Malik L’Italien – Defense – Halifax Mooseheads
6’4, 198 lbs, Shoot: Left
After getting drafted 3rd overall in the 2025 QMJHL draft, behind well-known Alexis Joseph, Malik L’Italien has already shown more than what was expected of him. His rookie season with the Halifax Mooseheads was solid, collecting 24 points in the season and showing some noticeable improvements in his game. Then came the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, where L’Italien took the opportunity to demonstrate what he can really do. The scouting season was only starting, but L’Italien was already on everyone’s radar. Now starting his second season with Halifax, the expectations are high on him. After 12 games, he already has more than a third of his points from last year, which we could say is a pretty good start of his draft season.
But the game of L’Italien is more than what is seen on the scoresheet at the end of a game. Don’t be mistaken, there is a lot of offensive potential in Malik’s game. He likes to carry the puck in the offensive zone, and use his agile feet to open passing lanes. He is a really good skater and could become even faster with more strength in his legs. But his game is also solid in all three zones. He reads plays well, understands when to pinch and when not, and he is slowly starting to use his size to stop players. A player of his size comes with a long, long range and L’Italien knows how to use it to intercept plays and rush in the offensive zone with the puck. He can also skillfully protect the puck with his size and can make quick changes of direction, making his mobility in all zones very efficient while under pressure. On the breakout, he makes more than not the right decisions, with confident and precise passes.
I think the key in his latest improvements is simply his confidence. Last year, there was always something in his game, but he was stopping himself from making a larger contribution due to a fear of making mistakes. Yes, since then, he makes more mistakes with the puck, but he is also learning quickly what to do and what not to do. His decision-making in all zones is getting better each game, and the result at the end of the season could be impressive. There are still a few areas where L’Italien could benefit if he improved. In the offensive zone, he moves well but he could try to put more pucks in the slot or generate some high danger shots. His puck handling could be a solid asset once draft day comes to be drafted before some high-end players. Another area that needs some work is his compete level. He could simply use more his size to go to battle for the puck along the board and in corners, but his strength might be what’s slowing him down. It is important to remember that he will be 18 only in June, which is still a long way ahead. He might even be the first QMJHL player drafted in the upcoming draft.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ponK9dnuoLW5qzYSohq2Eo_ow3osjuBK/view?usp=sharing
L’Italien (#77) is very agile and quick on his feet. The way he moves with the puck makes it easy for him to carry the puck from one end to the other.
L’Italien is only starting to play physically and he already delivers some hard hits. It will get better and better as the season goes.
L’Italien always moves his feet on the ice, especially at the offensive blue line. As shown on the clip, he goes first pinching along the board and ends up with the puck, before displaying his playmaking abilities. The puck came back to him a few seconds later and once again, his mobility helps him open passing lanes.
Jamie Glance – Right Winger – Saint John Sea Dogs
5’11, 186 lbs, Shoot: Right
After playing in the NTDP U18 Team last year in the United States, where he accumulated almost one point per game, Jamie Glance chose to play his draft season in the QMJHL with the Saint John Sea Dogs who have had his rights since 2024. He joins Alexis Joseph, with whom he is currently playing most on his shifts. Playing around 21 minutes right now, Glace is off to a solid start with 19 points in 14 games. His time in the QMJHL will be short, though, as he will be joining the NCAA with Boston University for his next season.
It’s not for nothing that Glance has already caught the eye of the NCAA. He is a quick skater that can process the game at a high speed and with a solid playmaking ability. He creates plays quickly, thinking about the next play even before receiving the puck. Glance is efficient with the puck and doesn’t waste time moving around the offensive zone to make a simple pass. His IQ level is visible with his multiple scans with and without the puck, his body positioning while defending or to receive a pass, and the sound decisions he makes with the puck. Such skills will for sure translate very well at higher levels. He makes everything easier for his teammates and turns every puck possession into a scoring chance. Jamie competes hard at times along the board and is an efficient forechecker with his speed and tenacity.
Even as one of the oldest high ranked players of the 2027 NHL draft, Jamie Glance still needs to improve his weight and strength to win battles along the boards and not be stopped easily by a bigger player. He is not a big player, but his speed and quick decision making will be a difference maker. Offensively, he has a tendency to slow down the play too often to make a pass. He is not often looking to shoot, and that’s stopping him from developing a dual threat offensively. Also, even if he has solid skills, he seems to be relying a bit too much on his skills. That should improve quickly in the next few months, like his rank in most rankings if he continues to progress this way.
This is a solid clip to show Glance’s game (#17). He starts with intensity on the backcheck and hits his opponent before getting involved in transition and making a solid pass to his teammates. His processing speed is so quick it is like he knows what to do before having the puck.
He gathers information very quickly, and that is how plays like this one happens. He doesn’t hesitate and make a solid pass to his teammate who’s near the net.
Not only is he a solid passer but also has a great shot. His one timer can surprise the goaltender like on this clip. He will score many goals in the QMJHL.
Paul Sintschnig – Left Winger – Halifax Mooseheads
6’1, 179 lbs, Shoot: Left
Paul Sintschnig is an interesting name that I didn’t know before the start of the season. Playing in Austria last year, his country-of-origin, he played in several teams but mostly in the top-tier professional league, where he scored a decent 7 points in 32 games. For his draft season, Sintschnig chose to come to North America, more precisely in the QMJHL. Drafted this summer second overall by the Halifax Mooseheads in the CHL import draft, they surely knew the odds for him to come here were pretty high. Sintschnig joins a highly talented and offensive team, where he can shine even more for the scouts this season. He is already scoring at a good rate, cumulating 9 points in his first 12 games of the season.
Halifax is a very strong team this year, but they were still in need of a strong worker that can play in different situations and be efficient. That’s exactly what Sintschnig brings for them. He is really involved on the forecheck, and his positioning on the ice always gives him the opportunity to intercept the puck. Sintschnig's standout trait offensively is definitely his playmaking and his quickness to process the play. Although he is not the most creative with the puck, he can easily use the open space in front of him to generate some offensive chances. Sintschnig doesn’t just produce offensively, he is also very good in his own zone to read plays, intercept pucks and use his size to stop players. His two-way game is notable and could help him toward playing in the NHL. He is kind of a Jack-of-all-trade player, but at a level good enough to be able to make a difference even at a higher level.
There are still a few things that Sintschnig needs to work on to be able to reach the next level of his game. One of these abilities is his skating, mostly his explosiveness and his top speed. His strides look good already, but he might need more strength and he struggles at times to follow the offensive rush when it is led by quick teammates. Surely, Sintschnig will not develop into a play driver for his line. However, with his solid hockey sense and his playmaking ability, he should be able to create more space for the others and dare more to attack the slot. He might project more as a third liner with his relentless work on the forecheck and his intelligence. A few teams might be really interested with the package he already brings to the game.
Sintschnig (#11) is a decent playmaker. He is very smart to read plays and doesn’t waste time to put the puck on his teammate's tape when he has the chance like on this last clip.
He can also beat defenders with speed and crash to the net to get a scoring chance. He can be dangerous on all occasions.
Sintschnig is a hard player to play against. He is always on your heels trying to pin you to the board and steal the puck. He is relentless on the forecheck and often ends up with the puck.
Sleeper
Loïk Gariepy – Center – Victoriaville Tigres
6’0, 181 lbs, Shoot: Left
Loïk Gariepy might be less known than the top players in the QMJHL, but he is nonetheless an interesting player to keep in mind for the next summer. Drafted in the second round at 19th overall in the 2025 QMJHL draft, Gariepy always had to show that he could perform better than what was expected of him. Finishing his first season in the QMJHL with a solid 0.5 point per game at 17 years old, I think we could say that he did show more than what was expected of him. This season, he is already producing at a good rate, scoring 9 points in his first 14 games. He seems to progress each game, and the final product might be better than we think.
Showing off his offensive abilities, he quickly gained his coach's trust to play on the powerplay. As a solid playmaker, Gariepy likes to control the play and find an open lane to pass the puck. He is especially good along the boards to get rid of the pressure and create scoring chances. His high-skill level, used either to evade physical pressure or to cut towards the slot, always gives him the upper hand at this level. Combining his skills with his agile skating, the offensive potential could really explode soon. Gariepy really improved his defensive game from last season. He seems to care way more about his defensive impact, putting his stick in passing lanes and intercepting a lot of pucks with good positioning and backcheck.
However, Gariepy struggles with his explosivity, allowing his opponents to catch up with him easily when he doesn’t have enough time or space. There is a lot of work to do with his strides, having some bad habits firmly anchored. Gariepy's biggest struggle last year was his compete level, avoiding as much as possible any battles along the board and doing nearly nothing on the forecheck. This part of his game is way better, especially defensively like said earlier. However, there are still a lot of times when he could have just done a few more steps and changed the outcome instead of stopping to move his feet. Despite being 6 feet, Gariepy isn’t a physical player. It could give him another dimension to his game if he improves this. As another young player for the draft, there is still plenty of time for him to improve his game. It will be very interesting to follow his game development this year, hoping he can get another step before next summer.
Gariepy (#39) can create offensively without much space. He has a solid playmaking ability and even if his teammates didn’t score on this play, his pass was the reason why he scored instead.
The biggest improvement in Gariepy’s game is clearly his intensity and his combativeness. He goes in the corner and fights hard to get the puck. It might not end with his team stealing the puck, but it’s great to see him playing with intensity. His compete level has taken another step with this.
His explosivity really limits him from keeping the puck and evading pressure. It also limits him to join the rush if he didn’t already have some momentum. You can see him on the clip not being able to win the foot race. However, he is quickly learning to play efficiently with the puck.
Re-Entry
Kornei Korneyev – Right Winger – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
6’1, 176 lbs, Shoot: Left
Now playing in his third season in the QMJHL, Kornei Korneyev did not have a typical path in the league. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, his current team, is the third team he is playing for since his QMJHL debut. He has spent one season with Chicoutimi before getting traded last year to play his draft year season with Victoriaville before getting drafted again this summer to Blainville-Boisbriand. Developing chemistry or following a specific game plan with a particular team must be difficult when there are such frequent changes. However, this season, he is at the right place to showcase what he can do on the ice. Playing on the first line and a good part of the powerplay, points should come for Korneyev. He is already at 11 points in 12 games, including an injury that happened earlier this season.
Korneyev has a ton of skills on the ice. He is agile on his feet and can quickly change directions. He likes to use his skills to go into the slot and create dangerous scoring chances. He is pretty creative in the offensive zone with his underrated playmaking ability. He can be a threat when he is close to the net when he is waiting for the perfect passing lane to pass the puck or for the goalie to make a move first and shoot on net. His off-puck game has improved a lot since the past year, understanding better how to exploit any small opening that is given to him, giving him another offensive edge in his game. He is also not afraid to go in traffic, although his weight makes it a bit difficult to maintain his position in the slot against physical players. He is slowly developing an interesting two-way game this season, putting more effort in his own zone and in his backcheck. There is still plenty of work to do, but the latest flashes show the possibilities.
The most problematic aspect of Korneyev's game is that he is often trying to do everything at the same time on the ice. He plays too quickly, thinking ahead of the play and passing the puck to the other team. His decision-making with the puck has been better with the Armada this season, though, but let’s wait and see if the trend continues. Last year, Korneyev was given plenty of opportunities to produce, playing with Egor Shilov and Alexei Vlasov, but his finishing skill was simply not there. It has always prevented him from producing more, but now leading the offensive with Blainville-Boisbriand, it might get better. However, even at 6’1, Korneyev still needs some muscles to win more puck battles and to stay more on his feet. There is some unexploited potential with him and he could be an interesting choice for a re-entry in the next NHL draft.
Korneyev (#72) is a patient player with the puck and he can be good at selling the shot before passing, as shown in this clip. His playmaking can really stand out when he has more offensive opportunities.
He can also display his playmaking ability from behind the net. He is waiting for the perfect timing before sending the puck right on the tape to his teammate.
Korneyev really needs to work on his finishing skill. He is getting better and playing in front of the net like this goal help. He has the skills to score on the rebound and should exploit it more.
Already drafted
Alexandre Taillefer – Left Defender – Québec Remparts
6’1, 170 lbs, Shoot: Left
Although his draft season was shortened due to an injury after playing only 28 games, it did not prevent the Winnipeg Jets from drafting Alexandre Taillefer in the fifth round, #135 overall. The young defender was still able to score a decent 17 points in 28 games, and his responsibilities were increasing more and more as the season was progressing. This season, with the departure of his teammate Charlie Morrison, Taillefer is playing in all situations. Playing around 24 minutes on the ice per night, it’s only logic to see his stats jump. He is off to a great start, already at 13 points after only 12 games.
Just before getting injured last season, Taillefer was starting to show what he was really capable of and he has even taken another step this season. Really agile and mobile on his skates, Taillefer likes to control the puck everywhere on the ice. Defensively, he uses his mobility to evade pressure and break out of his zone. Offensively, he is hard to stop with his quick change of direction and his mobility at the blue line. But what’s making him dangerous is that he combines that with a solid playmaking ability, seeing passing lanes well. He might not score a lot of goals by himself, especially because he is not shooting a lot, but his passing play is the reason why he generates so much offence. His skating seems to have improved this season, whereas he was lacking speed and explosivity.
Taillefer was always a slim player, struggling to fight along the board or use his size to stop a play. He is getting better at that but his physical game mostly turns around finishing hits along the board. Getting stronger could make a huge difference in his defensive game, like being able to push any player from the front of his net. His smart decisions with and without the puck is a clear difference maker in his defensive game, and that should follow him at a higher level. If the offensive production continues to be that good, the transition in the pro should happen easily. This fifth-round pick could turn out to be an excellent gamble for the Jets.
Taillefer (#77) is quick to recover the puck and spot his forgotten teammates. He sees a well open passing lane and exploits them as soon as he can. It’s a great pass from him here.
Taillefer is taking more calculated risks offensively this season, spotting an opening quicker. In this clip he understands the play well and gets a dangerous shot on net, scoring his second goal of the season.
Taillefer is an agile skater that can change direction quickly. He tries a little bit too much on the ice at times, but his game is getting refined more and more. The final product could be very interesting.