Going strictly off the QMJHL CSR’s Final List, I dive into some quick analysis and scouting reports from predominantly video platforms.
Watching video isn’t the same as being in the rink and it never will be, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn a lot about player tendencies especially what they do way from the puck. Young players that compete like hell and do all the little things the right way jump off the screen. Video platforms continue to be a game changer. Nonetheless, these platforms are not the same as the eye test or being in the rink, but they are the next best thing.
The Prospect Exchange continues to be on the cutting edge of the technology which make our jobs easier by providing access to players from across the hockey world. Obviously, I couldn’t have done these reports without these platforms.
Both platforms are critical and really help scouts to drill down refining and projecting player tendencies. TPE does a comprehensive job and is leading the way when it comes to covering Atlantic Canadian teams/players which provides those prospects with more exposure which is essential for identifying and projecting young talent.
- Connor Allaby smart two-way winger, skates well and thinks the game equally as well if not better, fun to watch creating opportunities out there, clearly size will be called into question by critics, but this kid competes, Allaby is in the right place at the right time every time which is great to see and again speaks to his hockey sense.
- Jack Baldwin solid skater, good speed and compete level, will need to continue to bring even more energy and grit to the Jr level to have an impact at that level, good puck skills and solid shot as well, gets it off in a hurry and it’s accurate,
- Blake Boutilier smooth skating right shot D man with good puck skills, thinks the game very well and is eager to jump into the rush and support the attack, very good stick in all three zones, would like to see him gap up a little tighter, Will need to continue to get stronger to reach full potential at the next level, projects to be a solid two and a half zone D with transitional skills
- Calvin Carver hard working two way gritty winger who skates well, would like to see him slightly more composed with the puck and trust his skill set a touch more, love his compete level and the energy he brings to every shift, Here’s a perfect example of a player that probably shouldn’t be Ranked as a E, but I’ll tell you the team that drafts this kid will like what he brings, good puck skills and wicked speed to the outside, it’s all about continuing to get to the middle at the next level with the same urgency, this kid can play and is skilled enough to play up and down the lineup
- Henry Collingwood solid skater for his size and age, long heavy stick, isn’t scared to mix it up and be a real shutdown force, thinks the game and position well, Will have to get even quicker and more agile to make an impact at the Jr level, but has a very solid foundation in which to build. Very strong linear frontward skater, good puck skills, needs to tighten up his gap control, but that will come with increase speed and agility, a lot of potential in this player.
- Riley Cormier solid skater, above average puck skills, would like him to use his puck skills even more and hang onto the puck a touch longer to ensure he makes the right play, will need to show even more urgency on the forecheck and continue to work on his quickness and strength to reach his full potential at the Jr level,
- Sean Dwyer Type of player that could skate for days, thinks the game very well, looks like a natural on the wing, but could definitely play through the middle at the U18 level and potentially if he gets stronger and even quicker at the Jr level, His routes and puck support is off the charts which is great to see, the way he takes back ice and times things out is truly exceptional to watch and very few players his age can process those things,
- Sam Flemming ultra smart and skilled scoring forward that processes the game incredibly well, great shot for his size and can he ever get it off in a hurry, Again everyone is going to look at his size and say he’s too small to have an impact at the Jr. level, but this kid thinks it on a different level, speedy, shifty two-way center, does everything at top speed, gritty energy player, probably better suited to play the wing at the Jr. level, but can definitely skate through the middle if he gets stronger, competes like hell, and processes the game well, backchecks with the same intensity as when he has the puck on his stick, which is a rare and incredibly invaluable trait to possess these days.
- Noah Hackett solid skating defender with solid puck skills and a good first pass, Will need to get stronger and even more nastier to ensure he reaches his full potential at the Jr level, Thinks the game well and makes subtle plays that help kick start transition, Would like to see a touch more urgency below the dots when he has possession of the puck and while defending, Again given his size some might say he’s too small to have an mpact, but he just needs more time and reps to grow into a solid two way transitional D man
- Nash Haverstock hard working two way energy player that skates very well, this kid’s work ethic and two way presence jumps off the screen which is great to see, feisty and gritty competitor, hunts pucks on the forecheck and has good puck skills and processes the game very well,
- Liam Healy solid netminder, he’s a battler in there, very athletic, challenges well and square to the shooter, would like to see him challenge even more in there and trust his skating ability and technique, he’s a puck stopper through and through, would like to see him to continue to refine his rebound control and potentially freeze even more pucks, Solid glove, but that’s another area of refinement to ensure he reaches his full potential, Again diminutive netminders are frequently criticized, Healy competes like hell in there and would do just about anything to stop the puck and give his team a chance to win,
- Benjamin Henry Solid skating stay at home defender, projects to be a tough two zone defender with transitional capability given his size and skating ability, Henry also brings a lot of grit to the position and game, solid puck skills and good passer of the puck, will need to continue to work on his agility to get even quicker in tight areas especially when defending below the tops of the circles in his own zone, this kid has a lot of potential just needs to continue to make small refinements to his game, great to see a player from U16 AAA jump up a level and have an impact, Definitely a sleeper pick for a team that could give this kid even more time, good candidate to play Jr A next year and be ready to step into a Q line up at 18.
- Kaegan Hounsell Great skater and possesses very good puck skills and patience with the puck in traffic, Will need to get stronger and more engaged defensively at times to reach full potential at the next level, but tons of potential here, skates well enough to play through the middle, but will need to become even more explosive and agile to skate through the middle at the Q level, processes the game very well and knows how to create time and space,
- Ethan Jones Smart two way center, good skater, thinks the game very well, very active stick in all three zones especially down low while defending, good release and distributes the puck very well through the middle, Will have to continue to work on his speed and agility to make the biggest impact at the next level, no doubt could probably play both positions up front, but he’s potentially better suited on the wing at the Q level,
- Brock Lyons This kid can flat out shoot the puck, he has a pro release and it’s accurate, Obviously tremendously skilled with great hands, but needs to continue to work on his skating stride, agility and speed in order to play within a Q teams Top 6, Lyons has a massive amount of potential, but just needs to put the work in on his skating, Lyons is always around it and finds all the quiet areas of the offensive zone and he can execute and is lethal when firing the puck, Can score from anywhere, no doubt one of the best releases of the draft, he’s a pure shooter and scorer, Could be scary good if his skating progresses over the next few years.
- Hugh MacDonald big body right shot D with solid speed and skating ability, obviously still coming on into his own and still growing and developing, good puck skills and passing ability, Again it’s great to see another U16 AAA player having an impact with the U18 AAA level, tons of potential here will need to continue to work on his skating and edge control and play with even more grit to reach his potential at the next level, but here’s another sleeper pick potential,
- Matt MacDonald solid skating skilled energy player with good puck skills and compete level, reliable two way presence, type of player that can play in any situation, very active stick in all three zones, just needs to continue to get to the middle of the ice and continue to execute at the next level,
- Griffin MacEachern good skating two-way defender, good gap control and processes the game well, projects to be a solid depth defender at the Junior level, will need to continue to work on his lateral mobility and agility with regards to his pivots in open ice and in small areas of the defensive zone
- Nate MacKay hard working energy player, solid skater, good puck skills, competes like hell, will need to continue to bring even more energy and grit to reach his full potential at the next level, here’s a kid that won’t light the world on fire offensively, but he’s skilled and gritty enough to play up and down any lineup at the Jr. level
- Max MacKenzie Above average skating rangy defender, projects to be a two zone defender, solid stick positioning while defending, needs to work on his agility and lateral mobility while defending below the tops of the circles in his own zone,
- Nicholas Mackenzie Solid skating rearguard, powerful stride and plays a nasty in your face style of game, processes the game and position well, Solid gap control, good puck skills, will need to continue to work on his explosiveness and agility from a backward skating perspective, very strong forward skater, tons of nasty in your face defending in this player which is great to see, projects to be a solid shutdown two zone depth defender
- Alistair MacPhee very good skating gritty hard nosed transitional defender, doesn’t backdown from anything which is great to see, obviously size will be called into question, but no one will ever question the size of his heart and compete level, this kid cares a lot about all three zones, he’s a sparkplug back there and brings energy every shift, less is always more, I think the more he lets the game come to him the better, his skating and routes to pucks are good, he will need to continue to work on getting stronger and even more quicker to reach his full potential at the next level, but this kid will find a way to get there, a matter of fact he’s driven to get there!
- Bodan McFadden reliable two way player, will have to get stronger to have an impact at the Jr level, good puck skills and thinks the game well, with increased strength his skating will improve, but he still needs to continue to work on his agility and speed, love seeing him stop on pucks especially in his own zone
- Thomas Morgan solid skating D man, would like to see him step up and gap up even more, processes the game well, solid puck skills, will need to continue to refine his skating to gain more explosiveness and agility,
- Maxime Morin speedy skilled forward, will have to get stronger and continue to engage and get to the middle of the ice at the Jr. level, from a stats perspective had a very good year in the high school ranks and it’s great to see him on the CSR List, smart player that uses his smarts to gain an advantage that trend needs to continue for him to reach his full potential at the next level,
- Silas Mullins solid netminder, very square and moves very well in there, tracks pucks well, quick to bounce on lose pucks, solid glove, like many other young goalies would like to see him telescope even more and challenge more, down early at times which exposes some space above his trapper, has a tendency to drop his glove hand in the butterfly as well,
- Maddox Neuman Solid technique, moves well, would like to see him challenge more and telescope out more, Covers the bottom of the net very well, quick to recover, getting stronger will help his overall game, Would like to see him keep his blocker and trapper a touch higher when he’s in the crouch position, very comfortable in there and athletic, you can tell he’s a battler
- Alexis Noel moves well in there and challenges well, square to the shooter, needs to get stronger to move even faster especially in scramble situations or when in the butterfly, here’s another young goalie that might need some more time and reps to refine some areas of their game to reach their full potential at the next level in a year or two, potential here
- Ethan Pitcher solid two way defender skates well and will have to continue to work on his agility and lateral movement to reach his full potential at the Jr level, good puck skills and good first pass, You can tell this kid works his arse off and really cares deeply every shift which is great to see, here’s a kid that plays to his identity which is a transitional two and half zone defender, which is great to see and very rare, Pitcher doesn’t force things or try to do too much with the puck he moves it efficiently and effectively, here’s another perfect example of a kid with quiet talent, some people might think he’s raw, but when this kid gets stronger look out because he will be a force and be very tough to play against, already possesses an in your face hard nosed style of play and will have to get even nastier to reach his full potential at the next level,
- Mika Richard solid skating energy player with two way presence, would like to see him engage even more and show more urgency and jam to his game, processes the game and position well and brings good energy, but will need to continue to elevate to reach his full potential at the next level,
- Mikko Robichaud always tough to project young netminders on teams U18/Prep Schools that struggled, Robichaud has solid technique, but he’s down early and needs to trust his technique and process even more to reach his full potential, getting stronger will help in all facets of his game, from handling the puck, rebound control and his recovery.
- Jaden Smith solid skating winger with very solid puck skills, and a good shot, would like to see him engage more in the defensive zone and show more urgency in his D Zone, active stick, put up good offensive numbers this year, but needs to play a more well rounded game bring an even more consistent effort to reach his full potential at the Jr level, very good in traffic, here’s a player if he brings the same effort that he as when the pucks on his stick in the defensive zone would definitely pay dividends
- Joshua Stewart solid skating winger, good puck skills and good passer, would like to see him stop on pucks more in his own zone, needs to be a lot stronger on his stick and engage more in one on one battles, needs to bring more urgency and jam to his game in all three zones, here’s a player that once he finds even greater compete level on the defensive side of things will become a different player
- Cooper Strong responsible two-way winger that competes like hell, skates well and brings tons of energy, very patient with the puck in al three zones which is great to see, very good passer of the puck and play maker, this kid makes the right play at the right times and competes, will need to get stronger to reach his full potential at the next level, but is also skilled enough to play up and down any lineup
- Travis Tremblay Solid skater, extremely hard working winger with solid puck skills, passing ability and vision, energy player every time he steps on the ice, reliable two way presence, here’s a kid that can play in any situation and that coaches trust all of the time, he just has to keep working on his explosiveness and agility to reach his full potential at the next level, Tremblay is in the right place at the right time always which speaks volumes about his hockey sense, but also the attention to detail in his game. He definitely has deceptive speed, he just needs to continue to build on that and the way he works he will definitely find a way to have an impact at the Jr level, At 5’9 critics will say he’s too small, but this kid can flat out play the game and he does it the right way
- Andre Urqhart solid skater, hard working winger, will need to get stronger and continue to hunt pucks and be even more physical to reach his full potential at the next level, definitely a two way player, active stick in all three zones, would like to see him stop on pucks with more frequency in his own zone, but you could say that about a lot of young forwards, thinks the game very well and has very good puck skills and can he ever rip the puck, hard and very accurate shot, here’s a player that with some small refinements in his game and even more jam could be a very effective player at the Jr level.
- Aaron Whitten Solid skating two-way winger, processes the game well, good puck skills, needs to engage even more and get to the middle and create time and space for himself and teammates in order to reach his full potential at that Jr level,
- Jeremy Wilson good skating defender, good pivots and active stick, good first pass, will need to continue to get even quicker and more agile to have an impact at the next level, projects to be a very steady and reliable two and a half zone defender that can definitely jump into the rush to contribute when needed, would like to see him tighten up his gap control even more and be a little more connected to his D partner, gives up a touch too much ice in the middle in his own zone, Again here’s a young defender that can really play just needs to refine some aspects so he can be an effective D at the Jr level
- Malik Bell hard working, energy player with good speed, thinks the game well, will need to play with even more jam and grit to make an impact at the next level, uses his body well to shield the puck and is a very good passer of the puck, here’s a kid that if he continues to get even stronger could definitely play a key role as a depth winger at the junior level. Bell needs a touch more time to refine things, but you’re going to see a definite increase in his point totals over the next few years, he works too hard and goes to all the right areas of the ice not to get more points, a lot of potential in this player
- Lucas Chisholm solid skating defender, needs to continue to work on his agility and edge control so he can defender more efficiently and effectively below the dots, would like to see him be a touch more patient with the puck on breakout or transition opportunities but that will come with time and more reps, solid gap control, but would also like to see him maintain his posture even more in one on one situations while backward skating.
- Dax Doiron moves well in there, very square and athletic, good technique, needs to stay quieter in certain situations to not over commit, needs to stay connected and trust his technique especially in the butterfly, down early at times, tons of potential just needs some refinement in certain areas of his game,
- Jaxon Fraser very good skater, type of player that skate for days, very good puck skills, excellent compete level and two way presence, great to see this endlessly compete, engage and get to the middle so often, Again his size will come into question, but this gets it, he’s in all of the right spots on the ice at all the right times which speaks to his hockey IQ, Like all young players that think the game well, he has to be mindful of his body language at times where he doesn’t necessarily get the puck at the right times, highly skilled at both ends of the ice, he just needs to continue to work hard and opportunities will come at the Jr level.
- London Gillis solid skating defender, processes the position and game well, good puck skills and very composed in the offensive zone with the puck on their stick, very aggressive through the neutral which is great to see very good gap control, just needs to continue to get stronger and play an even gritter style of play to reach his full potential at the next level, doesn’t hesitate to move the puck the quickly and effectively
- Mitchell Goodine very good puck skills and processes the game very well, good passer of the puck, will need to get even tougher to play against and quicker to reach his full potential in the Jr level, engages and gets to the middle of the ice, but he needs to execute on a more consistent basis from that area of the ice, would like to see him stop on pucks with more frequency especially in his own zone, so more urgency on the defensive side of the things will serve this player very well moving forward. Very good skater just needs to play with a touch more pace and grit
- Joshua Henry This report is from his draft year and I don’t think a lot has changed since then other than Henry making a few stops at the Jr level along the way, He must have caught the attention of a certain team or several teams because it looks like a team added to the draft list, From 2024, Incredibly gifted player with tremendous skating ability, solid puck skills and natural ability, He’s a transporter of the puck and projects to be a full three zone defender at the QMJHL level, but that might take some time, He defends well, but might have to tidy up some tendencies in the defensive zone with his stick positioning and angling below the dots, but that can be said about any young defencemen, He’s Q ready and can definitely step in and play in a 5/6 role as a 16 yr old, and probably contribute on the 2nd unit power play, but again he will have to tighten up some aspects of his processing and defensive game if he wants to jump in and play that 5/6 role in the Q next year. Solid first pass coupled with his ability to lug the puck and read and react, will need to move it a slight bit faster and get stronger from an upper body perspective to ensure he wins his share of puck battles at the next level.
- Ryder Patterson moves well, down early at times needs to trust things in there, he’s a battler, and it’s always difficult to judge and project young goaltenders on team’s that struggle, just needs to continue to get more reps and experience and refine some of areas of his technique to be more effective and efficient between the pipes.
- Marshall Smith speedy gritty forward who is incredibly effective on the forecheck, good in the dot, This kid plays a lot bigger than his stature and competes like hell, he’s really good in traffic and has great hands in tight, shoots the puck well, Here’s a player that might get passed over by some teams based on his size, but they won’t discredit his compete level and skill because kid brings it every time he steps on the ice,
The Quick Shift 