BSH 2018 Community Draft Board, No. 21: Serron Noel

Serron Noel has scouts talking due to his size, but does the power forward have the skill to make it in the NHL?

BSH 2018 Community Draft Board, No. 21: Serron Noel

Position / Team: RW / Oshawa Generals (OHL)
2017-18 Statistics: 28 G, 25 A in 62 GP
Size: 6’5” 204

Pre-draft rankings

No. 10 (NA Skaters) by NHL Central Scouting
No. 29 by Future Considerations
No. 14 by ISS Hockey
No. 34 by Pronman/The Athletic (Final)

What’s there to like?

Let’s just get this out of the way, Serron Noel is a freakin’ tank. The 6’5 winger still hasn’t even filled out his frame yet at just 17 years old and he’s already massive. Corey Pronman of The Athletic gave him a 70 physical game grade which bodes well for him knowing how to use his size effectively.

For his size, Noel is not a bad skater by any means. He’s able to pick up speed relatively quickly and gain the zone quickly. His skating could improve some but to have this mix of size and skating ability is definitely something that shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s able to conserve his speed well so that when he gets on the attack, he’s got a lot left in the tank for that rush.

As expected, one of the biggest strengths in Noel’s game is his netfront presence and finishing ability. Noel shot an incredible 26.67% this season — large in part due to his meager 105 shots this season which will be addressed later — and a lot of these goals come from the “dirty areas” in front of the net. This is something Noel will definitely be able to use to his advantage at the NHL level, particularly on the power play. This is how Serron Noel will basically make his living at the NHL level, being a dominant net front presence. The question will be if he’s able to do that consistently.

What is also a good sign for Noel, he put together a solid year despite it only being his age 17 season, so one would assume there’s plenty of room to grow.

What’s not to like?

The first thing that stands out for me with Noel is the aforementioned 105 shots. That ranks him 43rd among OHL right wingers. While it’s not the end of the world he doesn’t shoot the puck all that much, it’s essentially the last thing the Flyers need. Also, I’m not sure how good his shot really is, considering how little he uses it, and how most of his goals are not dependent on the quality of his shot.

Noel doesn’t possess the greatest puck skills either. They’re not terrible, but as Pronman stated in his review of Noel, they’re “inconsistent”, the same can be said for his playmaking. These two would be the biggest of issues if he was more of a sniper ala Oliver Wahlstrom, but he’s not.

How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?

I feel as though drafting Noel gives the Flyers more of what they don’t need. Wingers who don’t shoot. If the Flyers do pull the trigger on the power forward, I think he’d be in the top 5 in terms of winger prospects.

Could the Flyers actually get him?

I can’t imagine him going before 14 and although I feel like he falls to the 20’s, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go in the 15-18 range or to the Flyers at 19. He’s got the size that some NHL GM’s crave in their players, and if a team reaches for him early I can’t be all that shocked.

Additional reading

2018 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Serron Noel (Mile High Hockey)

He has a lot of growing to do before he can be counted as a sure-fire NHLer, and he knows it. Noel sees his weaknesses and works hard to improve them. One of the biggest concerns with players his size is skating ability. Last summer, Noel started taking power-skating classes and he’s made a big improvement as a result. He has a long powerful stride that generates good speed, but he is still very weak on his skates. He gets knocked off stride easily. If that happens to a kid his size in junior, it’s going to be a big problem at the professional level. He looks awkward at times and clearly needs to work on his coordination – though that can be said about any 17-year old that stands 6’5”. A lot of that will change as he matures physically. There is a ton of room to add strength to his frame and as he becomes conformable with his body, we should see him become a lot more stable on the ice.

2018 NHL Entry Draft Prospect Profile: Serron Noel (Defending Big D)

Noel sits at a massive 6’5” and 200 pounds, or roughly the size of a small building. Despite his frame, he’s incredibly nimble for his size. A lot of his goal work has been done as a net-front presence, as he is able to tip in, deflect, and bludgeon with the puck. In addition, he has some very soft hands, able to handle the puck in close to pull back and release.

Highlights (video credit to Hockey Prospects Center):

No new additions to the poll this time, but two will be added the following post.

2018 BSH Community Draft Board

1. Rasmus Dahlin — D, Frolunda (SHL) (no vote)
2. Andrei Svechnikov — RW, Barrie (OHL) (60% of the vote)
3. Filip Zadina — LW, Halifax (QMJHL) (74%)
4. Brady Tkachuk — LW, Boston University (NCAA) (57%)
5. Oliver Wahlstrom — C/RW, USNTDP (USHL) (40%)
6. Quinn Hughes — D, Michigan University (NCAA) (50%)
7. Adam Boqvist — D, Brynas IF (SHL) (42%)
8. Evan Bouchard — D, London (OHL) (49%)
9. Noah Dobson — D, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL) (50%)
10. Jesperi Kotkaniemi — C, Assat (Liiga) (34%)
11. Joe Veleno — C, Drummondville (QMJHL) (38%)
12. Joel Farabee — LW, USNTDP Juniors (USHL) (45%)
13. Rasmus Kupari — C, Karpat (Liiga) (31%)
14. Ty Smith — D, Spokane (WHL) (22%)
15. Barrett Hayton — C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) (34%)
16. Bode Wilde — D, USNTDP Juniors (USHL) (30%)
17. Vitali Kravtsov — RW, Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL) (35%)
18. Isac Lundestrom — C, Lulea (SHL) (29%)
19. Grigori Denisenko — LW, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (MHL) (39%)
20. Dominik Bokk — RW, Vaxjo Lakers (SHL) (23%)
21. Serron Noel — RW, Oshawa Generals (OHL) (24%)

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Please use your vote below to answer the following question: If all of the players listed were available when the Flyers were on the clock, who would you want them to pick?

Who should be No. 22 on the 2018 BSH Community Draft Board?