After attending the World Junior Summer Showcase for Team Canada, Maple Leafs prospect Noah Chadwick is set to enter the most important training camp of his young career.
As we approach the midway point of August, the dog days of summer have never felt longer. Fortunately, for those who crave hockey, we’ll soon bask in the glory of the beginning of NHL training camps, and while most eyes will be on Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten in Toronto, Noah Chadwick is a player who may turn some heads as well.
Chadwick was originally a 6th round pick of the Maple Leafs in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and while most 6th round picks don’t usually appear favourable to ever see NHL action, it appears as though it’s not a question of if we ever see Chadwick in the NHL, it’s a matter of when he makes it.
The 6-foot-4 left-shot defenseman has shown exponential growth year over year in the Western Hockey League with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, first producing 3 points in 13 games in 2021-22. Chadwick followed that up by racking up 5 goals and 20 points in 67 games in 2022-23 before exploding for 12 goals and 56 points in 66 games this past season.
Chadwick is expected to be named captain of the Lethbridge Hurricanes this season in his 4th WHL campaign. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native wore the “A” for Lethbridge last season and has shown tremendous leadership qualities during his tenure with the organization.
As we are all well aware, defensemen typically take longer to develop, but even at 19 years old, it appears as though Chadwick is on a very nice development path. A player with his work ethic, hockey IQ and overall intelligence is a desirable asset, and when you couple these qualities with his annual production increases, all signs point to an eventual NHL career.
Obviously, Chadwick is not going to make the Maple Leafs out of training camp as a 19-year-old defenseman. Still, he appears to be a prospect that we should keep a close eye on as he continues to show signs of improvement. I’m looking forward to seeing his body of work in this year’s training camp, because he appears to be a player whose potential is a lot higher than it should be for someone drafted in the 6th round.
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