Who will be the better player, Faulk or Hanifin?

[BrindAmours Army]

Obviously we have much more of an idea as to what Faulk is/will become than we do Hanifin. But I'm curious what the general opinion is.

Which do you guys think will be the better player in a few years?

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[Anton Dubinchuk]

too early

faulk is great

hanifin is already great

id like to say hanifin, but no counting of chickens here

 

[Sens1Canes2]

too early

faulk is great

hanifin is already great

id like to say hanifin, but no counting of chickens here

Hanifin is "already great?" Honest question, haven't seen a minute of a game so far, but do you mean great for an 18 year old?

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

I'd say about even. Way to early to speculate though.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Hanifin is "already great?" Honest question, haven't seen a minute of a game so far, but do you mean great for an 18 year old?

yes.

through two games hes been our second best defenseman imo.

 

[tarheelhockey]

No counting chickens, but I think Hanifin will end up being a better player than Faulk through sheer virtue of his skating ability. He's obviously got strong hockey sense and a good all-round skillset. But that skating gives him a Bouwmeester, maybe even Niedermayer type ceiling. I just don't think Faulk's going to be at that level when he maxes out.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I'd say about even. Way to early to speculate though.

 

[NotOpie]

Jake Massie

#canesgonnacane

 

[Novacane]

Faulk. Pretty hard to be better than him

 

[A Star is Burns]

I think they'll be close to even with both having certain areas that are a bit better than the other.

 

[cptjeff]

They're both likely going to wind up in that top 15 in the league conversation, at least, for a while. Faulk is pretty much already there. At that level, it's hard to say which one is better.

 

[bleedgreen]

Most of hanifins natural skills are already better. He's a more agile and natural skater, a smoother puck handler, a sharper passer and has quicker hands. Faulk has the better shot, which to his credit he has really worked on. I think Hanifin has more natural poise with the puck, but that'll take some time to really show as he needs more experience. Faulk is built like a box, may be the more natural physical player and may be more inclined to use it. Time will tell there. Will Hanifin take these natural skills and put them all together? Who knows, but if he comes close he'll be at a higher level than Faulk.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

That's kinda my view as well. If both players were to reach their ultimate potential, I think Hanifin has more natural skills than Faulk and would be better, but who knows if he'll ever reach that level. Credit to Faulk though. When he was in his 1st NHL season, I would have never guessed/projected that he'd be where he is today, so he's far exceeded my expectations.

 

[Ole Gil]

Hanifin has been amazing for an 18yo. But there are a LOT of hurdles for him to get over before he gets to Faulk's level.

I'd call it a stretch to say he's the 2nd best dman as well. Liles has been better than Hanifin these two games by a bit, I'd say.

I also disagree with the skating/puck handling being at Faulk's level already. Faulk carrying the puck up the ice on the rushes thus far has been elite. To me, it appears to be on a whole 'nother level compared to Hanifin.

 

[bleedgreen]

I actually think Faulk isn't much above average in the puck handling department. I definitely think Hanifin is a better skater by a notable margin, but I'm not just factoring attacking straight forward. I mean his transitions and his edge work in his own zone. There's a reason the scouting world has been drooling over the kid. He's an elite skater. Faulk has more confidence skating forward with the puck, and is learning where to find the spaces where he can. I think Hanifin won't need to find the holes as much, he'll create them himself. It's a credit to Faulk that he does what he does. I just think Hanifin's tool box is much different than Faulk's. Faulk's best quality is how hard he works to get things done with the box he has. Like BBA said, he's really impressed me with how far he's gotten himself. I too never would've believed he could get this far.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I also see Hanifin as a better skater than Faulk already, especially in his lateral movement. The last time a Hurricanes prospect impressed me this much with his edgework was Skinner.

 

[RodTheBawd]

Hard to say who will be better, since they should both end up as two very good (if not elite), but different, players. I'd give Faulk the edge in positioning, physicality, and shot, but Hanifin in skating, puck handling, and instincts (based only on what I've seen/read so far). I'd want both as my #1s, but if they both reach their ceilings, I'd lean Hanifin.

 

[Joe McGrath]

Hard to say who will be better, since they should both end up as two very good (if not elite), but different, players. I'd give Faulk the edge in positioning, physicality, and shot, but Hanifin in skating, puck handling, and instincts (based only on what I've seen/read so far). I'd want both as my #1s, but if they both reach their ceilings, I'd lean Hanifin.

This is where I am. I think Faulk may be close to his ceiling already, and its a really good ceiling, but Hanifin's ceiling is Neidermeyer and all respect to Faulk, his ceiling isn't Neidermeyer.

 

[Wolfpuck]

Hanifin probably has a higher ceiling than Faulk, and I think he has the right tools and the right toolbox to reach his potential, so I'm going with him between the two.

But the real answer is Jamie McBain.

 

[spockBokk]

Faulk's progression to a top pairing guy has been amazing, but as has been previously said, Hanifin looks much more comfortable out there when compared to how Faulk looked in his first 2 games paired w/ T Kaberle.

Hanifin at 23 should be something to very much look forward to...

 

[Ole Gil]

Just to be clear, we've concluded Hanifin might be a top 5ish all time dman? How likely do you guys think that is if you were pressed to put a % on it?

Personally, if the o/u on Norris trophies for Noah was .5, I'd take the under without hesitation.

 

[nobuddy]

I don't know why we're so inclined to doubt the kid.

When we drafted him it was all "oh I really doubt he'll be ready this year and if he makes the team he'll struggle"

Kid's done nothing but live up to his hype at every level he's ever played at, and he's shown nothing to suggest he won't do so here.

We're allowed to be excited.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Just to be clear, we've concluded Hanifin might be a top 5ish all time dman? How likely do you guys think that is if you were pressed to put a % on it?

Personally, if the o/u on Norris trophies for Noah was .5, I'd take the under without hesitation.

ok except thats not what we are asking...

noah will be very good. even great. shea weber doesnt have a norris either. drew doughty doesnt have one (yet, hopefully). winning a norris is hard.

 

[DougieSmash]

Jack MF Johnson.

 

[Ole Gil]

ok except thats not what we are asking...

noah will be very good. even great. shea weber doesnt have a norris either. drew doughty doesnt have one (yet, hopefully). winning a norris is hard.

I agree it's not what's being asked. The question is who will be the better player. I don't have a problem with either answer. My uneducated guess is 65% of the time Faulk ends up better. But that could be way off, I don't know.

I'm bringing up the Norris, because people are saying Noah's ceiling is Scott Neidermayer, who I'd consider in the discussion for top 5 all-time NHL dmen. The point I'm making, is the likelihood of Hanifin being top 5 all-time is so low, that it is irrelevant to the discussion, as I think it's unlikely Hanifin will ever even be the best dman in the league for one season.

Even if there were a 1% chance that Hanifin is the greatest dman of all time, that still wouldn't mean there was a greater than 50% chance that he'll be better than Faulk.

So basically, I'm quibbling needlessly about how an unlikely to be reached "ceiling" is being used to argue who is going to be better. I don't have a lot going on.