Canes take top defenseman Hanifin with 1st round draft pick

For the Carolina Hurricanes, there was uncertainty Friday in the hours before the NHL draft began.

The Canes had the fifth pick in the opening round at the BB&T Center, and hoped defenseman Noah Hanifin of Boston College would be available. But for most of the day, there was speculation the Arizona Coyotes might deal the No. 3 pick to the Boston Bruins or the Columbus Blue Jackets and Hanifin would be gone.

In the end, the Coyotes didn’t make the trade. Hanifin was there. And it didn’t take long for the Hurricanes to grab the top-rated defenseman in the draft.

“It’s an honor,” Hanifin said. “It’s been such a long ride to get to this moment. There’s so much talk and you try to find out which team you’re going to be playing for. Now it’s Carolina, I’m thrilled.

“I went to a team that wanted me. Obviously, Carolina saw something in me, and I’m going to work as hard as I can for this organization.”

Hanifin, 18, was rated third by NHL Central Scouting, impressing NHL general managers and scouts with his puck handling, smarts on the ice, his effective work in the defensive end and ability to transition quickly to join offensive rushes.

“He’s a kid who’s 6-foot-3, who skates extremely well,” Canes general manager Ron Francis said Friday. “He’s still very young. He played as a 17-year-old in college against guys who were 22, 23. We think there’s a lot of growth potential in his game.”

A year ago, the Canes made defenseman Haydn Fleury of the Red Deer Rebels the seventh selection of the draft. Fleury attended Carolina’s preseason training camp but spent another year with Red Deer in the Western Hockey League.

But Hanfin may be able to make the jump from college hockey to the NHL. The Hurricanes have openings on the back end after trading defenseman Andrej Sekera and Tim Gleason late last season and Francis said the team won’t re-sign defenseman Jack Hillen – obtained in the Gleason trade with the Washington Capitals – or Brett Bellemore.

“They have Justin Faulk there, an unbelievable defenseman,” Hanifin said. “Obviously, it’s going to be tough to make a team like that. Making the jump is a very tough thing to do. You’re not playing college with your buddies. It’s a business and you have to perform every night.”

Hanifin had a solid freshman season for the Eagles although his numbers – five goals, 18 assists – were modest. Forward Jack Eichel was playing across town at Boston University, drawing a lot of exposure in his constant comparison with forward Connor McDavid.

McDavid, as expected, was taken first overall Friday by the Edmonton Oilers and Eichel went second to the Buffalo Sabres. Arizona retained the third pick and took forward Dylan Strome, and when the Toronto Maple Leafs selected forward Mitch Marner.

Hanifin, a Norwood, Mass., native, joined Eichel on the 2015 U.S. World Junior Championship team. He returned to Boston College with a more positive vibe, and it showed in his play.

“As a player, I think (the Canes) are getting a two-way player who can contribute offensively, can play a lot of minutes and play against the top lines of other teams,” Hanifin said. “I’m going to work as hard as possible. As a person, the same thing. I’m going to be a hard-working guy. I’m from Boston, a blue-collar town. My parents are extremely hard-working people who made a lot of sacrifices for me.”

Hanifin interviewed with Carolina at the NHL prospects combine and again in Florida. But there was the buzz Friday that the Bruins might make a play to move up in the first round and get him, but it didn’t happen and Hanifin was soon slipping on a red Canes sweater.

“This is when the work starts,” Hanifin said.

For Hanifin, part the work will start when he attends the Canes’ prospects camp in July – his first visit to North Carolina.

“I’m going to just keep doing what I’m doing,” Hanifin said. “Improve my skills, being strong in the gym. Working as hard as I can.”

This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 8:02 PM with the headline "Canes take top defenseman Hanifin with 1st round draft pick."