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Noah Juulsen, first-round NHL draft pick

Published 7:20 pm Friday, June 26, 2015

By Nick Patterson

The buzz heading into this year’s NHL draft, as far as the Everett Silvertips were concerned, was whether defenseman Noah Juulsen had raised his stock enough to sneak into the first round. The answer to that question turned out to be, “Yes.”

Juulsen got the call Friday evening when he was selected 26th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. The 18-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., became the seventh first-round NHL draft pick in Silvertips franchise history.

The Canadiens no doubt saw Juulsen plenty this season, as they were monitoring their first-round pick from last year, winger Nikita Scherbak. Now the Silvertips teammates could end up teaming up again in the NHL in a few years.

There’s some eerie similarities between Juulsen and Scherbak getting drafted into the NHL. Both were taken in the first round, both went 26th overall, and both were selected by Montreal.

Juulsen is coming off a season in which he tallied nine goals and 43 assists in 68 games. He saw his draft stock rise steadily throughout the season, going from mid-round pick, to projected second- or third-round pick, to now being a first rounder, so congratulations to Noah.

Canadiens fans have a lot to look forward to in Juulsen. He’s currently a slender 6-foot-1, but he has the frame to add additional weight. He plays a physical game, as he’s probably the most feared hitter on Everett’s team. He possesses a cannon for a shot, with a large amount of his points coming as a result of that big weapon from the blue line, particularly on the power play. And his skating, while not elite, shouldn’t be a problem as he moves up levels.

Juulsen will have to brush up on his French now.

Rounds two-through-seven of the NHL draft are Saturday. Everett has two players who could hear their names called, defensemen Tristen Pfeifer and Kevin Davis, though neither is a sure thing to be picked.

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