During each month of the regular season, QMJHL scouts provide us with reports on some of the top prospects for the upcoming QMJHL Entry Draft presented by Fenplast.
Here is their analysis of the prospects for the month of February.
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Nikola Antonacci – Goaltender – Culver Military Academy 16U
Nikola is a large-sized goalie who plays a strong positional game, all while trying to make himself as big as possible in front of his net. He likes to actively challenge shooters, pressuring them to hit him with the puck. His hands could be more reactive, but he remains very hard to beat on the first shot.
Antonacci has the ability to compete on rebounds and rarely gives up on plays. He will scramble at times in the aforementioned situation but will keep fighting until the puck is frozen or in the net. He has an impressive calmness for his age, which makes him a reassuring presence for both his coaches and teammates.
- Maxime Ouellet, CSR Goaltending Specialist
Justin Beaulieu – Defenseman – Séminaire St-François Blizzard
Beaulieu is considered an all-round defender. He’s effective in all aspects of the game and has good vision, which means he’s often well-placed, both offensively and defensively, while also being able to find his teammates on breakouts with relative ease.
What’s more, Justin’s powerful shot makes him a threat in the opposition zone, especially on his team’s power play opportunities. He’s also a very committed player when it comes to sacrificing his body and blocking shots.
- Frédéric Lévesque, CSR Scout
Isaak Bérubé – Defenseman – Moncton Flyers
Bérubé is a left-handed defenseman that plays a well-rounded game and excels in all zones. He’s an agile and strong skater in both directions, while his vision and poise with the puck make him a threat in transition. He delivers crisp an accurate passes out of his own zone and seems to always find the open man. When he gets pressured, Bérubé is good at protecting the puck, getting out of danger and safely carrying the puck out of his zone.
Defensively, his stick seems to always be in the right spot, breaking up offensive chances and closing the gap quickly on opposing players. His presence alone seems to calm the play and bring confidence to his team. Even if he’s a very good defender, he can still contribute on the offensive side of the puck. He moves well on the blue line, has a good and strong shot from the point, and a vision that allows him to be a threat in the opposing team’s zone.
- David Landry, New Brunswick CSR Scout
Loïc Brunet – Forward – Laval-Montréal Rousseau Royal
Loïc is known for his attention to detail and above-average feel for the game. His awareness in the defensive zone makes him a player his teammates can rely on to provide good support in coverage. He also has the ability and smarts to reposition himself in order to cut off passing lines when necessary.
Offensively, we’d like to see him get involved with more grit and consistency, in particular by demonstrating more proactivity when getting open. This could be achieved by improving his explosiveness on skates, which would in turn encourage quicker breakouts and heavier bodychecks. Increasing his intensity on a regular basis will be a determining factor in his success at the next level. This forward has given us glimpses of his quick release and strong one-timer on the power play, enabling him to increase his offensive impact.
- Jérémie Bergeron, CSR Scout
Thomas Charbonneau – Defenseman – Shattuck St. Mary’s 15U AAA
Thomas is a left-handed defenseman who can play both on the left and right side, which is a testament to the quality of his feel for the game and his skating in general. He is a very mature player in all three zones, constantly gathering information to locate teammates and opponents on the ice. Calm and patient, he has a very good stick and is very difficult to skate around.
Although he still has some muscle mass to build up, he wins the vast majority of his one-on-one battles. His coach uses him in all situations – whether on the power play, shorthanded, at the start or end of periods. He handles the puck very well and has a crisp and precise first pass. He doesn’t hesitate to support the attack when the situation calls for it, all while making sure to protect his own zone. His presence on the ice, his efficiency and his consistency make him a reassuring player for both his coaches and teammates. He has all the qualities needed to become a top-tier player at the next level.
- Pierre Cholette, CSR Director
Arnaud Desjardins – Forward – Lac St-Louis Lions
Arnaud represents an essential category behind a team’s composition; he brings a lot of energy and speed to the ice. This makes him a very reliable and effective player in shorthanded situations.
His work ethic and positive attitude are assets that will help him give himself a chance to succeed at the next level. Since the start of the second half of the season, Desjardins has been playing with much more confidence with the puck, and the result is that his offensive contribution has increased.
- Benoît Payment, CSR Scout
Félix Guérard – Defenseman – Trois-Rivières Estacades
Félix has an imposing physique, which is not always easy for a defenseman who regularly plays on Olympic-size ice. In addition to showing great patience, Guérard knows how to position himself well defensively, making the most of his long reach and skillfully cutting off passing lines. In one-on-one battles, he is very effective at taking the puck away from his opponents.
When in possession of the puck, the defenseman keeps his head up to make great passes as his teammates are breaking out. Although he’s still young, there’s already been a noticeable improvement in his footwork. One small point of improvement: Félix needs to be more persistent in his efforts.
- Daniel Noonan, CSR Scout
Kaegan Hounsell – Forward – Central Impact
Kaegan is a left-handed forward that has a high-level of creativity and offensive awareness. He does a great job of finding different ways to generate offense and, because of this, he has enjoyed a great season by scoring 18 goals and maintaining a point per game average.
His compete level is usually very high and through this he creates time and space for his crafty skill set to be shown. Once Kaegan’s muscle mass improves, the power in his skating stride will get stronger and this should allow him to potentially become an offensive threat at the next level.
- Marcus Power, Newfoundland and Labrador CSR Scout
Evan Lyver – Forward – Halifax McDonald’s
Evan is a big forward who uses his frame to his advantage. Like most players his size, he protects the puck well and can play a physical game. While he already has the body to be a physical presence on the ice, he would turn into a more well-rounded player if he were to use it more.
He has good skills with the puck and possesses an exceptional shot. If given the time and opportunity to shoot, he usually takes advantage by putting the puck in the back of the net. Finding more consistency in his game will be a key factor for Lyver to contribute at the next level.
- Taylor P. Burke, Nova Scotia CSR Scout
Drew Murphy – Forward – Kensington Wild
With his combination of size, strength, speed and offensive skills, Drew is best described as a power forward. He usually wins his physical battles in the corners and along the walls, a quality that is necessary at the next level. His offensive skills make him both a scoring threat and a playmaker.
He’s effective at getting open in the scoring areas, while also excelling on faceoffs. Murphy can impact a game in different ways; by scoring timely goals or by handing out solid bodychecks to energize his team. He has improved on his consistency and defensive zone play as the season has progressed.
- Corrado Micalef, Prince Edward Island CSR Scout
Cole Renaud – Forward – St-Hyacinthe Gaulois
Cole Renaud is a forward with good size. This is what makes him so effective along the boards, especially in terms of puck protection and puck retrieval. In addition to his above-average strength, his solid skating and puck-handling skills enable him to gain space in the offensive zone.
The combination of all these skills is what allows Renaud to generate good scoring chances, as he usually manages to penetrate and reach the opposing net. He remains an interesting prospect to keep an eye on between now and the entry draft.
- Jean-Pierre Belzil, CSR Scout
