Samuel Asselin – McKeen's Hockey

QMJHL Top Prospects: Three Wingers, Three Flavours – Lavoie, Poulin and Pelletier

Mike Sanderson — Sun, 16 Jun 2019 12:35:09 +0000

Pick your treat.

The QMJHL’s three best prospects are all intriguing options. They play the game differently, but they all bring strong skillsets to the table off the wing.

Every one of the three is capable of being a fan favourite at the next level, for different reasons; Halifax’s Raphaël Lavoie for his goal scoring and offensive abilities, Sherbrooke’s Samuel Poulin for his two-way play and Moncton’s Jakob Pelletier for his energy and 200km/h pace. Each winger has the tools to succeed, and we have already seen glimpses of their success in their junior careers.

The Halifax Mooseheads were the toast of junior hockey this season with the maximum amount of eyeballs directed their way all year long as the hosts of the Memorial Cup. While they got to the summit and lost, they still gained a lot of fans for their teamwork and resilience through the year, and that includes the Q’s best prospect in Lavoie.

Raphael Lavoie. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

Though the righty Lavoie struggled a bit through the first half of the season, he was part of a deadly trio in the second half of the year with veterans Antoine Morand and Samuel Asselin. That red-hot line produced a lot of offence in the months of January and February, helping propel the Mooseheads to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Once the playoffs began, the Raphaël Lavoie show opened its doors. The Chambly, QC, right winger stormed out of the gate and dominated the first three rounds. The Mooseheads struggled on occasion during that time, especially in the first round against the Quebec Remparts, but Lavoie was the one stabilizing offensive force, scoring 17 of his playoff leading 20 goals in the first three rounds, cooling off a bit in the final against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. He added three points in four Memorial Cup games.

While he did see his production slow down a bit in the final stages of the post-season, Lavoie solidified himself as the top QMJHL prospect with his strong offensive game centered around his great skating, shooting and stickhandling abilities. A second-round pick in his Q draft year, Lavoie exploded in his 17-year-old season, scoring 30 goals and 63 points while leading the league in game-winners.

Where Lavoie struggles is reading the play off the rush and his passing. He is capable of passing the puck well, but he needs to adjust to changing speeds and plays die off his blade when the speed shifts. There are plays offensively that see him pass off to a teammate hoping a Moosehead will get to the puck first, or a no-look pass into a defended area of the ice. Lavoie needs more awareness with the puck in the offensive zone, but he can read plays well in terms of shooting. Some refinement should settle this aspect of his game.

Defensively, Lavoie is adequate, and is helped by his long frame. His skating stride is longer and allows him to conserve more energy up and down the ice, using less strides than most to cover more ice. As a result, he can close gaps quicker at the QMJHL level, and it will be interesting to see where his game evolves in that area moving forward. Lavoie has shown the desire to improve without the puck, and has grown in that area in his Q career.

Despite his size, Lavoie does not seek out physical play, and takes punishment. He does not bang bodies in the corners, but his size allows him to protect the puck and explore all spots on the ice in pursuit of the puck with immunity. However, Lavoie is not a typical power forward at this point. He does have the size and the skating to be an effective power forward at some point in the future, but that time is not now.

Though Lavoie has played center in midget, he has not played at that position for an extended period of time at the QMJHL level, and his talents are better served off the wing. His skating would allow him to develop further into a center, if he puts the work in, but he is no center out-of-the-box. It would not be surprising to see him get more reps at center next season, however.

Samuel Poulin. Photo Courtesy of the QMJHL.

Samuel Poulin is a left-handed shot who plays the left side and has been Mr. Everything for the Sherbrooke Phoenix this past season. He’s been dominant at times offensively, strong defensively, physical, and an overall positive every time he steps on the ice. His play in the opening round against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada nearly won the Phoenix the series single-handedly, and unlike Lavoie, Poulin is very much a willing physical participant. It is a major reason why Poulin has few doubts in terms of carving an NHL career.

His story starts with pedigree. Samuel’s father, Patrick, played parts of 11 seasons in the NHL from 1991 to 2002. Samuel was born in the tail end of Patrick’s career, while he was a member of the Montreal Canadiens. A lot of Patrick’s game is seen in Samuel’s; a strong, hard working, no-nonsense winger who can chip in on both ends of the ice. In junior hockey, in a higher-scoring era, Patrick had 138 points in the year after he was drafted, and he made the NHL full time at 19 years old. While those are lofty expectations, and Samuel likely won’t match Patrick’s ninth overall selection in 1991, Samuel had 76 points in his draft year, six more than his father, and produced 14 more in 10 playoff games.

Poulin has an excellent shot – forehand, backhand and a ferocious one-timer – that he can unleash at any time and in any area of the offensive zone. Not many players in junior hockey can pick corners from 40 feet out like he can, and he has the passing and stickhandling to allow him the room to shoot. Opponents have to respect his shot and his creativity, which makes him a dual threat off the rush and in the zone. He can find the open man and hit them on the tape from anywhere in the zone, and he can stickhandle to anywhere on the ice.

Poulin’s greatest asset, on top of all the skills demonstrated, is his elite hockey sense and IQ. He is seemingly always in the right place at the right time, with the consistency and smarts only a player who grew up around the game at a high level could have.

The only thing holding back Poulin is his skating ability, but it has improved strongly since he entered the QMJHL two seasons ago. His skating now opens up lanes for him offensively, and allows him the gap control and solid defensive play off the rush to hit where he aims to go at the correct time. His skating is still a work-in-progress, but his already-noted improvements in this area do not go unnoticed.

Jakob Pelletier. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

Last but not least is the engine of the Moncton Wildcats since he entered the league: winger Jakob Pelletier. From his first shift in the QMJHL he has been a leader on the ice for the team for his tenacious work ethic and his all-around offensive abilities. His 89 points are the most of the three players on this list, as he found instant chemistry with linemates Jeremy McKenna and Mika Cyr, both candidates for later-round selections as overage prospects. He also had 39 goals on the season.

Unlike the other two players, Pelletier suffered a lower-body injury in game 1 of the Wildcats’ first round series against Baie-Comeau, and he was never healthy for the rest of the playoffs. He missed some time and returned wounded to the lineup, basically skating on one good leg. As a result, putting stock in his three points in seven playoff games would be off the mark.

To really get the sense of Pelletier, one has to see him live. The stats are one thing, but his impact on every game needs to be seen. He is effective every shift in all zones. He is a hound for the puck and applying pressure with every stride. He is a smaller player at 5’9” and 157 pounds, but he plays like he is 6’2” and 220. He hits on the forecheck, he fights for his ice in the corners and in front of the net, and uses a quick reaction to send pucks into dangerous areas.

His shot is very good, but he scores more off rebounds and scrambles than off the rush, and his passing, on either hand, is strong. He is effective at reading the play at high speed and it opens up the lanes for him to wire a puck where it needs to go. He finds creative solutions to problems, and knows how to use his lower center of gravity to his advantage. It would not be unexpected to see his skating speed increase and his physical play ramp up when he gains more muscle.

Pelletier is a left-shooting left winger but he is not locked to that position on the ice. He patrols all sides and all areas, as long as his linemates allow. His defensive play is solid for his effort level; he may not always be in the best position defensively, but he works hard enough to prevent that being an issue, and he never gives up on a play, stretching out in desperation to block a pass or a shot. A team looking for a good up-and-down winger who fits in anywhere in the lineup will like what Pelletier brings to the table.

The top three in the QMJHL all patrol the wing, and all three bring different skills to the forefront. Will all three go in the first round later this month in Vancouver? Depends what flavours win out.

QMJHL Playoff Preview: Huskies leaders of the pack in the President’s Cup playoff

Michael Sanderson — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 13:23:49 +0000

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are looking to complete what they could not in 2016: win a Memorial Cup.

They may just have the team to do it, but first they need to lay waste to the rest of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

That’s what they did in the regular season. Boasting three players from that 2016 Memorial Cup squad in league-leading scorer Peter Abbandonato, minute-eating defender Jacob Neveu and record-setting netminder Samuel Harvey, the Huskies set the record for most wins in a single season with 59 wins in 2018-19. Raphael Harvey-Pinard played five games for that 2016 Huskie crew in the regular season and was the team’s second leading scorer this year.

The Huskies are a very strong defensive unit that moves the puck fast and plays with intensity. They lost just one game in the 2019 portion of the schedule.

Noah Dobson, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

Rouyn-Noranda made it count in the mid-season trading period as well, trading all of their picks in the first-through-fourth rounds in the next three seasons to acquire three players – Joel Teasdale from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Louis-Filip Côté from the Québec Remparts, and Noah Dobson from the defending Memorial Cup champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Teasdale boasts 42 points in 29 games, and Dobson added 36 in 28.

The Titan will not be defending their crown, as they missed the playoffs this season, allowing for a new champion that could be wearing red and black. The Huskies have another piece from last year’s champs: head coach Mario Pouliot joined the team, taking over as head coach and GM.

Joe Veleno, Drummondville Voltiguers

Another team in red and black, the Drummondville Voltigeurs, are the yin to the Huskies yang in terms of contending combatants. While the Huskies dominate with defensive play and timely scoring, the Voltigeurs try to outscore the opposition, and were very successful at it, especially in the second half. The Volts led the league in goals with 338 on the strength of Detroit pick Joe Veleno’s 104 points and Maxime Comtois’s 48 points in just 25 games.

They have the forward depth to put most teams to shame. Nicolas Guay has been an excellent winger with 40 goals. Gregor MacLeod was picked up at the beginning of the season from Québec and put up 84 points. Félix Lauzon’s two-way play was magnified by his 80 points, and Dawson Mercer, not draft-eligible until 2020, had 64 points with his blazing speed and great defensive instincts. This playoff season could be Mercer’s breakout party with the responsibility Steve Hartley and the Volts coaching staff put on his shoulders.

The Huskies, not to be outdone, outscored every team but Drummondville in the regular campaign.

Drummondville and Rouyn-Noranda both benefit from a different playoff format this year, as well. Due to travel issues, the league decided to toss out the previous 1-vs-16, 2-vs-15 format for a conference set-up, putting the league’s 12 Quebec-based teams in three divisions of four, and the Maritimes all in a single division of six. The two western-most divisions were shuffled into the Western Conference, while the East Division and the Maritime teams were linked into the Eastern Conference.

This plan creates an imbalance in the conferences, so the possibility of a crossover exists; if the ninth-best Eastern Conference team has more points than the eighth-best Western Conference team, the Eastern team joins the west for the playoffs, and the eighth-best Western team misses the playoffs. The tenth-based team in the east, if they too have more points than the remaining team in the west, could also cross over.

This possibility nearly happened, with the Saint John Sea Dogs tied in points and holding the tiebreaker over the Shawinigan Cataractes on the league’s final day of the regular season. The Sea Dogs lost in regulation, while the Cataractes lost in overtime, putting them one point ahead of the Dogs and into the final playoff spot. Shawinigan, who made the playoffs despite a 0-14-1-0 record in their final 15 games, will take on the Huskies, a team that has only lost eight times all season.

The first round will be 1-vs-8, 2-vs-7 and the second round will pit the four winners, highest remaining seed playing lowest remaining seed. The third round will be a free-for-all, with the team’s left over ranked by record and seeded one-through-four regardless of conference, and lastly the winners of the third round will meet in the league final.

The possibility of the best two teams meeting in the final is still there, and the two best teams in terms of points, Rouyn-Noranda and Drummondville, will have an easier ride than most one- and two-seeds.

The talent disparity between the Eastern and Western Conferences this year was a sight to behold, perfectly demonstrated by the Sherbrooke Phoenix. The Phoenix, with 77 points, finished third in the west and will have home ice against the Armada. Given the same results, if Sherbrooke was in the east, they would have finished in eighth place, and would be playing the Conference-leading and Memorial Cup hosting Halifax Mooseheads. Quite a jump in competition, and on the road, no less.

The Mooseheads overtook the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to win the East crown on the final day, and they will have home-ice assured for the first two rounds. While they received some criticism for potentially not doing enough during the mid-season trading period, making the fewest trades of any team, the Mooseheads are coming in with a very strong outfit that had a better 2019 than 2018. Head coach Eric Veilleux and the personnel struggled at times in terms of game-plan; Veilleux is a more defensive coach and the players he is directing are more offensive-minded, but he does his best coaching in the playoffs, and has a league final in 2013 and a Memorial Cup championship in 2012 to his credit.

Jared McIssaac

Samuel Asselin, acquired from the Titan in the season’s first week, had an excellent campaign and was the most consistent Moosehead over the 68 games, firing a league-topping 48 goals and 86 points for Halifax. Anaheim prospects Benoît-Olivier Groulx and Antoine Morand both shone in the regular season as well, with 80 and 70 points, respectively. Arnaud Durandeau kept pace as well, as the Islanders hopeful had 73 points of his own. Detroit prospect Jared McIsaac was second in defenceman points with 62 in 53 games. Having Edmonton prospect Ostap Safin back in the lineup in March after missing several months with recurring hip issues is a major boost to the scoring touch of the team.

Fans will keep a close eye on Raphael Lavoie, projected as potentially the league’s biggest draft prospect for this June’s NHL draft. Lavoie had a very hot February with 24 points in the month, and while he was kept off the scoresheet in his last three games, needs a big playoff and Memorial Cup to keep himself above the competition, namely Moncton’s Jakob Pelletier and Sherbrooke’s Samuel Poulin.

Ivan Chekhovich

The Drakkar are the Mooseheads’ biggest challengers in the east, and they held the title until the league’s final games. Much like the Huskies, the Volts and the Mooseheads, the Drakkar boast major scoring in their lineup. San Jose prospect Ivan Chekhovich was six points off the league leader in Abbandonato with 105 points, and Nathan Légaré, a 2019 draft hopeful, was tied for eighth in league scoring with 87 points and tied for second in the league with 45 goals. Their top four scorers all scored at least 35 goals, and they beefed up the back end with additions of Keenan MacIsaac from the Titan and Pascal Corbeil of the Armada.

The team did not sit pat with their goaltending either, as GM Steve Ahern acquired three capable goaltenders in Alex D’Orio from Saint John, Dereck Baribeau from Québec and Lucas Fitzpatrick from Shawinigan. Due to Baribeau’s injury in early January sidelining him for the rest of the regular season, D’Orio has been the team’s starting goaltender, and the Penguins’ signee has shown that with a contending team, he is a very good starting goaltender who can handle a lot of shots. The Drakkar do not give up a lot of shots, though, being fourth in the league in shots against at just 26-and-a-half.

Alexis Lafreniere

The Eastern Conference is the side to watch in the first two rounds, as they had seven teams breach the 85-point barrier to the west’s two. The Rimouski Oceanic, upset in last year’s first round by the Moncton Wildcats, bring in Alexis Lafrenière for his second playoff run, and they added big muscle in Calgary prospect D’Artignan Joly to a lineup that already boasted high-flying Tampa signee Jimmy Huntington and defensive leading scorer and Charles-Edouard D’Astous. Lafrenière’s 105 points already secures him as a top prospect for 2020, but he will want to get further than the opening round this time around. The Oceanic will go as far as 2019 prospect Colten Ellis can take them from the red line.

While Charlottetown traded away Arizona first rounder Pierre-Olivier Joseph to Drummondville, they were able to get New Jersey prospect Xavier Bernard in the deal. Matt Welsh is capable of stealing a series in net and would be talked about more in NHL circles if he was taller than 5-11”. A team could still take a flyer on him and be well-off; he never quits on a play and excels in making saves however necessary. Anaheim prospect Hunter Drew has made more great strides in his game, and 2019 potential picks Nikita Alexandrov and Brett Budgell are joined by sharpshooter Daniel Hardie and former Titan forward Jordan Maher for experience. Jim Hulton is a very good coach and an excellent motivator, and he has a group he can mold for a playoff run, despite selling off his best asset.

The Islanders’ first round opponents will be the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, who acquired Derek Gentille and Minnesota prospect Shawn Boudrias at the deadline. Ottawa pick Kevin Mandolese will have to earn his keep in the net against the Isles, and former Titan forward Mitch Balmas, two-time 40-goal scorer, will hope to improve upon his five goals in last year’s playoff run. The Eagles may be a year away, but this would be a very pivotal moment in the growth of this year’s core going forward, and they are more than capable of pulling off an upset.

Chicoutimi was a player in the Noah Dobson sweepstakes; as part of a handshake agreement, Dobson was sent to Rouyn-Noranda, but with mostly Chicoutimi draft picks. Those picks were sent to the Huskies by Chicoutimi for facilitation and the ability to acquire William Dufour. The trade was a part of the Titan’s deal for Olivier Galipeau last season; the Sags wanted the ability to re-acquire Dobson next year if faced with the possibility, but also take in Dufour as a potential core piece for the future. If Dobson went through Chicoutimi directly, the Saguenéens would not be able to re-acquire him for three years.

Chicoutimi under Yanick Jean have been rebuilding for a couple of years, but they have three of the first seven picks from last year’s first round on the team in Dufour, Hendrix Lapierre and Théo Rochette. All three have received international attention and will be important building blocks for the team in future years, and this team will gain valuable experience in the post-season, with the potential of netminder Alexis Shank stealing a game or two against Rimouski.

Jakob Pelletier is a player whose game gets better as the chips are down, and he is potentially the Wildcats’ most important player in their playoff push. Jeremy McKenna’s 97 points does not hurt either, but the Wildcats changed coaches in January and struggled to find their game at times this season. They made moves to get better at Christmas but saw a team that sold off players in Charlottetown and a team that more or less stood pat in Chicoutimi, adding just William Dufour and shuffling in Liam Murphy for Jesse Sutton, surpass them in the standings. The team is playing better under the watchful eye of John Torchetti, but the playoffs are a different animal.

Samuel Poulin is also a player who benefits when the checking gets close. He is big, fast and smart, and he can play physical as well as contribute offensively. The Phoenix scored more goals this year than any other year in their history, but do not have a scorer who jumps off the page; Poulin’s 29 goals tied for the team lead, matched by Alex-Olivier Voyer. Poulin will be relied upon heavily in the post-season, but the Phoenix have eight players with 42 points or more in the regular campaign.

The Eastern Conference is a wide-open group with good teams set to pack after the first round, while the West feature the two top teams in the league in the Huskies and the Voltigeurs. One would expect those latter two teams to make it to the final four, but any of the top seven teams in the east could make a run for the President’s Cup.

Who will meet the Mooseheads in Halifax at the 2019 Memorial Cup in May? The Huskies have recent history on their side, and the league’s wins record to boot. 16 more wins to their 59 they have already amassed seems most likely.

Predictions

First Round

Rouyn-Noranda over Shawinigan in 4

Drummondville over Gatineau in 4

Blainville-Boisbriand over Sherbrooke in 7 (with goaltending leading to the mild upset)

Victoriaville over Val d’Or in 6

Halifax over Quebec in 5

Baie-Comeau over Moncton in 5

Rimouski over Chicoutimi in 7

Charlottetown over Cape Breton in 6

Second Round

Rouyn-Noranda over Blainville-Boisbriand in 4

Drummondville over Victoriaville in 6

Halifax over Charlottetown in 7

Baie-Comeau over Rimouski in 6

Third Round

Rouyn-Noranda over Baie-Comeau in 6

Drummondville over Halifax in 7

League Championship

Rouyn-Noranda over Drummondville in 6

QMJHL 2018-19 Preview: Voltigeurs, Oceanic early favourites to join Mooseheads at Memorial Cup

Michael Sanderson — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 11:59:22 +0000

There is one certainty in the 2018-19 QMJHL season: the Halifax Mooseheads have already punched their ticket to the 2019 Memorial Cup.

They printed the tickets, in fact.

Halifax is the host for the CHL’s holy grail tournament in May, and the question is, what team joins them at the big dance?

Two teams have revealed themselves to be the cream of the crop, at least on paper at the onset of the season: the Drummondville Voltigeurs and the Rimouski Oceanic.

Benoit Olivier-Groulx

But Halifax may be the best of them all, with a deep lineup throughout, led by forwards Antoine Morand, Benoît-Olivier Groulx, Jordan Maher and draft-eligibles Raphaël Lavoie and Xavier Parent. They only lack a minute-eater on defence, depending on the progression of blueliners Jared McIsaac, a Detroit pick, and Justin Barron, and a consistent starting netminder, though Chicago pick Alexis Gravel has the potential to steal games. The acquisitions of Ostap Safin and Samuel Asselin only further bolster a strong offensive attack for head coach Eric Veilleux’s group.

Drummondville’s true potential will depend on the potential return of forward Maxime Comtois. The bruising two-way forward has turned a great showing at Anaheim’s camp, and some luck with an injury to Corey Perry, into a chance at some real live NHL games that count this season, and if he were to stick in the pros, it would be a big blow to the Volts’ title hopes. The team is deep beyond him, boasting Joe Veleno and Pavel Koltygin up front, NHL-draftees Xavier Bernard and first-rounder Nicolas Beaudin on the back end, and the league’s best goaltender in Olivier Rodrigue defending the cage. Top to bottom, Drummondville is Halifax’s biggest challenger on paper.

Rimouski has the league’s biggest name in Alexis Lafrenière, who still can’t be picked until the 2020 NHL Draft. Lafrenière has already made a name for himself on the international stage, and will be looking to improve on his 80 points from last season. The Oceanic finished third in the league last year, and holding onto that spot is the least of their expectations. Rimouski was upset in the first round last March, and will look to improve on that and go on a deep run. Adding Jimmy Huntington, Cédric Paré and Olivier Garneau to the fold up front provides strong depth to an already formidable group.

Beyond the big three, there are several clubs that could surprise, including offensive juggernauts in Baie-Comeau and Moncton, and wildcard teams like Charlottetown, Cape Breton and Quebec.

Ivan Chekhovich

The Drakkar started very hot out the gate with strong offensive play, including San Jose’s Ivan Chekhovich and Tampa Bay’s Gabriel Fortier among the top scorers. Undrafted forward Yaroslav Alexeyev, acquired from Sherbrooke in the summer, has already made an impact. Xavier Bouchard leads a middling defense corps, and Kyle Jessiman joins Justin Blanchette in a bit of a loaded crease.

The Wildcats have the horses up front to do damage as well. Last season’s shot leader Jeremy McKenna returns along with Mika Cyr, while undrafted forward Anderson MacDonald, tries to show teams he deserved to be picked last June. They shipped netminder Mark Grametbauer to Bathurst, opting instead to go forward with former Drakkar and Armada goalie Francis Leclerc. Their defence needs work, but stalwarts Jonathan Aspirot and Gabriel Sylvestre head the group.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph of the Charlottetown Islanders. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

Charlottetown was slept on a lot at the start of last season, but they surprised and made it to the third round, where they were finally knocked out in seven games by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. They hope to build momentum from final four finishes the last two seasons, but if they get off to a cold start, they have two of the best players available for trade at Christmas: Arizona first rounder Pierre-Olivier Joseph and netminder Matt Welsh.

Cape Breton is hungry for a winner, and they acquired 40-goal man Mitchell Balmas and defender Antoine Crête-Belzile to jump to contending status. Ottawa goalkeeper Kevin Mandolese looks to grow this season as the clear number one goalie as Jessiman was traded to Baie-Comeau.

Quebec returns with the biggest wild card in the whole league: new/old head coach and general manager Patrick Roy. Patrick is either loved or hated by every QMJHL hockey fan, but there is no denying he brings excitement and intensity to the product. He adds a few wins to any team he coaches, and will do so here. While Roy’s development record isn’t the strongest in the Quebec league, he is responsible for players like Jonathan Marchessault and Logan Shaw. Potential Minnesota signee Dereck Baribeau and Chicago pick Philipp Kurashev, too.

The league has adjusted their divisions and playoff format this season. Instead of three divisions, there are four. The Maritime Division has six teams, while the 12 remaining squads are split up into three four-team groupings.

Playoffs will be conference based with a 1-plays-8 format, but the 16 best teams will make the playoffs – the conferences will be shuffled so the top 16 will be in the post-season no matter what. This method avoids the top seeds breezing through the first round of the playoffs, and it prevents some of the more extreme travel in the early rounds. However, this format can prevent some monumental upsets, much like 14-seed Moncton defeating third-seed Rimouski last year.

Acadie-Bathurst’s storybook season last year resulted in a Memorial Cup championship, but it’s now time to pay the piper for the party. The Titan acquired netminder Mark Grametbauer to provide some stability in goal but have traded away much of the core from last season’s winning squad.

Noah Dobson on Acadie-Bathurst. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

One player to watch is still in a Titan uniform – Islanders first rounder Noah Dobson. The performance of the team in the first two months of the season will depend if the watch is on his talent or his future destination at Christmas time. Teams will be lining up for his services when the mid-season trading period opens up, and there aren’t many teams in the league that would refuse the best defenseman in the QMJHL on their roster for a playoff push.

Tough seasons will be ahead for Chicoutimi and Saint John, but those teams have names to look out for in future drafts – namely Josh Lawrence, William Villeneuve and Jeremie Poirier of the Sea Dogs and Hendrix Lapierre and Théo Rochette of the Saguenéens. They are all up for grabs in 2020 or later.

While there is much time between now and June on the Rogers Arena stage in Vancouver, the first name called from the QMJHL is expected to be Halifax’s Raphaël Lavoie. The Chambly, QC, right winger has great size, speed and hands to succeed at a top-line level in the professional game. He potted 30 goals last season, including a remarkable 10 game winners, and added 33 assists in the full slate of 68 games, and added five points in nine playoff contests.

He does an excellent job of using his 6-4” frame to his advantage as leverage in puck protection, and the long reach to keep the puck away from defenders. With added bulk and physical maturity, he already has the fundamentals to be a strong power forward, puck protector and possession player. He also is adept at firing a strong wrist shot off the rush on the left wing, where he can fire on his off-hand side. At his size, it’s no surprise he is a force in front of the net, either.

While he does have some center potential at the next level, he is an early favourite to receive passes on the right, or left, flank from Antoine Morand, who can most definitely dish with the best in the league. Expect those goal numbers to rise, and the attention with it, by the time the weather heats up in 2019.

Other early favourites to be first rounders include forwards Maxim Cajkovic of the Saint John Sea Dogs, Samuel Poulin of the Sherbrooke Phoenix, Jakob Pelletier of the Moncton Wildcats, Valentin Nussbaumer of the Shawinigan Cataractes, and defender Artemi Knyazev of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.

All but Nussbaumer featured for their respective national teams at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton in August, though Pelletier fractured his wrist at the tourney and missed the first week of the QMJHL season.

Cajkovic is a power forward waiting to blossom. He has tremendous confidence in the offensive zone to let go his big shot, one of the best available in the draft, and the speed and soft hands to give him the space needed to get it off. His speed separates him from the pack, as well. He is a leader on the ice for a young Sea Dogs team and can inspire his team with a big hit or a big goal.

Poulin is the son of former NHLer Patrick Poulin. He has had a hot start to the season with the trigger finger, and he is just as strong making plays as scoring. He already has a pro size at 6-1” and 204 pounds, and is strong along the boards. He plays much like his father; strong along the boards, in the offensive zone, and defensively where his speed and anticipation make him deadly on the backcheck or on the penalty kill.

Pelletier has a motor that doesn’t quit and a nose for the net, even with his currently small frame. He has been an emotional leader for the Moncton Wildcats since his first shift in the league, and he always works hard to the final whistle. His hockey sense is off-the-charts, as well. He is a strong playmaker and a great passer, and finds his way into traffic to shoot his shot.

Nussbaumer holds two advantages over his league-mates in his quest to get drafted – he can play all three forward positions, and he has already played against men in his native Switzerland. He had a 26-game cup of coffee with his hometown team, Biel-Bienne, last season, with five goals and six points. He is a late September birthday, which also gives him an edge in performance, though he would have been a very good 2018 pick if he was eleven days older.

Knyazev is an offensively talented defenseman who can move the puck crisply. He is also strong in his own end. He isn’t the biggest defender but can handle the speed of oncoming forwards very well and steer them where they need to go. His transition game is an instant offensive tool, and he doesn’t give up on plays.

The Halifax Mooseheads also owns the rights to Victoria Grizzlies forward and potential first rounder Alex Newhook, but even the enticement of the Memorial Cup was not enough to convince the St. John’s, Newfoundland, native to make the jump to the QMJHL. He is committed to Boston College for next season.

State of the CHL: Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

Michael Sanderson — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 16:11:08 +0000

Wide open Q marches towards the playoffs

As the season began in September, the QMJHL looked as wide-open as ever. Each team coming into the campaign had a weakness or an issue that needed to be addressed.

The trading period has come and gone, and two teams have addressed their weaknesses the best and are the most poised for a deep run in the QMJHL President’s Cup playoffs – The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Drake Batherson of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

The Armada added the best player available on the market in Drake Batherson (Ottawa), and the Titan acquired the best defenceman on the market in Olivier Galipeau, one of the top goal scorers in Mitch Balmas, great center depth in Samuel Asselin, and a goalie with a ton of potential in Evan Fitzpatrick.

Blainville-Boisbriand made the final last season where they were quickly dispatched by a strong Saint John Sea Dog squad after upsetting a great Charlottetown Islanders unit, but they addressed some lack of offence by acquiring Batherson, who led the Q in scoring earlier in the year before being overtaken by surging-hot now-teammate Alex Barré-Boulet and his 25-game point-streak.

Barré-Boulet’s 57 points over that two-months-plus stretch sees him towering over the competition in the scoring race. He still has a more-than-20-point cushion over his competition, and is currently the only player in the league past the 40-goal mark.

Alex Barré-Boulet of Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

Batherson, Barré-Boulet and Alexandre Alain form one of the most dangerous potential trios in the league in Joel Bouchard’s arsenal, and adding Batherson can make the Armada one line deeper, as he makes every player around him better.

Acadie-Bathurst was one team on the outset of the season that had to make a run for it this year with the veterans on their team, and they made the right decision to make a strong push to become a true contender in the league.

Antoine Morand of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Daniel Doucet/DD Sports Photo

Adding the sharpshooter in Balmas from the Gatineau Olympiques, despite his early scoring struggles since joining the team, gives them a powerful counter-point on the opposite wing to Anaheim prospect center Antoine Morand on the powerplay, and a great flank for Morand or Philadelphia Flyer first rounder German Rubtsov at even strength. Samuel Asselin is a do-it-all player much in the mold of Titan captain Jeff Truchon-Viel – an aggressive forechecker, relentless in pursuit and great hands, and he gives Bathurst an excellent one-two punch of killer faceoff men with Samuel L’Italien.

Noah Dobson of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

The Titan are very deep up front, and maybe even deeper on the back end, with defensive leading scorer Galipeau added to strong pivot Adam Holwell and top prospect Noah Dobson (2018), who both feature on the top end of defenceman scoring. No other team has more than one defender in the top-20 of blueliner scoring.

Incumbent Reilly Pickard was swapped for Evan Fitzpatrick in goal, and this is a make-or-break stretch for the St. Louis second rounder. He must show his potential and his abilities for the Titan to make a great run, and he is well insulated with this defending corps.

A dark horse among the contenders may be the Victoriaville Tigres. They made a surprising trade, shipping out Philadelphia second rounder Pascal Laberge to Quebec, but also picked up goaltender Etienne Montpetit and Columbus Blue Jacket prospect Vitalii Abramov. The Tigres expected to be among the top teams in the league and they struggled out of the gate, but they have the lineup to do some damage and cause an upset or two. Abramov, with his great speed and hands, has been a great addition up front.

Speaking of upsets, there are a few teams with younger cores that could make deep runs, namely the Halifax Mooseheads, the Rimouski Oceanic and the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Jared McIsaac of the Halifax Mooseheads. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

The Mooseheads boast a handful of potential top picks in this June’s entry draft in Dallas – forwards Filip Zadina and Benoît-Olivier Groulx, defender Jared McIsaac and goaltender Alexis Gravel. They have a very potent offence with captain and Columbus Blue Jacket Maxime Fortier and resurgent Finn and Tampa Bay Lightning pick Otto Somppi to add to the young players, and New Jersey Devils blueliner Jocktan Chainey on the back end.

Benoit-Olivier Groulx.

All but Fortier of the core group can return next season, though it is very possible that Zadina could stick around professionally wherever he is taken this summer.

The Oceanic have been led by two excellent young players in their rookie seasons in the Q. Alexis Lafrenière has been every bit as advertised and then some. This past June’s first overall pick is scoring at over a point-a-game this season, leading his Rimouski mates in scoring as a 16-year-old, and a late-2001 birth date at that. He is only eligible for the 2020 NHL draft, and is already making waves.

Alexis Lafrenière, Rimouski Oceanic. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

The other, more unexpected contributor is 17-year-old goaltender Colten Ellis. The Telus Cup-winning goaltender from last season has taken the starter’s job and ran with it since the start of the season after being acquired in a draft day trade with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

His performance this season allowed Rimouski to be more active on the trade market and pursue some immediate help for the upcoming playoff run, rather than conservatively stay the course for later seasons. The Oceanic have only three 19-year-olds in their lineup, but they are the top defensive team in the league.

The Voltigeurs made a huge splash as the trading period opened in December by acquiring star forward Joe Veleno from the Sea Dogs. They paid a massive price in doing so, giving up five picks in the top two rounds over the next three seasons, but the former Sea Dogs captain has provided a further spark to the league’s best offense.

Joe Veleno (#90), player of Drummondville Voltigeurs, season 2017-18 of the QMJHL. Drummondville, Que., Dec. 30, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Ghyslain Bergeron

At 17 years old, Veleno fits right in with the strong young core for the Volts, with Nicolas Guay, Dawson Mercer, Cédric Desruisseaux, Pavel Koltygin (Nashville) and Xavier Simoneau up front, and Nicolas Beaudin and Xavier Bernard on the back end. Olivier Rodrigue is the back-stop in goal and all those players are 18 or younger and will return next season.

Drummondville could score their way to a long playoff run, and have the defenders and goaltender to hang tight when the going gets tough. Two of their top scorers – veterans Bobby Lynch and Morgan Adams-Moisan – played in checking roles last season and can certainly provide protection as well as scoring.

Two teams are in the hangover years of their team-building cycle, but could still do some damage in the playoffs: the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and the Charlottetown Islanders.

The Huskies stormed out of the gate with an excellent performance from netminder Samuel Harvey in the early-going, and boast a very deep blueline, much like the President’s Cup-winning team in 2016.

The scoring on paper isn’t very strong, but Peter Abbandonato, Félix Bibeau, Mathieu Boucher, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard have proven the doubters wrong with strong performances up front. William Cyr has been a revelation offensively, running the point on the blueline, with a veteran corps led by strong defensive defender in Jacob Neveu.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph of the Charlottetown Islanders. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

The Islanders really struggled to open the campaign but caught fire with the play of goaltender Matt Welsh and top pair Pierre-Olivier Joseph (Arizona) and Saku Vesterinen. Coach and GM Jim Hulton smartly added over Christmas, acquiring scorers Cam Askew, Dan Hardie and Derek Gentile without giving up much in futures, as well as getting top prospect Brett Budgell to report to the team. The result is a good contender with the pieces left from the strong team last season.

The parity of the league has been impressive to watch this season. The top teams in the league are all separated by just a handful of points. The difference between top seed and losing home-ice is 14 points, and earlier in January it was just eight.

Contrast that to last season, when the Saint John Sea Dogs and the Charlottetown Islanders were the two top contenders, this season’s top foes are very much undetermined at this point. It is the first year in a long time where there are not a couple of teams above the rest. There will be upsets in the opening round this season, and many of the teams at the top of the table are winning despite a lack of true veterans.

The 19-year-old crop in the QMJHL is just not very good. Acadie-Bathurst and Blainville-Boisbriand are the only two teams that built the core of their team around the 1998-born players in the league. Most other teams at the top of the standings have much of their key contributors as either 20-year-old overagers or younger players. The 18-year-olds and 17-year-olds are already leading contending teams, like Halifax, Rimouski and Drummondville.

Looking ahead, the league could have as many as six first-round picks this upcoming draft, and Halifax has been appointment viewing in that regard, with as many as four of those six potential first rounders.

Filip Zadina and his shifty offence leads the pack and should have his name called early in the first round, likely in the top five. His offensive game is extremely well developed at this stage in his career, with a deceptive wrist shot from either circle to use the screen and a great ability to perform at top speed with the puck, weaving in and out of traffic easily. He doesn’t slouch on the back check either, showing his skating ability is not just for the attack.

On the back end, Jared McIsaac is a solid option for a top-pairing defender. He has excellent skating ability as well as great hockey sense, and he can man the point on a power play. The Mooseheads top powerplay unit features Zadina, McIsaac, Fortier, Groulx, and Arnaud Durandeau (NY Islanders) – a lot of talent on the ice at once.

Groulx has a great handle on the two-way game from the center position. His ability to do many of the little things well, like faceoffs, positioning in all three zones, and an active stick on the back check, will keep him in the lineup, and his offensive game could develop into a top-line threat.

Alexis Gravel is one of the top goaltenders available, with his big frame and his quick movement. If a team takes a flyer on a goaltender in the opening round, Gravel is as good as any netminder in this draft class.

Acadie-Bathurst’s Noah Dobson will also go high in June. He does so many things well, along with ideal size at 6-3” – skating, positioning, manning the point, gap control, puck control, breakouts – that he could be a cornerstone blueliner for a team for years to come. His play continues to rise and he continues to find another gear to bring up his game as the draft comes closer. His poise and ability to play in tough and long minutes endears him to many scouts.

Drummondville’s Joe Veleno will be a first-rounder in the upcoming draft, though he may be looked at as a bit of a disappointment to some. He has not put up the huge offensive numbers expected from an exceptional status draft pick in the Q to date, though his offensive game is refined and he has many tools with the puck on his stick. His 200-foot game rounds out the package and is his calling card. He is a dynamo on the back check, and is a great positional defender in the defensive zone. His points have jumped up since joining the high-scoring Voltigeurs, and being coached by Dominique Ducharme will help his development. Veleno is a sure-fire NHLer, although it is unclear what his role will be in the pros. He could fill many of them going forward.

All those players could benefit from deep playoff runs, and Halifax, Drummondville and Acadie-Bathurst may all play deep into May depending on where the chips fall. The President’s Cup is truly up for grabs this season, and it will take a hot team with all facets of the game clicking to take it home.