How good is Noah Hanifin?

Noah Hanifin, the talented American professional ice hockey defenseman, has been making waves in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a key player for the Calgary Flames.

Hanifin’s journey to becoming a top-tier defenseman has been nothing short of impressive, and his performance on the ice has solidified his status as one of the rising stars in the league.

Hanifin’s path to the NHL was marked by high expectations. He was widely regarded as a top-three pick for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and was even the number-one rated defenseman available.

Ultimately, he was selected fifth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, setting the stage for his professional career.

Throughout his career, Hanifin has shown steady growth and development, consistently improving his performance on the ice. Despite being the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 draft, he initially had not exceeded 33 points in a single season.

However, in the 2021-22 season, he demonstrated a remarkable leap in his performance. Hanifin’s increased role on the power play and the Calgary Flames’ overall improvement as a team played a significant role in his outstanding performance.

In that season, he scored 10 goals and contributed 48 points in 81 games, marking a significant milestone in his career. One of the notable moments in Hanifin’s career came on February 6, 2021, during a regular season game against the Edmonton Oilers.

In that game, he became the sixth youngest U.S.-born player to reach the milestone of 400 NHL games played.