The Leafs have put pen to paper on one of their picks from the 2023 NHL draft class.

Noah Chadwick was originally drafted in the sixth round (183rd overall) of the most recent draft, making him the second player the Leafs chose to earn a contract with the team this summer. The other one is obviously Easton Cowan, who has been lighting it up with the London Knights and earned a call-up to Team Canada at the upcoming World Juniors.

Standing at 6’4″ and weighing 200 pounds, the Canadian defenceman has been in the midst of a productive season for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He is currently leading his team and is 13th in WHL in scoring for a blueliner with 24 points (seven goals and 17 assists) in 30 games. Chadwick has emerged as one of the most crucial players on a team holding onto a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

He has certainly taken a big step in his development as he has already surpassed his offensive output from his draft year while also building off his strong defensive game. Chadwick was already great in transition, moved well for a guy of his size, was exceptional at closing the gaps quickly, and was smart with his decision-making with the puck.

He has all of the tools needed to be a dependable two-way player and could be a valuable asset for the Leafs down the line if he can keep up this development. So while he still has a way to go before he will have a legitimate shot at cracking the lineup, Chadwick has certainly done enough to impress Brad Trelving and management enough to earn his first pro contract.

I would imagine we will be hearing a lot more about Chadwick in the years to come.