A riser in the Toronto Maple Leafs system, Noah Chadwick had a fantastic D+1 season for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL last season. The 6’4″, 201 lbs left-shot defenceman saw his point production more than double, while improving his defensive game and most importantly, his skating.
Now 19, Chadwick was taken in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, 185th overall. By December, he’d impressed Leafs management so much that they signed him to his entry-level contract. A sixth-round pick receiving his ELC in the same year he was drafted is pretty rare, and a testament to Chadwick’s improvement.
Let’s take a look at our 8th-ranked Leafs prospect.
Strengths/weaknesses
At 6’4” and over 200 lbs, Chadwick’s size helps his transition and in-zone defence. He tracks as one of the best defencemen in the CHL when it comes to preventing entries, as he uses his frame to stop players from skating in from the neutral zone and uses great puck skills to intercept passes or chip attempts.
On offence, Chadwick has developed into a fantastic puck mover and quarterback from the point. He jumped from 15 to 44 assists last season, and uses his hockey IQ in the offensive zone to thread passes to dangerous areas. Chadwick looks for passes before shots, but can unload an effective wrister from the point.
Chadwick fits the bill of recent Leafs draft picks, using high hockey sense to create offence while being defensively responsible. Not only that, he fits the Brad Treliving style of defenceman, standing at 6’4” with the size to intimidate opponents.
Off the ice, the defenceman graduated high school a year early, started studying early, and was awarded the CHL Scholastic Player of the Year for 2023–24. Chadwick is an extremely hard worker, a trait that helped him grow so much last year.
As for weaknesses, there’s one prominent issue that could hurt Chadwick as he turns pro. His skating has improved, but is still not where the Leafs want it to be.
He can get away with not being the fleetest of foot in junior, but when guys get bigger and faster, Chadwick runs the risk of getting burned in transition quite a bit.
Chadwick has shown he can take giant leaps due to his work ethic and hockey IQ. While his skating is still an issue, there’s no reason to believe it won’t get better as he matures. He’s only 19, with plenty of time to develop. With improved skating, Chadwick has all the tools to be a solid two-way defenceman in the NHL.
Production
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Saskatoon Stallions U15 AA“C” | SAAHL U15 | 21 | 9 | 33 | 42 |
| 2020–21 | Saskatoon Contacts U18 AAA | SMAAAHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Saskatoon Contacts U18 AAA | SMAAAHL | 42 | 18 | 27 | 45 |
| 2021–22 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | WHL | 13 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022–23 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | WHL | 67 | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| 2023–24 | Lethbridge Hurricanes“A” | WHL | 66 | 12 | 44 | 56 |
Going from 20 to 56 points in one season is a great development for Chadwick. He gained a lot of confidence last season, sending long stretch passes and improving his in-zone passing to almost triple his assists total.
It wasn’t a fluke, as Chadwick displays very good vision in all three zones, and has the hands to make flashy offensive plays when he decides to.
Off the rush, Chadwick prefers to look for teammates or skate on his own rather than dump pucks in. Whether he’ll be able to do this at higher levels is a question, but his transition game, both offensive and defensive, sets him apart.
Another year in junior means Chadwick should put up another great season production-wise in 2024–25, hopefully taking another step as one of the CHL’s highest-scoring defencemen.
Next steps
Chadwick will be back with Lethbridge next season, and his number one goal should be improving his skating. Right now, he’s an elite defender in transition. As he turns pro, faster forwards will be able to take advantage of his weak movements and blow by him.
A jump in point production again would be welcome, of course, but his path to the NHL relies heavily on his foot speed. He won’t be able to defend well enough without development, but he’s proven he can take some pretty massive leaps in short amounts of time.
Chadwick will also be participating in Team Canada’s World Juniors camp, a great sign for a sixth-round pick. After being a part of the Maple Leafs development camp as well, Chadwick is going to get a lot of hockey in this summer.
Already on the top power play and penalty kill units, as well as donning an “A” for the Hurricanes, Chadwick should simply hope to keep up the momentum from his D+1 year. Keep up the points, keep defending well, and work on the skating. If all that happens, he could be in for a massive season.
Projection
Chadwick has the makings of a very solid two-way defenceman in the NHL. His high IQ mixed with his great puck skills allowed him to take a massive offensive jump last season, and with his size, the combo could be deadly.
And he’s already proven to be a leader and extremely hard worker, putting the time in to improve the weakest parts of his game.
It’ll be a while before Chadwick makes a mark in the NHL, but he has the frame and work ethic to make it.
