Prospect Update: Noah Warren

By Thomas Harrington

Drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, defenseman Noah Warren played for the San Diego Gulls this past season, his first full season of AHL action.

In his rookie year, Warren played in 60 games and recorded four assists. He spent most of his time on the team’s bottom pair but did see time on both the first and second pairs, as well as serving as the team’s seventh defenseman. He played a lot with Tyson Hinds and saw time on the penalty kill.

I had two expectations for Warren last summer, and he met both. First, I wanted him to play in most of San Diego’s games. He missed only 12 games all season, which included two short stints when he was injured in December and February. Second, I wanted him to get time on San Diego’s penalty kill unit, which he did.

Warren should be back in San Diego for the upcoming season. The Gulls’ blueline will have even more young defensemen on it as both Ian Moore and Konnor Smith are turning pro this season. As a result, it will be even more difficult to get playing time on such a crowded defense core core. Though he’s certainly nowhere near as offensively talented as some of Anaheim’s other young defensive prospects, Warren is one of their more physical ones and should continue to carve out a role for himself on San Diego’s defense.

I have two expectations for Warren this upcoming season. First, I want him to play more than the 60 games he did last season and spend more time on San Diego’s second pair. With the additions of Ian Moore and Konnor Smith, competition for playing time with the Gulls could be even harder to come by next season. If Warren can force his way into the lineup on a nightly basis, it’ll be a good sign of his continued development. Second, even though he’s not known for his offensive exploits, I’d like to see Warren score his first career AHL goal.

I think Warren needs at least another season of AHL hockey before he gets a chance in Anaheim, possibly more. I think he’ll most likely spend all of this year in the AHL, and then may get spot duty with the Ducks for a couple of games in the season or two after that. So we could see him get some NHL games in the 2026-2027 season and/or the 2027-2028 season.

Warren has two years remaining on his entry-level contract, and he’ll be a restricted free agent when it expires. Even if he hasn’t made his NHL debut by then, I do think the Ducks will likely give him a one- or two-year extension, as long as his play doesn’t regress over the next two seasons.

The next prospect update will be on forward Austin Burnevik.

Related Articles:

Prospect Update: Ian Moore

Prospect Update: Kyle Kukkonen

Prospect Update: Nico Myatovic

Prospect Update: Yigor Sidorov

Prospect Update: Vyacheslav Buteyets

Prospect Update: Judd Caulfield

Prospect Update: Jaxsen Wiebe

Prospect Update: Tarin Smith

Prospect Update: Jan Mysak

Prospect Update: Maxim Masse

Prospect Update: Alexandre Blais

Prospect Update: Michael Callow

Prospect Update: Tyson Hinds

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August 28th, 2025