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Fantasy Summary

Playmaking winger with good puck handling ability who is willing to engage in puck battles. Needs to improve his skating mechanics but his hockey sense and puck skills give him middle-six upside.


Observations

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May 2023 – The 2020 second round pick wrapped up his first pro season in Grand Rapids on injured reserve but that did not stop him from leaving a favorable impression with the Wings organization. The 6-1, 180-pound left wing registered nine goals and 17 points in 30 games with the Griffins. “Right before he got hurt, he was playing his best hockey,” Red Wings assistant general manager and Griffins GM Shawn Horcoff said. “There were certain stretches where he was a point-a-game player for 10-12 games, which is obviously hard to do at that level for a young player.” Horcoff also mentioned his work in the gym as a contributing factor to his early season success. “One thing I was impressed with Cross was last year he had a really good summer and I think it’s showing,” Horcoff said. “His determination, his compete, his physicality improved, and he was able to go into the league and win some puck battles, win some 50-50s. Absolutely the hardest thing you find for young players in the American Hockey League is strength.” The 21-year-old is expected to be one of the top offensive threats for Grand Rapids in 2023-2024 and will most likely fight for a roster spot with the big club in 2024. Evan Sabourin

 

May 2021 – Understandably so, Hanas experienced a statistically quiet 2020-21 campaign. Compared to 49 points in 60 games in his draft year, Hanas managed just 20 points this season, playing 27 games in the USHL for Lincoln and six games back in the WHL for Portland. He would not be the only young player to face setbacks in his transition to a new league. Winterhawks and Stars teammate Jack O’Brien experienced even more struggles during his transition to the USHL. Regardless of this progressional hiccup during a bizarre year, Hanas remains a highly skilled playmaker with excellent puckhandling skills and an effective shot. He remains a slightly one-dimensional player, utilized primarily in the offensive zone, spending 54% of his playing time in that ice area this season. Occasionally categorized as soft during his draft year, Hanas demonstrated a willingness to play more physically this year, finishing more checks and absorbing oppositional hits. After an unconventional first season as a member of the Red Wings prospect pool, Hanas will look to a hopefully more consistent and predictable 2021-22 campaign to get his progression back on track. This year, averaging just over 14 minutes of ice-time per game, expect Portland to increase his usage and provide him opportunities in a more prominent role next season. John Gove

 

November 2020 – Hanas was selected 55th overall by the Red Wings after putting up 22 goals and 27 assists in 60 games for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. He is an exceptional puck handler who can finish off scoring chances, but he is more proficient as a passer. He can open up shooting and passing lanes with quick dekes, and he does an excellent job of getting the puck to his teammates in scoring areas. Hanas will need to clean up his skating stride and add some more explosiveness to his game but he has legitimate offensive upside. Nick Richard

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 6.5
NHL Certainty 6.5
Country USA
Position LW
Roster Type Junior
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth January 5, 2002
Height 6‘1”
Weight 165 lbs
Drafted 2020 Round 2; Overall: 55

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2011-2012 Saskatchewan Jr. PatsBrick Invitational6 2 13 2|        
 2015-2016 Dallas Stars Elite 13U AAAT1EHL 13U5 4 15 2|        
 2016-2017 Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAAT1EHL 14U8 6 511 26|Playoffs4 0 11
 2017-2018 Dallas Stars Elite 16U AAAT1EHL 16U36 17 1936 84|        
  Team Gold USA-S153 2 46 -|        
 2018-2019 Team Red USA-S165 2 810 6|        
  Portland WinterhawksWHL67 8 1422 60|Playoffs5 0 11
 2019-2020 Team Grey USA-S175 4 913 6|        
  USA U18Hlinka Gretzky Cup4 1 23 2|        
  Portland WinterhawksWHL60 22 2749 42|        
 2020-2021 Lincoln StarsUSHL27 3 1316 99|        
  Portland WinterhawksWHL6 2 24 0|        
 2021-2022 Portland WinterhawksWHL63 26 6086 73|Playoffs11 5 49 16 
 2022-2023 Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL30 9 817 22|        
 2023-2024 Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL58 8 816 48|        
 2024-2025 Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL17 5 27 10|        

Highlights