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Post by classiccaper on Apr 7, 2022 8:56:40 GMT -4
I've put together a 1st round mock draft based on the standings as of this morning: 1 – Cape Breton – Gabriel D’Aigle - G 2 – Victoriaville – Elliot L’Italien - F 3 – Baie Comeau – Justin Poirier - F 4 – Rouyn – Spencer Gill - D 5 – Chicoutimi – Felix Lacerte - F 6 – Halifax (via Moncton) – William Shields - F 7 – Baie Comeau (via Val d’Or) – Xavier Veilleux - D 8 – Blainville – Adam Fortier Gendron - D 9 – Drummondville – Quinn Kennedy - F 10 – Cape Breton (via Halifax) – Reece Peitzsche - F 11 – Rouyn (via Rimouski) – Raoul Boilard - F 12 – Chicoutimi (via Shawinigan) – Julian Lanthier - D 13 – Gatineau – Alix Durocher - F 14 – Victoriaville (via Saint John) – Tomas Lavoie - D 15 – Chicoutimi (via Bathurst) – Thomas Desruisseaux - F 16 – Rimouski (via Sherbrooke) – Maxime Masse - F 17 – Val d’Or (via Charlottetown) – Marek Beaudoin - F 18 – Chicoutimi (via Quebec) – Luciano Ruggiero - G I'm hearing this goalie expected to go potentially 1st overall is really good, but if I'm Cape-Breton I think I'm going with a forward or a D to build around. They already have 2 promising goalies. i can get behind it, but i would prefer them to move one of their goalies at the draft and pick up another 1st or package one of their late 2nds and move up into the 1st. Perhaps also move langlois for a good return.
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Post by Jack Bauer on Apr 7, 2022 12:54:16 GMT -4
I'm hearing this goalie expected to go potentially 1st overall is really good, but if I'm Cape-Breton I think I'm going with a forward or a D to build around. They already have 2 promising goalies. It forces you to make a decision on your window. Personally I see it as 2 scenario's to pick from: A) Keep current goalies to contend with in 23-24 when they're 19. Chances are you trade 1 prior to that season to move a strength and address a weakness. But the downside is the kids you pick top 10 now are 17 during that season. Potentially trade bait as opposed to key pieces. And you need Perron and Squires to be impact players at 18...not as far fetched but worth considering. B) Draft a goalie high. Trade 1 veteran goalie now for more 2022 picks and 2021 drafted players. You trade the other at Xmas or in 1 year at the draft. You put your target year as 24-25. You need Perron and Squires to be 19yr old impact players...much more logical to see. You need that goalie you pick to be a star at 18...not at all far fetched if he's brought along properly. And the other top 10 pick from now to be a contributor or a great future piece in a deal. But you also have the 2 goalies you traded to supplement that team with. Personally I'd have no issue with either but would prefer B as I think you have a better shot at building a superior team by cultivating a group of 16's and 17's for 22-23 that are 18 and 19 in 24-25 vs expecting 2022 picks to be among the leagues best at 17 in 23-24 and Perron and Squires to be impact at 18. If you shoot for the longer rebuild you still might arrive a year early in 23-24 if a lot goes right but I think a lot can go wrong and you still look good for 24-25. Basically nothing can go wrong to win in 2024 either way. Thats my breakdown on it anyway.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2022 14:15:09 GMT -4
JMO - and not at all meaning to step on anybody's toes - but you'd need to have pretty big balls to draft a 16 year-old goaltender first overall in the QMJHL draft.
Projecting a goalie gotta be tough - even for goaltending coaches and former goaltenders.
Sacha Boisvert's numbers project to be better than William Shields' as far as goals and Pts./G, and his size is much bigger - but I see he's already signed a letter of intent with a USHL team for next year. I don't think it's binding other than in the USHL - but it definitely sends a red flag to teams like the Eagles from drafting him. JMO.
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Post by Jack Bauer on Apr 7, 2022 14:29:41 GMT -4
JMO - and not at all meaning to step on anybody's toes - but you'd need to have pretty big balls to draft a 16 year-old goaltender first overall in the QMJHL draft. Projecting a goalie gotta be tough - even for goaltending coaches and former goaltenders. Sacha Boisvert's numbers project to be better than William Shields' as far as goals and Pts./G, and his size is much bigger - but I see he's already signed a letter of intent with a USHL team for next year. I don't think it's binding other than in the USHL - but it definitely sends a red flag to teams like the Eagles from drafting him. JMO. If everyone projects the player to be elite as his position and you have a commitment...there's nothing wrong with goalie with a goalie high. In past examples we've seen the goalie going high isn't always necessarily the best of the draft class 2-3 years down the road necessarily but is still a solid goalie at this level. I think it comes down to more of where you view your cycle as going and whether you can give a goalie 2 years to develop properly in order to get what ideally would be 2 top years of an excellent #1. Commitment from the player is a key for the Eagles. Image wise if they win #1 they have to use it and try to create some hype with whoever they pick I think. I can't say I know any of the players but the idea of a goalie going so high is intriguing.
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Post by Reesor on Apr 7, 2022 20:25:28 GMT -4
I'm hearing this goalie expected to go potentially 1st overall is really good, but if I'm Cape-Breton I think I'm going with a forward or a D to build around. They already have 2 promising goalies. It forces you to make a decision on your window. Personally I see it as 2 scenario's to pick from: A) Keep current goalies to contend with in 23-24 when they're 19. Chances are you trade 1 prior to that season to move a strength and address a weakness. But the downside is the kids you pick top 10 now are 17 during that season. Potentially trade bait as opposed to key pieces. And you need Perron and Squires to be impact players at 18...not as far fetched but worth considering. B) Draft a goalie high. Trade 1 veteran goalie now for more 2022 picks and 2021 drafted players. You trade the other at Xmas or in 1 year at the draft. You put your target year as 24-25. You need Perron and Squires to be 19yr old impact players...much more logical to see. You need that goalie you pick to be a star at 18...not at all far fetched if he's brought along properly. And the other top 10 pick from now to be a contributor or a great future piece in a deal. But you also have the 2 goalies you traded to supplement that team with. Personally I'd have no issue with either but would prefer B as I think you have a better shot at building a superior team by cultivating a group of 16's and 17's for 22-23 that are 18 and 19 in 24-25 vs expecting 2022 picks to be among the leagues best at 17 in 23-24 and Perron and Squires to be impact at 18. If you shoot for the longer rebuild you still might arrive a year early in 23-24 if a lot goes right but I think a lot can go wrong and you still look good for 24-25. Basically nothing can go wrong to win in 2024 either way. Thats my breakdown on it anyway. Or you can trade Langlois to Halifax for Jack Martin and Moncton's 1st rounder this year, then trade Chicoutimi Cape Breton's 1st (if it's 1st overall) for Chicoutimi's 1st (if it's 5th overall), Bathurst's 1st and Shawinigan's 1st. Then you have a top 5 pick, and 5 picks in the top 20. Everything Cape Breton does should aim to bid for the 2025 Memorial Cup. That could lineup nicely.
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Post by classiccaper on Apr 7, 2022 23:35:00 GMT -4
It forces you to make a decision on your window. Personally I see it as 2 scenario's to pick from: A) Keep current goalies to contend with in 23-24 when they're 19. Chances are you trade 1 prior to that season to move a strength and address a weakness. But the downside is the kids you pick top 10 now are 17 during that season. Potentially trade bait as opposed to key pieces. And you need Perron and Squires to be impact players at 18...not as far fetched but worth considering. B) Draft a goalie high. Trade 1 veteran goalie now for more 2022 picks and 2021 drafted players. You trade the other at Xmas or in 1 year at the draft. You put your target year as 24-25. You need Perron and Squires to be 19yr old impact players...much more logical to see. You need that goalie you pick to be a star at 18...not at all far fetched if he's brought along properly. And the other top 10 pick from now to be a contributor or a great future piece in a deal. But you also have the 2 goalies you traded to supplement that team with. Personally I'd have no issue with either but would prefer B as I think you have a better shot at building a superior team by cultivating a group of 16's and 17's for 22-23 that are 18 and 19 in 24-25 vs expecting 2022 picks to be among the leagues best at 17 in 23-24 and Perron and Squires to be impact at 18. If you shoot for the longer rebuild you still might arrive a year early in 23-24 if a lot goes right but I think a lot can go wrong and you still look good for 24-25. Basically nothing can go wrong to win in 2024 either way. Thats my breakdown on it anyway. Or you can trade Langlois to Halifax for Jack Martin and Moncton's 1st rounder this year, then trade Chicoutimi Cape Breton's 1st (if it's 1st overall) for Chicoutimi's 1st (if it's 5th overall), Bathurst's 1st and Shawinigan's 1st. Then you have a top 5 pick, and 5 picks in the top 20. Everything Cape Breton does should aim to bid for the 2025 Memorial Cup. That could lineup nicely. love the optimism, however, this is the same gm that traded #2 for #8, #22 and an 18 year old meh dman. If he got #5 plus 2 other firsts for #1, id be very very surprised. However, i dont hate the idea, but i also think langlois would be worth more then that. Full transparancy, i dont know much about jake martin. Also like the ide of 5 picks in top 20, but cape breton also has 3 2nd rounders as well. So most like 6 picks in top 21 and 8 picks in top 36
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Post by Reesor on Apr 8, 2022 7:25:07 GMT -4
Or you can trade Langlois to Halifax for Jack Martin and Moncton's 1st rounder this year, then trade Chicoutimi Cape Breton's 1st (if it's 1st overall) for Chicoutimi's 1st (if it's 5th overall), Bathurst's 1st and Shawinigan's 1st. Then you have a top 5 pick, and 5 picks in the top 20. Everything Cape Breton does should aim to bid for the 2025 Memorial Cup. That could lineup nicely. love the optimism, however, this is the same gm that traded #2 for #8, #22 and an 18 year old meh dman. If he got #5 plus 2 other firsts for #1, id be very very surprised. However, i dont hate the idea, but i also think langlois would be worth more then that. Full transparancy, i dont know much about jake martin. Also like the ide of 5 picks in top 20, but cape breton also has 3 2nd rounders as well. So most like 6 picks in top 21 and 8 picks in top 36 I actually agree on Langlois. He'll fetch a big price next year, whether it's at Christmas or earlier. Jack Martin would borderline be in the Q this year. He played a few games and looked pretty decent. He'll be ready for a bigger role next year. I think I overvalued Moncton's pick in that proposal. It'll be around 6th or 7th overall, but it and Martin by themselves may not be able to get Langlois. Anywho, I think Cape Breton is in a good position with picks and can put themselves in an even better position if they play their cards right. They do need a marquis player to help inject some excitement and optimism into next year. Even though D'Aigle may be projected #1 overall, I think Cape Breton might go for an impact forward to try for that excitement factor. Chicoutimi desperately needs goaltending, and they have 4 1st round picks, so I think they'd be a good candidate to overpay to move up to grab D'Aigle.
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Post by bois on Apr 8, 2022 7:51:26 GMT -4
JMO - and not at all meaning to step on anybody's toes - but you'd need to have pretty big balls to draft a 16 year-old goaltender first overall in the QMJHL draft. Projecting a goalie gotta be tough - even for goaltending coaches and former goaltenders. Sacha Boisvert's numbers project to be better than William Shields' as far as goals and Pts./G, and his size is much bigger - but I see he's already signed a letter of intent with a USHL team for next year. I don't think it's binding other than in the USHL - but it definitely sends a red flag to teams like the Eagles from drafting him. JMO. i tend to agree here could get your commitment from the goalie if you feel he's your best guy and then try and work out a deal with a team picking highly as well (inside top 5 for sure) to add more assets and still get the goalie that's probably how i'd try to play it out as for not drafting the goalie now because you have two very good goalies already... i don't buy that theory at all..... you simply move one of them and give the prospect room to develop under the other.....
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Post by classiccaper on Apr 8, 2022 9:31:17 GMT -4
JMO - and not at all meaning to step on anybody's toes - but you'd need to have pretty big balls to draft a 16 year-old goaltender first overall in the QMJHL draft. Projecting a goalie gotta be tough - even for goaltending coaches and former goaltenders. Sacha Boisvert's numbers project to be better than William Shields' as far as goals and Pts./G, and his size is much bigger - but I see he's already signed a letter of intent with a USHL team for next year. I don't think it's binding other than in the USHL - but it definitely sends a red flag to teams like the Eagles from drafting him. JMO. i tend to agree here could get your commitment from the goalie if you feel he's your best guy and then try and work out a deal with a team picking highly as well (inside top 5 for sure) to add more assets and still get the goalie that's probably how i'd try to play it out as for not drafting the goalie now because you have two very good goalies already... i don't buy that theory at all..... you simply move one of them and give the prospect room to develop under the other..... i agree, if the goalie is that good that he is ranked #1, you draft the BPA regardless of position. Eagles goalies are good, but their age may be working against them unless you keep one of them as a 20. But lets say you draft D'Aigle #1, you trade one of the goalies at the draft for possibly another first or at worst im thinking a second. Then you have an 18 year old and 16 year old #1 drafted goalie, run with them, let thst 16 y/o learn and not be thrown into the fire like these two goalies were. Then, move the older goalie at the deadline 1.5 years later (his 19 y/o year) and then give the reins to d'Aigle at that point. The surplus of picks the eagles have (5 in first 2 rounds) will be sufficient as long as the scouting dept can hit on them. Trading a goalie and langlois will give more bullets in the chamber. Surely, the eagles cant mess up on that many picks, i would hope.
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Post by scotiahockey on Apr 10, 2022 11:25:21 GMT -4
2006 G GABRIEL D'AIGLE, St. Hyacinthe U18 6'3" - 201 lbs. Catches LSEASON | TEAM / LEAGUE | GP | W-L-T | SO | GAA | SV% | 2019-20 | Mortagne Noir et Or Bantam AAA | 12 | 10-2-0 | 1 | 1.75 | - | 2020-21 | Did Not Play - Covid | - | 0-0-0 | - | 0.00 | - | 2021-22 | St. Hyacinthe Gaulois QMU18 | 24 | 15-9-0 | 0 | 2.59 | .919 | 2021-22 | St. Hyacinthe Gaulois QMU18 Playoffs | 8 | 3-5-0 | 0 | 2.68 | .926 |
I'm always the first to admit that I'm probably not the best judge of goaltending talent. Sometimes, goalies can look so good with the spectacular looking windmill glove saves - or diving to cover pucks or stop them with the snow angel desperation moves - and it's because they weren't where they should have been.
Sometimes you leave a game raving about the play of a goaltender - and then he has several bad games in a row after that that make you question yourself. The best goaltenders are often the ones who make it look the easiest as everything just seems to hit them. The numbers don't always add up.
The first thing you notice about Gabriel D'Aigle is his size. He's huge for a 15 year-old who won't turn 16 until November 21. He's listed at 6'3" and 201 lbs. on Elite Prospects. The 201 lbs. at 15 seems to jump out at you as to how it might project at 18 or 19, but when you look at his numerous video highlights available, it removes any concerns you might have had. He's tall, lanky, acrobatic, agile, extremely quick on his feet, and clearly in top physical condition.
With his size, he takes the bottom half of the net away like nobody's business. His dexterity in the split position has the net covered from post to post, and that's how he makes the majority of his saves. He then loves to jump right back to his feet as quickly as possible and he springs back up in one quick motion. His mechanics down low are already sound despite not playing any games last year.
Aside from his bottom half strength - he's very good with his blocker. His heat map shows he rarely allows a goal on the blocker side in mid-range. His vids show him routinely making tough saves on the blocker side look easy. I'm not a scout - but it's clearly obvious that he has an unreal blocker.
I don't want to bore anybody by going on at length, but it needs to be said that the higher the level of hockey - the better the opponents are - and at the Major Junior level - players can snipe and roof the puck from in close. At the lower levels like U18, a goaltender isn't tested nearly as often in the upper part of the net.
What I'm getting at is that you don't see some of the things you're looking for in a goalie. For example, I watched somewhere around 80 vids of D'Aigle, and in those - he only makes three or four glove saves - and he drops one of them out of his glove. I'm not saying that it is a weakness or that he has any weaknesses - I'm just saying that he hasn't had to use and develop some tools at the U18 level. He will need to work on several parts of his game - but that needs to be expected.
What compounds it a bit further, is that rarely gloving the puck means that somewhere around 65 of his 80 feature vids result in a rebound. Most of them seem to be controlled rebounds to the side or into the corners, but his mechanics are sound - so that shouldn't be a problem.
(It says past 50 games, but is only based on available games from this current season) Looking at his Heatmap, and again - not saying its a weakness, but more something he needs to work on, is the glove. He allows most of his goals against on the glove side - and from spots on the ice from the glove side (his left side). It's disproportionate compared to what it should be. In most cases, a goalie is stronger on his glove side. Again, I'm not saying he's weak on the glove side - just that (IMO) he needs some work there.
As well as needing to work on the glove side, his vids only show him coming out to play the puck one time. He tries to cut off the dump in behind the net - seems to panic - and then turns into the glass and boards and tries to freeze the puck with his skates rather than trying to move it. Its fairly obvious that he doesn't have a lot of experience handling the puck, but like anything else, it's about practice and reps and learning to read the play at a higher level.
Overall, I'd say D'Aigle is worth a 1st round pick, but there's just too much projection to take him 1st overall. He has the size and quickness and blocker and net presence and upside - but IMO - that's not enough for 1st overall - where you can't afford to pick the wrong player with what needs to be a franchise player.
What also should be mentioned is that the projected Top 40 list above from Hockey Forums was only one person's opinion, and he has been called out on that forum several times for his projections. Nobody else has mentioned D'Aigle as a possible 1st overall pick.
I gotta say - I really like Gabriel D'Aigle. I think he's going to become a top goalie in the Q, but the question is - just how good - and how long will it take him to get there?
I honestly can't see the Eagles taking him 1st overall - or anybody looking to trade up to pick him, but I'm not a scout - and even if I was - goaltenders are much harder to project than other positions.
Hopefully, nobody takes this in a negative way. I think D'aigle is possibly the best goalie to come along in several years. He's probably going to become one of the best in the league - but if you want to be credible - you do need to mention things like strengths - and point out where you think work needs to be done.
This kid is very likely going to have a big future in the game. His movement in covering the bottom part of the net is probably the best I've ever seen for a draft eligible U18 goalie - and he's only 15. I don't know - somebody just might take him 1st overall - and I wouldn't be shocked.
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There’s lots of people that are calling D’Aigle a potential 1st overall pick. This isn’t the strongest draft for high-end talent, there’s no stand out player. There’s a number of guys in contention for that #1 spot. We want to discredit someone’s opinion on a forum because they’ve been “called out” before, then that’s fine but I’m not going to do it because I’m not willing to provide a top 40 list. On the one hand, you’re not a scout but you’re breaking down his game but you wouldn’t take him 1st overall but he’s one of the best U18 draft eligible goalie you’ve seen at covering the bottom of the net but yet you’re not a scout?... on the other hand, you wouldn’t be shocked if he did go 1st overall. You’ve covered both sides of this here very well, I’m not sure where you actually stand on his draft position or where he will go. I give you 100% credit for taking a look at his game before making an option but you’re extremely wishy washy and set yourself up to be “right” no matter what. I think the kid is the best goalie prospect I’ve seen in 10 years. I’m thinking back to Evan Fitzpatrick, Dereck Baribeau, Olivier Rodrigue, Vincent Filion all guys that went really high in the draft and he’s better than all of them at the same age. I think he’s a guaranteed top 5 prospect in this draft, it’s quite possible that he’s the top prospect in this draft. It depends on how you want to evaluate some other guys.. the draft, especially in the Q isn’t all about taking the best player so I won’t predict where he’s getting picked right now but he’s in the conversation and maybe the front runner from a purely talent evaluation to go #1.
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Post by WhiteTyAffair on Apr 13, 2022 16:50:06 GMT -4
90 prospects who received an A or B ranking projecting them as potential picks in the first 5 rounds.
CSR List March 2022
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Post by WhiteTyAffair on Apr 14, 2022 14:34:14 GMT -4
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Post by yoyomamajoe on Apr 18, 2022 9:05:57 GMT -4
2006 JUSTIN POIRIER, Chateauguay U18 5'7" - 179 lbs. RW/C: Shoots - RightSEASON | TEAM / LEAGUE | GP | G | A | PTS. | PIM | 2019-20 | Lac St-Louis Grenadiers QBAAA | 27 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 26 | 2020-21 | Lac St-Louis Grenadiers QBAAA | - | - | - | - | - | 2021-22 | Chateauguay Grenadiers QM18AAA | 37 | 33* | 16 | 49 | 36 |
Justin Poirier is a goal scoring right winger. He isn't tall at 5'7", but he's a stocky 179 lbs. He's a good skater with pull away speed if he can get in behind the opponents' defence. He's always on the move, and what sets him apart a bit is how well he takes the long pass. He has that goal scoring knack of magically knowing exactly when to shoot the puck - even when it doesn't seem like the ideal time.
He seems to create a lot of chances from the high slot, and his "Action Heatmap" shows that he spends most of his time in that area. He has a hard and accurate wrist shot. The puck is often in the net before the goalie reacts.
He led the Quebec U18 league in goals (33) as a 15 year-old rookie and finished 6th in league scoring. He has good hands in close. He continued to score in the playoffs with 3 goals in 4 games.
He also shows a combative 36 PIM which is 3rd highest in the list of the league's Top 10 scorers.
His only analytic that jumps out is that he led his team in hits by a wide margin. He's a battler who goes to the net. He averages close to 19 minutes in average TOI which equates to 2nd line minutes - and still led the league in goals. He averages about 2 minutes of PP time per game - which indicates 2nd unit PP time. He makes the most of his opportunities.
Other analytics show that he wins a healthy 47% of his puck battles. Those numbers should go up significantly as he gets bigger and stronger. He seems to have a very high compete level.
The Quebec players don't have as good of coverage as our Atlantic players in things like Elite Prospects and Hockey InStat. You need to dig much deeper to find info on them. I did find one comment made on social media that had Poirier on a short list as one of two Quebec players to keep an eye on towards the 2024 NHL draft. Obviously, he's seen as a very top prospect.
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Thought he looked familiar. He's Jeremie's brother.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2022 23:16:03 GMT -4
Some QMJHL draft prospect bios are now being loaded on the MHL Network. Not saying they are good or anything - just letting people know that they are there if they want to read them. Hope it's OK to post this - it was allowed last year. SAMPLE:
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2006 OWEN PHILLIPS, Pittsburgh Elite 5'10" - 160 lbs. Defence: Shoots RSEASON | TEAM / LEAGUE | GP | G | A | PTS. | PIM | 2019-20 | Halifax Gulls NSMBHL a | 32 | 5 | 26 | 31 | 10 | 2019-20 | Team Nova Scotia U14 ACC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2020-21 | Halifax Gulls NSU15MHL b | 25 | 13 | 20 | 33 | 4 | 2021-22 | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U16 | 38 | 5 | 24 | 29 | 4 |
a - NSMBHL most points by a defenceman (31). b - NSU15MHL most points by a defenceman (33). Owen Phillips is a quick skating offensive defenceman from Hammonds Plains who has been playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U15 and U 16 teams this season. His season stats are a mumbo-jumbo on Elite Prospects, so I used what seems to be the most credible stats for this season from the various sources.
Watching his highlight and game videos, he immediately jumps off the page with his skating and puckhandling. He's solid defensively and can turn on a dime and jump into the rush and often lead it. It isn't a term I use often, but his edgework is incredible.
In a Nova Scotia Pee Wee skills competition on a John Moore video from the 2019-20 season, he wins the puckhandling relay competition against some very top talent.
He has a nice wrist shot and can find a lane, and he also has a hard slap shot. When the opportunity presents itself - he can wire it. His passing game is already strong, and he's been going East-West and to the back door more and more frequently. He led his team in assists this season.
The Penguins Elite teams don't have very good stats keeping as far as analytics, but Owen shows well in those that are kept. His CORSI is amongst the best on the team.
The only concerns with his game are his low PIM totals and that he hasn't shown a physical side so far, but at this level - he hasn't had to. IMO, he shouldn't have a problem adjusting to the physicality in Major Junior hockey, if he opts for that route.
It's likely not very fair of me to mention it, but he reminds me of Lukas Cormier as far as style - but without the Cormier grit so far. He should go very high in the QMJHL draft if he's willing to commit to a team. He's the type of player that you need to see for yourself to better understand what I'm trying to say - words don't do it. Most players don't jump out at me in this manner, but Owen Phillips did.
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2006 ELIOT L'ITALIEN, St-Francois U18 6'1" - 185 lbs. Centre: Shoots LSEASON | TEAM / LEAGUE | GP | G | A | PTS. | PIM | 2019-20 | Quebec Typhon QBAAA | 23 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 6 | 2020-21 | Quebec Blizzard QBAAA | - | - | - | - | - | 2021-22 | Sem. St-Francois Blizzard QM18AAA | 39 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 22 |
Eliot L'Italien is a big, smooth skating centre who immediately makes you take notice when he's on the ice. He's very poised and has a heads-up style and a really good wrist shot coming in from the left circle. He likes to go high on goalies and is good at getting open for the East- West passing plays. At 6'1" and 185 lbs. at 15 years of age, he already has the size many scouts look for.
He has the speed and strength to beat D-men to the outside and then hold them off as he cuts to the net. He's a good 200 foot player and plays a complete game. He plays top minutes on both the PP and the PK and takes most of the important draws.
In the "Road to the QMJHL Entry Draft" from January 2022 (meant for public view), Quebec Scout Steve Gosselin, refers to him as "a big body with explosive skating who is also good defensively," amongst other things.
On the "2024 NHL Draft Center" website, he is one of 37 players currently listed as projected to go in the 1st round.
Eliot led his Blizzard team in goals this season and was 2nd in points. He led the team by a wide margin in SOG (139) and put 66% of his attempted shots on goal. He was far and away their top faceoff guy with 509 draws (more than double as many draws as the next on the list), and winning a solid 53% of them. He seems to have that big centre presence that you want to go head to head against your opponents' top line.
He finished 2nd on the team in hits (74), was 3rd in TOI, and 4th in CORSI. At 15, he's already a go to player in all situations for the Blizzard. It seems pretty clear that Eliot L'Italien is going to go in the top half of the 1st round of the QMJHL draft in July. He's very dominant for a 15 year-old.
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2006 QUINN KENNEDY, Halifax Macs U18 5'10" - 161 lbs. Centre: Shoots LSEASON | TEAM / LEAGUE | GP | G | A | PTS. | PIM | 2019-20 | Halifax Gulls NSBAAAHL | 33 | 26 | 18 | 44 | 8 | 2020-21 | Halifax Gulls NSU15MHL a | 25 | 26 | 19 | 45* | 18 | 2021-22 | Halifax Macs NSU18MHL b | 33 | 21 | 20 | 41 | 24 | 2021-22 | Halifax Macs U18 Monctonian | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
a - Led NSU15HL in points. b - Named to NSU18MHL All-Rookie team. Quinn Kennedy is a goal scorer. In 96 games over the past three seasons, he has scored 76 goals. Watching his game vids, it's easy to see that he has a smooth and quick release and he always seems to find a way to get open in the slot between the circles. He can pick his spots when he has an extra split second and can put some heat on his wrister. He's probably going to become a good sniper as his hands and wrists get stronger.
He's a really good skater and has above average speed. He was mentioned as one of the fastest players in U15 in a prospect video by John Moore last year. He can beat guys to the outside if he gets a step on them, but his tendency is to jam on the brakes and look for a way to the net or to pass. He's a good puck handler and very heads-up, and he can hold onto the puck in traffic long enough to find the open man and put it on the tape.
He seems to have really good control in passing the puck without it being too soft or too hard. Unfortunately - I don't see his pass completion rating, but I'd guess it's very high - guessing in the 90% range. He has fewer assists than goals, but he can really pass the puck.
Quinn finished 8th in league scoring this year as a rookie with 41 points. His 21 goals were the 6th highest in the league. What makes those numbers pop a bit more is seeing that he only averaged 14:45 TOI per game this season on a very deep Macs' team. He played the equivalent of third line minutes and still finished 8th in league scoring as a 15 year-old rookie.
Other analytics show his 52% wins in faceoffs as 2nd best on the Macs team, and his SOG and CORSI totals are 3rd on the team.
He hustles on the backcheck, but he's not overly physical just yet. He has fairly good size for his age (5'10" - 161 lbs.).
I'm not saying he's going to be another Jordan Dumais - but his playing style does resemble Dumais a bit - and he looks like he's going to be drafted a bit higher than Dumais was (18th in 2020).
Quinn is the son of current Halifax Mooseheads Director of Business Operations, Travis Kennedy. Travis is a former MJAHL scoring champion putting up 48-60-108 totals with the Restigouche River Rats during the 1997-98 season.
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2006 JUSTIN POIRIER, Chateauguay U18 5'7" - 179 lbs. Right Wing/Centre: Shoots RSEASON | TEAM / LEAGUE | GP | G | A | PTS. | PIM | 2019-20 | Lac St-Louis Grenadiers QBAAA | 27 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 26 | 2020-21 | Lac St-Louis Grenadiers QBAAA | - | - | - | - | - | 2021-22 | Chateauguay Grenadiers QM18AAA | 37 | 33* | 16 | 49 | 36 |
Justin Poirier is a goal scoring right winger. He isn't tall at 5'7", but he's a stocky 179 lbs. He's a good skater with pull away speed if he can get in behind the opponents' defence. He's always on the move, and what sets him apart a bit is how well he takes the long pass. He has that goal scoring knack of magically knowing exactly when to shoot the puck - even when it doesn't seem like the ideal time.
He seems to create a lot of chances from the high slot, and his "Action Heatmap" shows that he spends most of his time in that area. He has a hard and accurate wrist shot. The puck is often in the net before the goalie reacts.
He led the Quebec U18 league in goals (33) as a 15 year-old rookie and finished 6th in league scoring. He has good hands in close. He continued to produce in the playoffs with 3 goals in 4 games.
He also put up a combative 36 PIM which is 3rd highest in the list of the league's Top 10 scorers.
His only analytic that jumps out is that he led his team in hits by a wide margin. He's a battler who goes to the net. He averages close to 19 minutes in average TOI which equates to 2nd line minutes - and he still led the league in goals. He averages about 2 minutes of PP time per game - which indicates 2nd unit PP time. He makes the most of his opportunities.
Other analytics show that he wins a healthy 47% of his puck battles. Those numbers should go up significantly as he gets bigger and stronger. He seems to have a very high compete level.
The Quebec players don't have as good of coverage as our Atlantic players in things like Elite Prospects and Hockey InStat. You need to dig much deeper to find info on them. I did find one comment made on social media that had Poirier on a short list as one of two Quebec players to keep an eye on towards the 2024 NHL draft. Obviously, he's seen as a very top prospect.
Justin is the younger brother of current Saint John Sea Dogs defenceman, Jeremie Poirier.
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5.
2006 GABRIEL D'AIGLE, St. Hyacinthe U18 6'3" - 201 lbs. Goalie: Catches LSEASON | TEAM / LEAGUE | GP | W-L-T | SO | GAA | SV% | 2019-20 | Mortagne Noir et Or Bantam AAA | 12 | 10-2-0 | 1 | 1.75 | - | 2020-21 | Did Not Play - Covid | - | 0-0-0 | - | 0.00 | - | 2021-22 | St. Hyacinthe Gaulois QMU18 | 24 | 15-9-0 | 2 | 2.59 | .919 | 2021-22 | St. Hyacinthe Gaulois QMU18 Playoffs | 8 | 3-5-0 | 0 | 2.68 | .926 |
The first thing you notice about Gabriel D'Aigle is his size. He's huge for a 15 year-old who won't turn 16 until November 21. He's listed at 6'3" and 201 lbs. on Elite Prospects. The 201 lbs., at 15, seems to jump out at you as to how it might project at 18 or 19, but when you look at his game footage, it removes any concerns you might have had. He's tall, lanky, acrobatic, agile, extremely quick on his feet, and clearly in top physical condition.
With his size, he takes the bottom half of the net away like nobody's business. His dexterity in the split position has the net covered from post to post, and that's how he makes the majority of his saves. He then loves to jump right back to his feet as quickly as possible and he springs back up in one quick motion. His mechanics down low are already sound despite not playing any games last season.
Aside from his bottom half strength - he's very good with his blocker. His heat map shows that he rarely allows a goal on the blocker side in mid-range. His vids show him routinely making tough saves on the blocker side look easy.
He put up really solid numbers on a middle of the pack team that allowed an average of just under 30 shots per game. He improved on his Save% in the playoffs when it mattered most. He stopped 82% of the breakaways he faced during the season.
I think he's going to become a top goalie in the Q, but the question is - just how good - and how long will it take him to get there. I think D'Aigle is possibly the best goalie to come along in several years, and he's probably going to become one of the best in the league. In a vid available on youtube done on synthetic ice without upper body equipment and a helmet, his pad work and movement in covering the bottom part of the net is incredible with machine-like precision.
He had a strong showing at the Quebec Cup for prospects in late April and put up a 1-1 record with a GAA of 2.03 and a Save% of .938, both of which were 4th best at the tournament.
I put together an earlier bio on Gabriel D'Aigle geared towards why I thought he might not go 1st overall to the Cape Breton Eagles in the draft. It wasn't meant in any way to detract from his obvious skills and promise. I would project him to be playing Pro hockey within five or six years. There was no disrespect meant whatsoever towards his skills or goaltenders in general. I simply find young goaltenders almost impossible to project, and you don't often see a goaltender drafted 1st overall at any level.
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Post by classiccaper on May 4, 2022 22:44:11 GMT -4
Any idea when the draft rankings come out?
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