Serron Noel of Oshawa in the OHL currently sits at 19th on McKeen's December draft rankings. At 6'5', 200 pounds he is the tallest of our current top 31 and remains a work in progress as outlined by Brock Otten below, but brings intriguing elements scouts can project upon.
A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.
| Serron Noel | 2018 NHL Draft Eligible |
|---|---|
| Position: RW, Shoots: R | H/W: 6-5", 200 lbs |
| Stats to Date: (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) | Oshawa Generals, (32-16-13-29-33) |
Serron Noel of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Skating: Awkward is the word that I would use to describe Noel’s skating stride. Kind of reminds me of watching Wayne Simmonds play in Owen Sound some time ago. Because of his huge frame (6-5”), his stride is super wide and he kind of looks like Bambi out there at times. His turns and overall agility will need work, as he can occasionally lose balance. But North/South, he is quite efficient and displays pretty good start up power. Can be a real force driving the net because he catches defenders off guard. In the corners, he exhibits extremely powerful lower body strength, keeping his legs moving and rarely losing a battle for a loose puck; like a big tree. While awkward, his skating is still efficient. And as he fills out his frame and refines his technique, it could be an asset for him (in combination with his size). Grade: 55
Shot: Generates a ton of power behind his wrist shot, as he can really lean into it coming down the wing. Also has an excellent release in close, which he uses to score the majority of his goals from within a few feet of the goaltender. Is not so much a threat in the slot or at the side of the net for one timers, as his coordination is still improving. He has goal scoring potential because of his size, puck protection ability, and a powerful wrister with a quick release. Grade: 55
Skills: Noel’s puck protection ability has the potential to be absolutely beastly, but that has more to do with his ability to use his size to shield the puck, and less to do with his skill and creativity. His stick work can appear a bit awkward in tight spaces because of his length, and he can fumble quick passes near the crease. This also affects him occasionally in transition, where he will need to work on his ability to receive passes at full speed. Once he has possession, Noel is a real force in the offensive end. In particular, I really like his work in front of the net as he gets his stick on a lot of pucks for deflections and is quick to deposit rebounds. Grade: 50
Smarts: Noel is more than just your typical North/South power forward. His puck protection ability is terrific, which allows him to prolong offensive zone time for his line. He also has good vision, especially coming off the wall. Does not just circle aimlessly with his head down. Noel exhibits excellent understanding of how to play without the puck at both ends. Uses his length defensively to be a real force on the forecheck, as well as on the penalty kill. He also finds scoring lanes well. The type of guy the puck always seems to find in the slot. Puts himself in excellent scoring position. Of course it also helps that he is a near unmovable object near the crease. Grade: 55
Physicality: This is a work in progress and I think it depends on how you define physicality. Is Noel a banger who looks to throw his weight around with reckless abandon? Absolutely not. He will take the body and is especially good in his own end at using his size to separate players from the puck. That said, I would like to see more consistency in his level of truculence to make him that much more difficult to contain. Where he does excel is his ability to use his size offensively, especially when it comes to shielding the puck. Extremely difficult to separate from the puck and has a great ability to maintain possession for prolonged stretches. Puts defenders on his back near the crease and plants his roots with his wide base, making him tough to move. Gets a lot of scoring chances in close because of this propensity. Right now this grades out to a 55, but as he gets stronger (he is 6’5, 205lbs, but could be up close to 225/230 by the end of his OHL career), the sky is the limit as to how physically dominant he could be. Grade: 60
Summary: Potential is the key word here. Serron Noel has the size, smarts, and overall skill set that makes NHL scouts drool. Because he is still relatively lanky, I do not think we are anywhere close to the finished product. Projection is the name of the game and there is bound to be an NHL scout out there who believes heavily that he could be a dominant force once he fills out. Just how good he can become offensively remains to be seen and will be the major topic of conversation at the draft table.
Overall Future Projection (OFP): 54.25