NHL Draft | Sacha Boisvert in Chicago, the QMJHL still cleared

Quebec was represented at 1^is round of the NHL draft, Friday, in Las Vegas. But not the QMJHL.

Sacha Boisvert was the first Quebecer selected in this 2024 auction, when the Chicago Blackhawks pronounced his name at 18^e rank. But he was also the only one.

Boisvert, however, plays for Muskegon in the USHL, meaning no QMJHL players have been claimed in this 1^is tour. The Cecchini circuit is thus excluded from the 1^is tour for the second year in a row. This is the first time in history that the junior circuit has experienced such lethargy.

In the draft format as we have known it since 1979, QMJHL prospects were also ignored in 1^is tour in 2008, 2000, 1992, 1989. In short, what was occasional has now happened for the second year in a row.

For comparison, nine Ontario Junior League (OHL) prospects and five Western Junior League (WHL) prospects were claimed on Friday.

Forward Maxim Massé (Saguenéens de Chicoutimi) and defender Spencer Gill (Océanic de Rimouski) are generally considered the best prospects in Canada’s easternmost junior circuit.

We’ll have to see if they hear their name called early Saturday morning. Last year, the Lightning broke the ice by drafting forward Ethan Gauthier at 37^e rang.

Big Harvest in Chicago

Boisvert’s selection was part of a successful day for the Blackhawks. They had their own first pick at No. 2^e rank, where they claimed defenseman Artyom Levshunov. They then selected Boisvert at 18^e rank with a pick originally belonging to the Islanders, then another forward, Marek Vanacker, at 27^e rank, with a pick obtained from the Hurricanes.

Boisvert was expected in this portion of the draft. His entourage expected to see him leave somewhere between the 15th^e and the 25th^e rang.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, who held the 23^e choice, were among the teams that liked the Trois-Rivières native. About 30 minutes after Chicago selected Boisvert, they traded their pick to the Anaheim Ducks.

Boisvert offers an interesting range for an NHL team. Met at the NHL Combine in Buffalo earlier in June, he described himself as a “talented power forward, good at both ends of the ice. I can shoot, I can check, I can play the physical game. The physical game is what makes me attractive to teams. I’m a good player, but I also have the competitive element.”

The numbers match his description. With the Muskegon Lumberjacks, he scored 68 points in 61 games. With 36 goals, he finished the campaign in 5^e rank on the American junior circuit. But we also note his 86 penalty minutes, notably because he fought six times this season.

Next season he will play for North Dakota University.