Time for another series at McKeen’s from our scouting staff. The 2026 NHL Draft season is well under way, and our scouts have been busy soaking in the action around the globe. Analyzing early season play can be difficult, perhaps even a bit of a ruse. Hot starts aren’t always sustainable, and cold starts are not always indicative. However, players can still catch our attention in positive ways and that’s what this series intends to highlight.
This is EASTERN CANADA PART ONE
Jeremy Tremblay
Tommy Bleyl
Right Defender – Moncton Wildcats
6-foot-0, 161 pounds
As CHL players are now eligible to play in the NCAA, more and more American players are looking at the CHL for an opportunity to get more ice time and visibility for the NCAA. That’s the case for Tommy Bleyl, who was playing in the USHS-Prep last year and is now playing with the Moncton Wildcats this season. Bleyl has already committed to join Michigan State University after the present season.
It is not hard to see why Michigan State is interested in Bleyl. He is a very mobile defender that can carry the puck with ease and calm between zones. He often uses his skating ability to exit his own zone, manipulating his opponent one way before going the other. This ability is also seen in the offensive zone where Bleyl likes to skate with the puck and create scoring chances. He also has a good skill level and puck handling, allowing him to evade pressure pretty quickly, creating space for his teammates.
Those skills have given Bleyl a big role with Moncton. He is playing on their top pair, averaging 23 minutes a night for now with a good amount of time on the power play. He is creative with the puck and with more space on the ice, Bleyl is just more dangerous. He is a smart player and it shows with his passing ability in the offensive zone. He sees and creates passing lanes well thanks to his skating ability. However, I would like to see Bleyl work on his shot. Not that his shot is bad, but he often waits too long, and his shot gets blocked.
Defensively, Bleyl’s mobility is a major asset. He keeps attackers ahead of him and recovers well. His stick is very active, but he stays away from corners and doesn’t really play physically. This is a trait that Bleyl really needs to work on for his future career in hockey. He is playing well even if the physicality is not his style, and points are slowly coming for Bleyl. The offensive potential is very interesting, let’s see what the rest of the season will bring.
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He possesses quick hands, helping him evade some pressure in tight spaces.
Bleyl is agile on his feet and with his skill, he can create offence from nowhere like on this clip. It is a move like that that is showing his offensive potential.
His best asset is clearly his skating. Bleyl is a very mobile defender, and he uses it often in transition to carry the puck from one end to the other.
There are a lot of moments where Bleyl just pulls some great passes in the offensive zone, displaying his quick thinking and vision.
Kornei Korneyev
Left Winger – Victoriaville Tigers
6-foot-1, 172 pounds
After getting drafted by Chicoutimi in the 2024 CHL draft last year, Korneyev chose to join the team right away. The Kazakhstan native did well in his first season despite playing 11 minutes a night, scoring 21 points in 64 games and leaving a great first impression in the QMJHL. While he was ready to play a second season with Chicoutimi, after only two games, he was traded to the Victoriaville Tigers where he joined well-known draft eligible prospects Egor Shilov and Alexei Vlasov. Not only was he joining their team, but also their first line, where Korneyev is still playing after seven games with them.
Korneyev might not be as productive on the scoresheet as Shilov, but his game is nonetheless showing some potential. Currently playing about 15 minutes a night, he is slowly getting more responsibilities on the ice. Korneyev is a high intensity and competitive player, quick on the forecheck to recover some pucks in the corner. While he could improve his strength to help him win more battles, he already often gets out of the corner with the puck, giving him time and space to show off his playmaking ability to generate scoring chances. However, offensively, Korneyev relies solely on his passing abilities where he could use his shot more often. Improving this trait in the offensive zone could help him score more points.
His skating ability is pretty good for a player of his size. Already 6-foot-1 and 176 pounds, he can be hard to play against. His top speed creates a lot of space on the ice, but he struggles to use it to his advantage yet. He is a smart puck handler, and he has the right idea, but the execution is not there for now. The potential is very interesting here, and even with only four points in seven games with Victoriaville, I have no doubt some people are curious how he will improve this season.
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A new move by Korneyev this season as he is slowly starting to use his size to crash to the net, playing more and more like a power forward.
Korneyev is calm with the puck, and he has nice vision. He sees that the goalie is slow to protect the opposite post and score on a nice wrap-around. The thinking is there, but the execution could have been better. Luckily for him, the opposing goalie was not expecting this.
Several good plays in the offensive zone, displaying his playmaking ability and his off-puck position.
He has a good level of intensity, works hard to make small plays like this to keep the puck for his team and can also hit.
Thomas Rousseau
Center – Sherbrooke Phoenix
5-foot-10, 170 pounds
After a good first season in the QMJHL last year, 40 points in 58 games, Thomas Rousseau was already on our radar. He is now the first center of the Phoenix, averaging a little more than 21 minutes per night on the ice.
As a responsible player, the coach is asking more and more from Rousseau on the ice, playing some important minutes on the penalty kill and on the powerplay. He may not be an all-offensive forward, but his two-way game is stronger than the rest of prospects from the QMJHL for the next draft. Playing center really put on display his main abilities, but his height could harm his future as an NHL center. However, every time I watched Rousseau play, I could not believe he was only 5-foot-10. This guy is not afraid to hit anyone and play hard to get the puck. His compete level is already standing out and I’m sure NHL scouts love that.
Offensively, Rousseau is currently producing at a rate of one point per game. His strongest ability is clearly his playmaking. He has outstanding vision on the ice, seeing plays develop before others on the ice. I think his vision will translate well at the next level. One thing that has improved a lot in Rousseau’s game from last year is his skating. His acceleration and top speed are a lot better, and he uses it offensively to create more space for himself.
Obviously, Rousseau is not a perfect player. Since the start of the season, he doesn’t seem to trust his shot that by all means isn’t bad. It may not be a strength, but his skill level is high enough to score close to the net. If he could improve his upper strength at the same time this season, we have a very interesting player that could fill a bottom six role perfectly.
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Rousseau is a very smart player and displays it often in a game with quick passing plays like this one in the offensive zone that results in solid scoring chances.
This clip shows well how Rousseau plays the game. He starts by protecting the puck well and then passing the puck to a teammate. Then, he slowly moves towards the net as he sees his teammate on the other side ready to shoot the puck. He gets the rebound and scores.
Rousseau’s strides look very good this season, a lot better than last year. He often beats his opponent in a race for the puck.
Not only that Rousseau is fast, but also relentless on the forecheck. He works hard to get the puck.
Jeremi Plourde
Yegor Shilov
Center – Victoriaville Tigres
6-foot-1, 181 pounds
Shilov has been the fastest riser out of the QMJHL so far this year. At age 16, the Russian-born center moved to the United States to pursue his junior career and has already acclimatized to the North American style of hockey. After a fairly solid DY-1 campaign of 28 points in 39 games with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL, Shilov opted to play in the QMJHL for his draft year season after being drafted third overall in the CHL import draft. So far, Shilov has been on fire, with 21 points in only 12 games, good for fourth in league scoring. In terms of points-per-game, Shilov even leads the entire QMJHL, tied with his linemate and also draft-eligible Russian Alexei Vlasov.
As the statistics suggest, Shilov has been nothing short of remarkable. Only failing to record at least one point in two of his twelve games in the QMJHL, Victoriaville’s center has been firing on all cylinders. When things go his way, his display of talent with the puck leaves his opponents dazzled and confused. Shilov is able to react quickly and spin on a dime, is able to execute difficult and crafty moves with his high-level hands, and to connect with teammates often for scoring opportunities. Away from the puck, Shilov is a physical well-rounded center who helps his team along the boards and plays at a fair pace.
Shilov has shown a tendency so far to skate into pressure with the puck and kill plays where better options were available. He can tend to take unnecessary risks, which can be frustrating. On the flip side, it shows the confidence he has in his hands, and after looking at how often he sets up his teammates, his vision is not the problem. Shilov will just need to mature and display better decision-making.
Shilov has gotten himself into top 20, even top 15 conversations. Most people expected Xavier Villeneuve to be the first player drafted out of the QMJHL this year, but Shilov has made this an interesting race.
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Without a doubt, what impresses the most about Shilov is his skill level. In this clip, he shows the ability to go from one end of the ice to another and get a prime scoring chance.
Once again, on his own, plays with the defence and gets a scoring chance right in front of the goalie.
Similar type of play here, but Shilov ends with a pass attempt. I like the perfectly timed move to slide the puck right past his opponent as he enters the offensive zone.
Here, not only does Shilov display agility on the feet, but also high-level craftiness, with the perfect move to get a nice shot.
Maddox Dagenais
Center – Victoriaville Tigres
6-foot-3, 194 pounds
Maddox Dagenais is another well-known, highly touted prospect from the QMJHL. After being drafted first overall in the 2024 QMJHL entry draft, Dagenais scored 26 points in 43 games over the course of his DY-1 season. While Dagenais didn’t really have an earth-shattering first year, the high upside with his frame, speed and skill was still on display at all times. So far this season, Dagenais has been prevalent, recording nine points in his first 13 games. While the stat line has not been shockingly impressive this year either, the flashes are what impresses.
With an impressive frame of 6-foot-3, Dagenais is excellent at utilizing his reach and range to get around players. Intelligently, he maneuvers with great precision and timing around his opponents, and no one seems to find success defending him. Dagenais has found success in every game so far playing a power forward style and imposing his will with his reach.
Dagenais also has incredible fluidity on the feet. He likes to curl back and gather momentum, then flies by everyone in a matter of moments. His hands are good enough to follow his top speed, which makes everything even more impressive.
Dagenais’ potential as a high flying, skilled puck carrier with imposing frame is amongst the most interesting ones in the QMJHL this season. I expect more discussion around Dagenais as the year goes on.
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Here is an impressive display of Dagenais’ hands in tight. We have recently seen Cole Caufield score a similar goal at the NHL level. Now, instead of a 5-foot-8 player with quick hands doing this move, we get to see a 6-foot-3 center performing the same move, almost as cleanly as Cole’s.
This time, we get to see Dagenais playing the puck carrier role, while using teammates to proceed zone entries. He uses his speed and gets a nice scoring chance, basically on his own.
While this scoring chance did not come to fruition, Dagenais showed impressive agility and confidence, getting around the defence for a nice look all alone in front of the goalie.
Good clip here to showcase Dagenais’ potential as a size-imposing forward. He senses an opponent behind him, levels him with his frame while retaining the puck, and passes to a teammate.
Torkel Jennersjo
LW – Armada Blainville-Boisbriand
5-foot-10, 183 pounds
Jennersjo is a less well-known draft eligible forward from the QMJHL, but who I find interesting as a later round option. After a quiet 19 point-season throughout 50 games in his DY-1 with Dubuque in the USHL, the Swedish winger travelled north of the border to play in the QMJHL for the Armada for his draft year. While he has struggled to produce a lot so far with one goal in four games, Torkel has been impactful in other ways.
To begin with, Jennersjo is a relentless forward. With his smaller frame and quick steps, he finds openings off the puck and constantly buzzes around the ice, making himself hard to cover. When the opponents control the puck, they don’t have much time to execute before Torkel will be in their face. While he hasn’t been given a ton of ice time so far, he’s made every second count, and I expect Jennersjo’s role to grow as the year goes on thanks to his effort level.
The undersized winger has also shown a surprising physical game. He throws his body around even against tall opponents who seem to tower over him. He plays a pesky game, which adds to the overall equation.
Finally, Jennersjo has shown that his skating is at a very advanced level. He’s able, like the best skaters of the new generation, to open his hips and use his inside edges to gain momentum and show deceptive skating, and his pure speed and pace is far ahead of the QMJHL competition already.
Jennersjo needs to produce in order to hear his name in the NHL draft this summer. He looks impressive and has intriguing aspects in his game, but he will need to show that he has enough skill to be an NHL prospect.
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Here is a perfect showing of how Jennersjo can be a useful player. He wins a board battle in the cycle against a 6-foot-0 defenceman in Alexandre Taillefer and times a nice pass for a scoring chance. Then, he comes back to catch 6-foot-3 Maddox Dagenais on the zone exit, levels him, and passes to a teammate for a two on one chance.
Another example of Jennersjo’s effort level. As the F1, he chases the puck, comes back to the neutral zone in time, and forces a turnover. Then, opens himself up as a central ice passing option, blitzes in, and gets a nice scoring chance.
Here is Jennersjo being relentless yet again. Gets physical, and chases his opponent as he slips by, catching him in time with a nicely timed stick-lift, and initiates the zone exit.