Montreal Canadiens Prospect Profile: Noah Juulsen

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Noah Juulsen shakes hands with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being selected as the number twenty-six overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

ANALYSIS:

Plain and simple, Noah Juulsen is not a one-way defenseman. He has the hockey sense, IQ, and skill to be an above-average two-way player. There are a few items that always come up along with his name, they are as follows:

1. Great Skater
2. Great Puck-Mover
3. Heavy Shot
4. Hard Worker
5. Potential Workhorse

Some scouts have also pointed to Noah as having excellent vision, of having a frame that should get stronger as he matures, and has above-average transition skills. They do point out that he can try to do too much on some occasions, but really how many young kids don’t do that when put under pressure? To me, that shows a lot of confidence and a willingness to try to help his team in any way.

Nov 2, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman

(24) before the game against Calgary Flames at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

While watching the videos I could find on him, I noticed that while his shot may not have the velocity of an Al MacInnis caliber, he tends to get them no net the majority of the time. To me, there’s nothing more frustrating than watching someone fire a rocket from 15 feet away 2 feet left or right of the net. Getting well-aimed shots on net is much more effective, something that even MacInnis admits he did the majority of the time (take something off each shot to make sure it’s on net).

It’s interesting to see yet another high-profile defenseman be selected by the Habs and wonder just where he’ll sit in the pecking order. With guys like Jarred Tinordi and Brett Lernout already having a head start, they may get the first shot at a roster spot as young Habs Defensemen. However, no current Canadiens prospect has the offensive potential and overall game balance that Juulsen could deliver if he reaches his full potential. What Tinordi and Lernout are expected to bring to the table is toughness and size, along with a well rounded game of course. In comparison, Juulsen will be expected to be tough enough to handle the NHL game, but won’t be expected to have that be his best weapon.

Another aspect I’d add to his skills is that he is very self-aware. He knows which aspects of his game he needs to work on, has learned to not try to do too much as a result, playing within his abilities as a result. Within his post-draft interview, he noted that he was already set to return to Everett in order to add strength and size to his frame. He realizes that he needs to build that aspect of his game, the physical strength, in order to compete effectively in the NHL. To me, that just makes his skills stand out more because it displays a willingness to work on the development aspect of things in order to bring out as much of his potential as possible.

Next up, the final thoughts (next page).