Warren hopes size, strength add up to roster spot with Ducks

IRVINE, Calif. — The Anaheim Ducks have stacked their organization with a bevy of youthful, talented defensemen.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds, Noah Warren stands above the rest.

The Montreal native has not only used his large frame and accompanying toughness to his advantage, but for the benefit of his teammates with Gatineau of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League as well.  

The Ducks liked what they witnessed during his first two seasons with Gatineau and selected him in the second round (No. 42) of the 2022 NHL Draft. 

A year later and four days after his 19th birthday, Anaheim signed Warren to a three-year, entry-level contract July 19.

Though he’s confident with his entire game, Warren’s size and grit have long been his best assets.

In his first season with Gatineau, when he was 16, Warren was already listed at 6-5, 209. 

“I got strong early on, before everyone else,” Warren said during Ducks development camp last month. “I’ve just got to keep getting stronger and stronger and standing my ground.” 

Another defenseman in Anaheim’s prospect pool, Tristan Luneau, has been friends with Warren since childhood. They were drafted seven spots apart by Gatineau in 2020, and two years later, the Ducks chose them 11 spots apart in the second round of the 2022 draft — Luneau at No. 53.

Luneau said Warren brings more than just a big body to the ice.

“He can skate, his agility is really impressive for his size and he has a great shot,” Luneau said.

Staying healthy during this key stretch in his development is vital for Warren, who has had surgery twice in the past 12 months; he missed Anaheim training camp last fall after a medical procedure on his foot, and a shoulder injury in March kept him off the ice during development camp.

Expected to be fully healthy for the start of training camp next month, Warren, who had 48 points (nine goals, 39 assists) in 138 games over his three QMJHL seasons, looks forward to demonstrating his strengths and fine-tuning areas of his game that need improvement.

“I like to play physical, but I’m a good puck-mover too,” Warren said. “I’ve still got to work on the offensive part of my game, but I can bring some offense.”

Warren is part of a growing list of young defensemen who will be vying for a spot on Anaheim’s opening-night roster.

Pavel Mintyukov, 19, Olen Zellweger, 20, and Tyson Hinds, 20, each won defenseman of the year honors in his respective junior league last season; Jamie Drysdale, 21, is expected to return to his top-four role after having season-ending shoulder surgery in early November, and Jackson LaCombe, 22, played two games for the Ducks last season and also will be in the hunt for a roster spot.

Of the many options Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek and new coach Greg Cronin have heading into this season, rushing their young defensemen into the NHL doesn’t seem high on the list.

“I’m going to be patient with the defense,” Verbeek said this month. “It’s a hard position. I want those guys to be ready.”

NHL.com columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika contributed to this report