NHL Draft | Who are the QMJHL’s top prospects?

On paper, this 2022 vintage does not promise to be historic for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ).

Guillaume Lefrancois
The Press

In his final ranking, Bob McKenzie, of TSN, selected two players from the Courteau circuit among his 32 best hopes: Nathan Gaucher and Tristan Luneau, respectively 28^e and 32^e. His colleague Craig Button does not cite any QMJHL products before the 33^e rank.

But in this year where even the identity of the best prospect is debated, what are the predictions on paper worth? However, six prospects from the Courteau circuit generated enough interest from NHL teams to be invited to the evaluation camp in Buffalo last month.

Here is an overview of these six Quebec junior hockey hopefuls.

Nathan Gaucher

Attacker
Quebec Remparts
6’3″, 207 lbs.
16^e North American Hope*

“A good player in all three zones, who plays in a straight line”, describes a scout. We sometimes think we hear the debates on Shane Wright about him, but on a smaller scale, of course. Because everywhere, we agree on the fact that it is a “safe” choice, but the limits of its potential leave many on their appetite. His 57 points in 66 games, for a player born at the end of 2003, moreover, are not his best calling card, but with his size and his style of play, he has the tools to make his mark other than on the score sheet alone. Gaucher was invited to the evaluation camp in Buffalo, the week of May 30, but did not go since the Remparts were eliminated on May 1.^er June.

Tristan Luneau

Defender
Gatineau Olympics
6’2″, 189 lbs.
24^e North American Hope*

An enthusiastic observer expects him to go in the second half of the first round, but most rankings put him in the second round. In fact, his assessment must take into account that he had knee surgery, which caused him to miss training camp in 2021. He is described as a “complete” defender, whose value is not not just to support the attack. And precisely, in an interview in Buffalo last month, he told us that he is inspired by Charlie McAvoy, the pillar of the Boston Bruins on the blue line. “McAvoy is like Ryan McDonagh. They don’t always make great plays for the fans, but they do everything to win, they help their team and don’t have enough credit. »

noah warren

Defender
Gatineau Olympics
6’5″, 224 lbs.
33^e North American Hope*

Right-handed defenders are always popular. Large ones too. So there are two cards in Warren’s deck. The athlete from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu also has a perfectly adequate skate. “As soon as you have a 6’5″ right-handed defenseman who can really skate, alarm bells ring in scouts’ heads all the time,” notes Hockey Prospects, an independent scouting service, in its annual Black Book. His decision-making remains his main flaw, but there will certainly be teams who will hope to work on this shortcoming with him.

Maveric Lamoureux

Defender
Drummondville Voltigeurs
6’7″, 199 lbs.
20^e North American Hope*

Do you remember the time when we told you about the great right-handed defenders? This is also the profile of Lamoureux, a real bomb of charisma in an interview. The entire NHL must be aware of this charisma, since 27 of the 32 teams interviewed him last month in Buffalo. His offensive production is modest, which is not a problem in the eyes of a young man who says he is inspired by Colton Parayko, the giant who patrols the blue line of the St. Louis Blues. Note that Lamoureux grew up playing two sports: hockey and lacrosse. “Lacrosse has helped me as an athlete, also for double checks! he jokes. Skills, endurance, cardio, it helped, because you’re still running. It took me maybe other sports to help me develop in hockey. »

Jeremy Langlois

Defender
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
6′, 182 lbs.
60^e North American Hope*

Born on September 19, he therefore missed the 2021 draft by four days. His -39 record catches the eye, but he played on the worst team – by far – in the QMJHL last season. His intelligence is his main strength. Central Scouting ranks him low, but his presence in Buffalo last month means several teams have asked for him to be invited.

Maxim Barbashev

Attacker
Moncton Wildcats
6’1″, 183 lbs.
98^e North American Hope*

He too was invited to Buffalo despite his distant ranking. He follows in the footsteps of his brother, Ivan, by doing his junior internship in Moncton. And like his brother, he is not afraid to give good shoulders. His 42 points in 59 games, for a player born late in 2003, however, announces a limited offensive potential.

* NHL Central Scouting Ranking