The 15 best Quebecers for the next NHL draft

There’s no need to make any fuss. The next Quebec crop for the National Hockey League draft will be one of the weakest in recent years and will look a lot like that of 2023.

• Read also: If this Quebec player succeeds in the NHL, everything will have to be questioned

• Read also: Maxim Massé is the best hope for another vintage which promises to be mediocre for Quebec

Last year, only seven players had the chance to be chosen by one of the 32 teams on the Bettman circuit. In 2022, four more players were drafted, bringing the total to 11.

Despite everything, around ten skaters from Quebec should normally hear their names during the selection session which will be held at the Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28 and 29.

And it’s only a postponement, because the 2025 vintage promises to be one of the strongest in a long time for the Belle Province.

Here are the 15 best Quebecers eligible for the next NHL draft and a preview of what will await us next year.

The top 10

1) Sacha Boisvert, C (Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL)

The first Quebecer who risks hearing his name during the draft – and perhaps the only one in the first round – went into exile in the United States at the age of 14 to continue his development. He has been playing for two seasons in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and will wear the colors of the University of North Dakota during the next campaign.

Known as a complete center player who doesn’t mind playing in traffic, Boisvert had an excellent 17-year-old season, scoring no less than 36 goals and 68 points in 61 games. His 36 goals place him 13th^e rank in the history of the circuit for a player of his age, tied with a certain Johnny Gaudreau.

Boisvert should hear his name around the 20th^e rank of the first round.

2) Maxim Massé, AD (Chicoutimi Saguenéens, QMJHL)

After obtaining the title of rookie of the year in Canadian junior hockey in his first season in the Maritimes Quebec Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Maxim Massé continued his progress at 17 years old with a harvest of 75 points, including 36 goals.

He also played for Canada at the World Under-18 Championship, recording five points in seven games to help his team win the gold medal.

Massé stands out on the ice with his devastating wrist shot and his ability to drive a power play. However, he will have to greatly improve his skating, which is his biggest weakness currently.

The Saguenéens forward should hear his name called at the end of the first round or at the start of the second round.

3) Justin Poirier, AD (Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL)

Here is one of the most polarizing players in the upcoming auction. How can a forward who scores 51 regular season goals in 68 games and 18 goals in 17 playoff games at age 17 be ranked this far by NHL Central Scouting (84^e)?

At 5’8″, he is obviously considered small by league standards. And even though he already weighs 190 lbs, we judge that he has already reached full physical maturity and that his progression curve is likely to be less than that of his compatriots.

And yet, players like Theoren Fleury, Johnny Gaudreau, Jonathan Marchessault and even Cole Caufield have shown that they have their place in the NHL despite their small size… and that they can be centerpieces of their respective teams.

Poirier is expected to hear his name around the 3rd^e round, but a team could (and should) take their chance much earlier.

4) Raoul Boilard, C (Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL)

Poirier’s teammate at Baie-Comeau, Boilard has proven to be an important element of the best team on the Cecchini circuit this season.

Although he slowed down somewhat during the season, the 6’2″, 190 lbs skater showed that he possessed the qualities of a complete center player, capable of excelling in several situations.

He finished the most recent campaign with 22 goals and 62 points in 68 games. However, only five of his goals were scored with a man advantage.

A selection between the middle and end of 2^e turn is possible for Boilard.

5) Xavier Veilleux, GM (Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL)

Another promising player who decided to go into exile in the United States, Xavier Veilleux had a good season with the same training as that of Sacha Boisvert.

The 6-foot, 190-pound left-handed defenseman finished the campaign with 32 points in 62 games, leading his team among players playing the same position.

He is above all recognized as a fluid skater who makes a good recovery from his territory.

It would not be surprising to hear his name from the 2^e round of the repechage.

6) Tomas Lavoie, DD (Cape Breton Eagles, QMJHL)

The first overall pick in the 2022 QMJHL Draft, Lavoie has been attracting the attention of NHL teams for quite some time now.

Recognized above all for his defensive qualities, Lavoie already has a size to make managers who are fond of physical play salivate at 6’4″ and 220 lbs. What’s more, Lavoie is a right-handed defender, a rare commodity in the Bettman circuit who is always worth his weight in gold.

Over the past year, the Cape Breton Eagles guard scored three goals and 24 points in 65 games.

Another player who could hear his name sooner than you think, even if a selection at the end of 2^e turn or at the start of 3^e tour is the scenario envisaged in his case.

7) Alexandre Blais, AG (Océanic de Rimouski, LHJMQ)

Here is a player who has made his mark brilliantly this year, with unexpected offensive production.

The Océanic forward finished sixth on the circuit with a total of 84 points. His 60 assists also place him second in the league, behind scoring champion Antonin Verreault.

At only 152 lbs, however, he will need to add muscle to his puny physique.

We expect a selection around 4^e or 5^e turn in the case of Blais.

8) Alexis Bernier, DD (Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL)

Another right-handed defenseman with an interesting size risks attracting the attention of NHL teams in rounds 3-4-5. Bernier, a 6’1″ and 190 lb. guard, collected 31 points last season in Baie-Comeau, in addition to adding nine points in 17 playoff games.

He was able to establish himself in the QMJHL at the age of 16 and continued his progression at the age of 17 to become one of the most used players by his coach Jean-François Grégoire.

It could turn out to be one of the steals of this auction, if all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

9) Thomas Desruisseaux, C (Chicoutimi Saguenéens, QMJHL)

Desruisseaux is another player who will need to bulk up if he hopes to reach the next level. At 6′ and 163 lbs, there is still room to add muscle mass.

However, it remains a very interesting project. Playing as a center player, the skater from Lévis is an excellent playmaker and a good puck handler.

It will be very interesting to follow his progress next year, where the Saguenéens will have a more experienced formation and a lot of ammunition in attack.

10) Félix Lacerte, AG (Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL)

Lacerte is possibly the most underrated player on this list. Author of a season of 31 goals in just 52 games, he was unfortunately slowed down by injuries, which affected his visibility during the season.

Despite his shortened season, he proved to be the driving force behind Shawinigan’s attack, finishing first in his team’s points with a 13-point lead. What’s more, no Cataractes player has scored more than 18 goals.

Even if he risks hearing his name around rounds 6 or 7, Lacerte could be an enviable catch in the coming years and a future scoring champion of the QMJHL.

Honorable mentions: Anthony Biakabutuka, GM (Salisbury, USHS-Prep), Benjamin Brunelle, RW (Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL), Simon-Pierre Brunet, DD (Drummondville, QMJHL), Louka Cloutier, G (Chicago, USHL), Adam Fortier-Gendron, D (Moncton, LHJMQ), Eliot L’Italien (RW, Blainville-Boisbriand, LHJMQ), Dominic Pilote, AG (Rimouski, LHJMQ), Maël St-Denis, C (Rimouski, LHJMQ), Mathieu Taillefer, DD (Brooks, AJHL/BCHL)

The 2025 draft promises to be tough for Quebec

If the next vintage does not promise to be very strong for Quebec, that of 2025 could go down in history.

If all the players maintained the pace and continued their progress, around twenty of them could become the property of an NHL team.

What’s more, at least five skaters could even be chosen in the first round, without forgetting goaltender Gabriel D’Aigle who will want to forget a more difficult last campaign.

Among the players who could be selected in the first round, we find center Caleb Desnoyers, of the Moncton Wildcats, forward Émile Guité and defenseman Alex Huang, of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, forward Bill Zonnon, of the Huskies de Rouyn-Noranda, as well as winger Zachary Morin, of the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL).

D’Aigle, who plays with the Victoriaville Tigres, remains an option for the first round, but he will have to have an excellent 2024-2025 season for that to happen.

Here is the complete list of players to watch for next year’s draft.