It’s been three years since the Boston Bruins selected a player from the QMJHL. In the last 10 years the B’s have only selected four players from the Q. They have only selected two players in the 1st round in the last 16 years from the QMJHL. That trend could drastically change given the B’s current struggles and draft placement. Could Moncton Wildcats forward Caleb Desnoyers be the answer for the Boston Bruins and their rebuild?
First and foremost, let’s get one thing straight, Caleb Desnoyers if selected by the B’s in the 5th to 10th overall range shouldn’t be classified as the almighty “saviour” of the franchise. However, the highly skilled two-way forward from Saint-Hyancithe, Quebec could in fact be the first significant piece of the puzzle or cornerstone for an organization desperately searching for stability and a future 1st or 2nd line center to build around in the midst of a rebuild.
The B’s find themselves in uncharted territory by missing the playoffs and ultimately at the start of what could be a lengthy and somewhat painful rebuild.
Photo Credit Daniel St Louis
This isn’t a “retool on the fly” by any means, shit just can’t happen overnight, this is going to take some time. One could assume there’s a sense of urgency surrounding the B’s brain trust and amateur scouting staff to get this right given the team’s dismantling during the NHL Trade Deadline Day.
Comparables and comparisons plague the scouting fraternity, but in many cases, they do provide some clarity and direction when it comes to evaluating and projecting young prospects. A number of NHL scouts have anonymously thrown around a few names when assessing and projecting Desnoyers’ style of play and that’s Jonathan Toews. A few others have also carefully floated Patrice Bergeron’s name out there when looking at Desnoyers’ prowess.
Obviously, that’s rarified air when it comes to projecting player, but that’s how good this kid could be. Personally, I’ve thrown around another comparable as early as last year during Desnoyers’ first foray in the league which is none other than Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier.
Cliches, superlatives and comparisons get thrown around quite frequently when it comes to describing highly touted players, but what about the elite ones? How would one go about describing them? Clearly the word “special” comes to mind almost instantly.
Caleb Desnoyers is a special player and a potential star center in the making and perhaps just what the Boston Bruins need to kick start their rebuild, but like anything that’s going to take time.
You can throw all of the descriptors you want out there to describe Desnoyers and they would all perfectly align with his skill set, but most of all his character, competitiveness and consistently which far exceeds that of most players his age.
There’s no question Desnoyers is a special player who’s incredibly talented in all facets of the game. He’s arguably the most gifted two-way player/center in the Q. Desnoyers’ hockey sense and character are his strongest attributes and will definitely serve him well at the next level. He has an uncanny knack to always find the open man, his vision and awareness are elite.
He does all the “little things” the right way every time he goes over the boards. Desnoyers’ creativity, vision and passing ability on the man advantage was the one bright spot on a very predictable and over used power play scheme a season ago. As a 16 he adapted quickly and really started to understand how to drive the Wildcats offence.
Desnoyers isn’t flashy, he doesn’t possess breakaway or dimension speed, but this kid is never out of position and never cheats it. He plays the position and game the right way, backchecks like hell and is passionate about both sides of the puck, which in today’s era is a rarity. His compete level is off the charts and it’s the subtilities of his game that always jumps off the page.
As I wrote last year.
“So, the kid goes over and gives the guy a shot instead of the other older guy standing right there,” I said referring to Caleb Desnoyers shoving a Halifax Mooseheads forward in the chest for jabbing at Wildcats goaltender Jacob Steinman. “He just gets it,” replied one NHL scout last year.
There’s no other way to really say it, Caleb Desnoyers just gets it.
For a 16-year-old kid, with all the pressure in the world, Desnoyers played like a grizzled veteran a season ago. Desnoyers would no doubt be the first one to tell you there are certain aspects of his game that he needs to refine in order to go where he wants to go.
This kid has played a shit ton of hockey and really hasn’t stopped given his time internationally with Team Canada and has logged at least 20 to 25 minutes a game for Gardiner MacDougall. At times this season he has looked sluggish, given all of the TOI, but never disinterested. He has had some games where he hasn’t brought his “A” game, but his “B” and “C” game is pretty damn good.
He did miss some time due to injury on two separate occasions and was hesitant at times upon his return which is to be expected. Here’s a kid that never backs down and always engages, so when he doesn’t you know something isn’t right. Caleb Desnoyers is a gamer through and through, he would do just about anything to help the team win. On night’s where he wasn’t the top player on the ice, you just knew damn well the next game he would rebound and make sure he was the best player on the ice.
Desnoyers projects to be a top tier 2nd line center on a championship caliber team at the NHL level or a 1st line center on a team lacking organizational depth at that position. He isn’t going to drive a ton of offence early on his NHL career, and he’s definitely better suited playing through the middle rather than the wing. Scouts will continue to question some small aspects of his skating in relation to him playing through the middle at the next level, but if that’s the case he makes up for it because he’s so damn smart. MacDougall has moved him multiple times to the wing perhaps in effort to showcase his scoring touch and natural offensive ability, but when I see him out there he’s a center through and through. There’s no question Caleb Desnoyers is a pass first playmaker who possesses a very deceptive and accurate release. He’s great in traffic, welcomes contact and excels in creating time and space for himself and his teammates.
Countless NHL franchises would absolutely love to walk to the podium and select Caleb Desnoyers within the Top 10 of the 2025 NHL Draft. Desnoyers is a special player with tremendous potential, he’s definitely a type player that you could build around, he’s just want the Boston Bruins need, but the “saviour” moniker clearly isn’t fair for any young player to carry.
If in fact the Boston Bruins are targeting Desnoyers they better hope he’s still there when they’re selecting, because it’s highly unlikely he will be there at 7th or 8th overall.
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