The Vancouver Canucks added some defensive depth to their prospect pool on Thursday when they signed Christian Felton out of Merrimack College.
It’s a one-year, entry-level contract for the undrafted Felton, which kicks in next season. While he’s coming off a broken hand that kept him out of Merrimack’s lineup since February 3, he’ll join the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL on an amateur tryout (ATO), just like Max Sasson did last season when the Canucks signed him out of Western Michigan University.
But who is Christian Felton and why did the Canucks sign him?
Let’s start with the basics: Felton is a right-shot defenceman listed at 6’1”, 195 lbs, which is up from 5’11” and 165 lbs back in his draft year of 2018. If you’re struggling with the math, his draft year being in 2018 means he’s 24 years old, which is already on the older side when it comes to prospects.
It’s also on the older side for players in NCAA hockey, which makes his underwhelming boxscore numbers a bit of a concern. Felton had just 7 points in 26 games for the Warriors this season, which was a career high. In total, Felton tallied 7 goals and 10 assists across 98 NCAA games in his four years of college hockey.
Unsurprisingly, Felton is described as a defensive defenceman, with the Canucks highlighting his team-leading 55 blocked shots in their press release announcing the signing. Felton primarily defends with his skating, using quick strides to close gaps and an active stick to disrupt opponents, but he has a physical edge to his game as well.
“He’s a big, strong kid that skates extremely well,” said Vernon Vipers coach Jason McKee when Felton went from the USHL to the BCHL at 19 years old. “We expect him to come in and play a really solid 200-foot game.”
At the 2023 Hockey East tournament, Felton was named to the All-Tournament Team, which is a testament to his defensive game, as he tallied just a single point — a shorthanded goal — in Merrimack’s three games.
Felton led Merrimack in ice time this past season at 21:54 per game; he was a minute-muncher and a go-to penalty killer for the Warriors.
“He puts a lot on his shoulders,” said Merrimack coach Scott Borek after a December game. “He’s an impactful player on every shift, whether he has the puck or not.”
Still, Felton’s inability to put up points even as a 24-year-old in the NCAA is concerning.
Limited points at lower levels can be a red flag. It can often indicate an inability to control and move the puck, as a player who can’t even pick up ancillary points in a lower league is likely to struggle to control possession and make passes given the limited time and space in the NHL.
Even a defensive defenceman like Chris Tanev scored 10 goals and put up 28 points in 41 games in the NCAA, and that was at 20 years old. For a more recent example, Akito Hirose is primarily a defensive defenceman and has yet to tally a single point in the AHL for the Abbotsford Canucks but he put up 27 points in 38 NCAA games as a 23-year-old.
In other words, players with Felton’s statistical profile rarely make the NHL and expectations should be kept fairly low.
It’s fair to say that Felton wasn’t really on anyone’s radar in the public sphere. He did not make Elite Prospects’ list of 47 college free agents they felt were most worth signing, nor did he make The Athletic’s similar top-35 list of college free agents. There simply wasn’t any buzz about Felton in the scouting world, though ChekTV’s Rick Dhaliwal reported that a “handful” of NHL teams were interested in him.
One scout I spoke to called Felton “nondescript,” saying that he never stood out in multiple viewings.
Clearly, Felton stood out to the Canucks, who invited him to their 2023 prospect development camp. While at camp, Felton didn’t make much of an impression on those watching — CanucksArmy’s Chris Faber had to admit that “nothing really stuck out with Christian Felton” — but he must have made an impression on the Canucks themselves in order to earn a contract.
Though Felton’s points were few and far between, they illustrated at least a little bit of skill. Take this rush up the ice at the tail end of a power play, as he jumps up the right wing to gain the offensive zone and moves the puck to the point before setting up at the left half-wall and delivering a backdoor pass through traffic for a goal.
Is a play like that indicative of having the skill to make plays under pressure at higher levels, in spite of his limited point totals? Perhaps.
His defensive game, at least, should translate to the professional level. To play top-pairing minutes in a shutdown role and take just two minor penalties across 26 games is legitimately impressive. His skating looks like a clear strength of his game, which will be key to making the transition to professional hockey.
The truth is, the Canucks need a few more lottery tickets in their prospect pool on defence. The odds of Felton making it to the NHL are slim but his skating and defensive game give him a chance to buck those odds.
