NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Noah Gregor

Get to Know Noah Gregor

Date of Birth: 1/28/1998
Place of Birth: Edmonton, AB, CAN
Ht: 5’11” Wt: 174 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Center
Team (League): Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)

Statistics

What Scouts See

Last Word on Sports:

Gregor shows good skill in the offensive zone. He has a heavy wrist shot, with good accuracy and a quick release. He also shows a good arsenal of shots, with a strong snap shot, and one-timer. Gregor has excellent vision and sees openings to thread the needle to create a scoring chance for a teammate. He has a knack for throwing a saucer pass over an opponents stick and landing it in time to hit his teammate’s blade.  His hockey sense is high, as he often makes the right play, and does not turn the puck over a lot. Gregor is tenacious and willing to battle along the boards, but needs to improve his overall muscle mass to avoid being pushed around at higher levels.

The Draft Analyst:

Gregor is a three-zone roadrunner who screams sleeper, as he bounced back from an injury-plagued rookie season to distinguish himself among Moose Jaw’s forest of elite forwards. He is easily at or near the top of a very talented group of draft-eligible penalty killers, but what makes him worthy of a significant leap-frog are his speed and versatility. Gregor is ridiculously skilled, making plays at high speed and taking advantage of his linemates’ strengths.

What BSN Avalanche sees

My favorite part of Gregor’s game was his non-stop desire for getting the puck. This serves him well in his role on the team as he is an ace penalty killer for Moose Jaw and his speed, tenacity, and grit and are a big reason he’s so successful at what he does. He’s no slouch offensively, either, as his high hockey IQ and playmaking ability allow him to create plenty of offense.

I really didn’t see a lot in Gregor’s game that I didn’t like. Some minor nitpicks here and there, such as him only being 5’11” and he’s not a particularly explosive athlete, but all-in-all he’s a sound player with questions about his upside but he’s easily a draftable prospect.

Highlights

NHL Potential

I have a hard time envisioning Gregor in the top six of an NHL team on a regular basis but no difficulty whatsoever seeing him as an ace penalty killer and pest du jour. He could be part of the next wave of obnoxious players that you can’t stand unless he’s on your team.

Expected Draft Position

Gregor is a second-third round prospect.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

Gregor would be a good fit for the Avalanche, save maybe his lack of size. That said, 5’11” isn’t exactly like 5’7″ so that shouldn’t be reason enough to keep him off their board. His biggest issue will be availability. The Avalanche would probably have to use their second round pick to get him and it’s simply too early for that based on his skill level and the dynamic players that will still be on the board. At 71, however, I would have no issue bringing Gregor into the fold.