The future of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League is upon us. 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 video platforms.
Video 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.
Prospects Ranked in the 1st Round by the CSR
- Thomas Boisvert This kid jumps off the screen instantly based on how dynamic of a talent he is, especially when it comes to his speed and agility, He’s as shifty as anyone and really drives things out there, He does everything at top speed and thinks the game at the same rate as well which is rare, I would like to see him commit more defensively and stop on pucks a touch more in his own zone and be tougher to play against below the dots, Solid in the face off dot, but there’s some room for improvement there, but that will come with more reps and experience, Based on how smart and how well he processes the game, he will adapt very quickly next season, there’s no question, he will be a teams 2nd line center to start the season, but will no doubt be that franchises 1st line center by the midway point of his rookie campaign, They might elect to play him on the wing as well, which could be dangerous based on the way he shoots and passes the puck, He’s excellent in traffic and isn’t scared to create and break players down by directly attacking them, Some highly skilled dynamic players often settle for what time and space is given them, this kid is on full attack mode all of the time, He will have to bring that same intensity and attacking mindset to the other side of puck to gain the trust of his coaches at the next level, Boisvert’s passing ability and creativity is off the charts which also speaks to his hockey sense, Obviously at his size right now he will have to get stronger upper body wise, but that will come, he isn’t timid at all, but next year he will have to continue to find ways to engage and get to the middle which won’t be a problem for him because of his skating and the way he thinks the game,
2) Julien Bergeron Bergeron’s ability to create and make plays in traffic is no doubt his strongest attribute, this kid processes the game at a different level with subtly which is great to see, can rip the puck as well, tremendous pucks coupled with his play making ability and vision makes him a very dangerous player, Again comparables and comparisons aren’t always fair, but when I watch Bergeron, I see some signs of Jakob Pelletier, He might not have Pelts speed, but he certainly possesses his shiftiness, willingness to compete, creativity and ability to use everyone and make them better, This kid can really play the game, has all the makings of a dynamic point getter in the Q, and I wouldn’t be surprised he teams elect to play him through the middle eventually based on his play making ability and vision, He will have to continue to up his physicality and compete level even more to excel, but players as smart as this kid usually do that within the first 10 games of their junior career, This kid is fun to watch especially when he has time and space on the man advantage, but in any situation for that matter, tons of pro potential here, just has to continue to get stronger and a touch more explosive so he can separate in open ice, He’s agile enough in traffic to elude would be checkers already which is also fun to watch others miss when they expect they have him cornered.
3) Zaac Charbonneau all the makings of a very solid power forward, skates well and has good puck skills, great release, gets it off fast and it’s accurate, processes the game well, would like to see him throw the body more frequently which will only buy him even more time and space at the next level, Again with all power forwards, skating gets called into play a lot, Charbonneau can move and is very good linear skater, his agility will come a long as he continues to work on his stride, but he will have to work on his explosiveness so he can beat more defenders to spot and use his leverage to continue to generate offence and transition,
4) Pierre Alexandre Lemieux strong skater, will have to refine his explosiveness and agility to reach his full potential at the junior level, would like to see him skate better routes on regroups to be better option to receive passes from his D, competes hard and processes the game well, good vision and passing ability, solid puck skills and is good in traffic, skates well for his size, but he will have to bring even more speed to his game if he wants to play through the middle at the next level, it might be weird to say and write this, but from what I’m observing here’s a player that’s still getting to understand what he can do and what he can’t do with his size and skill and how he fits into the playing that power game, once he finds his way, lookout he will become a force to be reconned with, Some shifts he jumps off the screen and plays like a man amongst boys, and that’s some foreshadowing of the type of player he can be in the future, tons of potential in this player
5) Vincent Boutet possesses all the tools to be an effective transitional two and half zone defender at the next level, Won’t drive offence from the backend at the junior level, but is skilled enough to run the power play skates incredibly well and has good puck skills, at some points he needs to be more patient and composed with the puck so he doesn’t rush the process which can cause unwanted turnovers, like all young defenders Boutet will find that balance, Again this kids skating is extremely efficient and effective, he just needs to find that same level of efficiency when it comes to moving the puck which is definitely there, This kid is going to be an excellent 2/3 D in the Q, There’s no question he will be tested physically, but there’s no backdown in this player and I think he’s going to adjust nicely, He’s Q ready and could jump in and have an instant impact as a 4/5 as a 16. He will eat minutes and play in any situation for the team that drafts him,
6) Jacob McKinnon speed and grit, McKinnon has it all and more, this kid is the ultimate competitor, does things at top speed and gets to the middle all of the time, it doesn’t take too long to see that he absolutely loves going there as well, Again comparables and comparisons are not fair at the best of times, but it’s not hard to see who McKinnon models his game and style of play after and that’s Brad Marchand, he’s so smart with and without the puck This kid is going to be massive point getter at the Q level and it’s just a matter of time, All the critics will question his size, but they won’t question his hockey IQ, drive, offensive skill and size of his heart, this kid is exciting to watch, The team that select this kid will be getting a top six forward and naturally gifted scoring left winger, pro potential here and I don’t care how tall he is,
7) Damien Leduc solid skating rangy two way center with good puck skills and hockey sense, will have to continue to work on his agility to be more elusive in tight areas at the next level, good vision and passing ability, pass first player, won’t drive a ton of offence at the next level, but definitely projects to be an excellent 3rd line center with offensive upside, Leduc is a big body center who competes like hell is always in the right areas of the ice at the right times which speaks to his hockey IQ, with a small injection of pace to his game Leduc will be an ultra effective player at the next level
8) Aslan Tremblay speedy skilled forward with great hockey sense and passing ability, no hesitation and panic in this kid’s game, moves the puck incredibly well, can really rip the puck, it’s hard and very accurate, Always on his toes, and always in the middle of the ice whether trying to generate offence or distributing the puck, Natural winger, but wouldn’t be surprised to see a team try to put him through the middle based on his skating and passing ability
9) Lawrence Williams This kid is a natural transitional “new era” D, with tons of offensive skill coupled with nasty gritty side to his game, His skating is exceptional and only going to get better with maturity, he processes the game so well, always willing to jump into the play, but perhaps his strongest attribute is the ability to pick and chose when to jump in and he also has the innate ability to know when to start driving offensive transition, which a lot of young D don’t understand or ever really figure that out. He will be tested physically next year, but his skating is so good he will make people miss on the forecheck, this kid can actually skate for days and play in any situation, The team that drafts this kid will get a kid that can step in almost instantly and be a 2/3 and will be 1or 2 by the midway mark, Saw Williams at 14 and he was great then, but what I’ve noticed the most from the footage I’ve seen is his patience and is now letting the game come to him now, which is a true sign of a great player and defender, pro potential in this player, just needs to get even more nasty and tough to play against, but he will definitely get there,
10) Justin Gagnon When you watch Gagnon you instantly see pro potential, his skating is off the charts, he’s agile, strong and quick, he can stop on a dime, has his head up nonstop and is willing to take a hit to make a play, a lot of players with his skating ability pace themselves or coast at times, this kids engine never quits and he’s at full speed all of the time, great to see him stop on pucks as well not a lot of players that skate as well as he does possess those habits and details to their game, two way presence and very reliable in all three zones, Won’t be a point a game player in the Q, but will definitely contribute and has the ability to play any style up and down any lineup
11) Jakob Royer speedy, skilled competitive winger who skates very well and has a great hockey IQ, it’s great to see this kid backcheck with same urgency and intensity as when the puck is on his stick, this kid is the epitome of second and third effort, he never gives up on a puck battle, very active stick in all three zones, hunts pucks on the forecheck, Royer could be a perfect fit for a 3rd line center or 1st line right winger, that’s how versatile this kid actually is, When you see all the skill and ability it’s easy for some to overlook other intangibles a player possesses, this kid has them all and more, that’s definitely his strongest attribute, this kid is a coaches dream the way he plays, honest two way player with tons of skill and compete, sounds like a pro to me, doesn’t it?
12) Emrik Menard Speed to burn, this kid might not look the fastest or have the best technical stride, but from point A to point B, this kid absolutely flies out there and he competes in all three zones, very good on the halfboards and isn’t scared or timid to go there, very good passer of the puck, he’s a pass first type of player, He has one hell of a shot as well, he can change gears on a dime, exciting player to watch and he can definitely offer the team that drafts him a versatile winger that can bring a shit ton of energy and offensive upside to all four lines!
13) Max Brien strong skating two way forward, highly skilled and thinks the game incredibly well, willing to take a beating in front of the net to score and create which is great to see, Good in the face off dot, will need to refine his skating ability a touch more to play through the middle at the junior level, needs to be more explosiveness in tight areas of the ice which is only going to help play and excel even more in traffic, probably better suited and projects to be a scoring winger, will have to continue to engage even more at the next level to reach his full potential, definitely has the potential to be power forward that generates a tons of points throughout his Q career. From point a to point b, he can there, but a ½ step quicker and this kid will be a force to be reconned with, Again like all highly skilled point getters that generate offence, it’s all about how they adapt and grow their game within the first few weeks in the junior ranks, Brien will need to continue to be assertive and take direct lines to pucks, engage and compete to have the same type of success as he did this year, tons of potential in this player,
14) Maveric Thisdelle very strong and powerful skater, great to see him make subtle plays with the puck, key puck touches and he does that at high speed which speaks to his hockey IQ, good composure with the puck on the offensive zone, willing to take a hit to make a play, Very active stick in all three zones, he has good explosiveness and agility, incredibly shifty for his size, he has the capacity to make people miss in open ice which at his size and stature is very impressive, I would like to see him even more aggressive on the forecheck and be more physical in those scenarios, Not saying take runs at guys, but be more purposeful with his body every chance he gets, tons of potential in this player, especially given his speed and ability to attach in open ice and willingness to engage in traffic,
15) Jack Cameron excellent skater and transition defender, very effective and efficient when it comes to transitioning pucks, Cameron and Lawrence Williams have been compared throughout their careers which is touch unfair, but both play a very similar game and both are great competitors, Cameron wants to jump into the rush more frequently and is more aggressive when it comes to taking risks than Williams, Picking and choosing his spots might be one area he refines heading into next season at the Jr level, In my opinion Cameron is more comfortable on his offside, but there’s no question he can definitely play both sides at the next level, will need to get strong and get a nastier “in your face” or tough to play against element to his game for next season, he will get tested on the forecheck, but he will adapt quickly based on his skating and his ability to process things at top speed, very important to note for these styles of D that “less is always more” Tons of potential with this kid!
16) Malik Tremblay Yet another speedy winger with high compete and skill, what sets these players apart? Well, their ability to think and process the game and their willingness to go to the middle of the ice, Tremblay is a highly effective skilled energy player that makes everyone around him better, clearly like all these players who are considered “diminutive” it’s their ability to engage, character and the intangibles that they bring to the game, but also their consistency, Tremblay plays with a lot of details to his game which is great to see, very active stick in all three zones, willing to take a hit to make a play, even more jam, grit, speed and strength is needed for Tremblay to reach his full potential at the next level,
17) Zachary Lainesse ultra fast netminder with incredible technique, Of course people are going to talk about his size and stature in there, but his technique shines bright and ultimately wins the day, You can’t argue his passion and consistency for the position, He cuts the angle and challenges like no other young netminder I’ve seen in a long time, he stops pucks and is super athletic in there and if he can continue to do that consistently at the next level, than people shouldn’t give a rats ass how tall or big he is, It’s easy to see he’s very calculated when it comes to his rebound control and is incredibly cerebral when it comes to the position
18) Emile Guevin Everyone will see 5’6 and think, “too small” to have an impact at the next level, but they would be very wrong about that, this kid plays a very impressive game, tremendously skilled, thinks the game exceptionally well, and the old adage rings very true, “you can’t hit, what you can’t catch,” Guevin is in and out of traffic in a split second and like very few can, he presents himself incredibly well to receive the puck and either shoot it or pass it all at top speed, his routes to pucks are impressive, he’s seemingly always in the right spot at the right times,
The Quick Shift 