It’s almost absurd to say it given their offensive prowess and dominance a season ago, but scoring goals could be an issue for the “new look” Moncton Wildcats.
Obviously, the absence of Caleb Desnoyers leaves an unreplaceable yet temporary void in the Wildcats lineup. Clearly the Cats will rely heavily on a “scoring by committee” mentality until Desnoyers or “Mr. Everything” for the Wildcats returns from off season wrist surgery.
Up Front
Gardiner MacDougall’s system breeds offensive chances and opportunities, and the Wildcats will be an ultra fast group designed for quick strike offence. By all accounts this Cats team could possibly be the fastest group ever assembled which will definitely translate to a lot of wins if they can capitalize on the vast majority of their scoring chances off the rush.
Last years version of the Cats could play any style and slow things down and kill their opponent with their cycle game as well. This year’s version will be dynamic on the forecheck and shouldn’t be underestimated at all, but the goals won’t come as easy.
It’s far too early and really unfair to speculate on Desnoyers’ return, but the team will be without his services for an indeterminate amount of time so they will have to rely on the usual suspects like Mercier, Lounsbury and Smith to carry the bulk of the scoring while hoping the abundance of new additions will step in offensively which is quite difficult to do in an entirely new and different league.
New arrivals Kumza Voronin and Grayden Robertson-Palmer are more than capable of providing offence and will no doubt assume Top 6 roles right away. Voronin will be a problem for the opposition, he’s a fiery elusive two-way winger that’s probably best described as a “skilled shit disturber” that plays on the edge and doesn’t back down from anything. Robertson-Palmer will probably slot in through the middle given the injury to Desnoyers, but will return to the wing after his return. Teddy Mutryn will also be heavily relied on to provide early offence coupled with his already gritty two-way game. He would no doubt fit very well on a line with Gabe Smith patrolling the middle and Voronin on the other side.
Here’s my scouting report on GRP before last June’s QMJHL Entry Draft.
“This kid can really skate, powerful stride and power forward in the making, plays with edge and grit, he’s relentless on the forecheck and has great hockey sense, puck skills and passing ability, really don’t know why this kid is ranked where he is, He has dynamic tendencies to his game and can really bring it, He will have to dial in a touch on the defensive side of the puck to ensure he reaches his full potential at the next level, great in the face off dot as well, this kid can definitely step in and play and have an immediate impact at the Q level.”
On the Backend
Tommy Bleyl has been the talk of the town since his arrival. He’s a naturally gifted dynamic skater with tremendous offensive instincts. This kid makes would be forecheckers miss on a lot of occasions. Like anything though “flash and dash” offensive D-men will be relied on heavily to defend as well, but there’s no question he will probably be given a green light instantly to join the rush and chip in offensively anytime he can. It’s all about efficiently and effectiveness when looking at ultra talented offensive defenders and Bleyl is classified within that category. His addition and potential to the group is very intriguing and someone to definitely watch moving forward. Adam Fortier Gendron’s offensive numbers will definitely increase given more TOI in offensive situations and scenarios. The rest of the Cats D corps cand chip in from time to time and contribute, but they won’t light the world on fire offensively.
Let’s get one thing straight, the 2025-2026 version of the Moncton Wildcats might struggle to score goals early on in the season. One might want to take a two separate season approach when assessing or evaluating the Cats. A) Without Desnoyers and B) With Desnoyers and possible other additions in a load and go scenario. For the time being, Gardiner MacDougall’s team will be their usual difficult team to play against, stingy on the defensive side and “find a way to win” group, but they may have a little trouble scoring goals while they discover what life is like without Caleb Desnoyers.
FDS Sports Blog 