guys from the puck and give my linemates and myself more space. But I also have some pretty soft hands and can make plays. I want to balance it out by playing physical, but also having a little bit of skill to become a more complete player.”
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