Under the Microscope | December’s QMJHL Prospects
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 December.
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Grayden Bath – Forward – Pinnacle Growlers
Grayden is an offensive-minded forward that skates well and has a nice release. He has a knack for creating offensive opportunities and finding ways to score. At almost 6’ tall, Bath does a great job of using his puck protection skills effectively, allowing plays to develop and giving him more opportunities to create offense.
As Grayden’s explosiveness, compete level and physicality continue to improve, it will give him even more space to let his skill and offensive capabilities show. Grayden has many of the attributes needed to be a dynamic forward at the next level.
- Marcus Power, Newfoundland and Labrador CSR Scout
Nicolas Blanchette – Defenseman – Amos Forestiers
Nicolas shows great character and maturity. As a 15-year-old defenseman, he already looks the part. He handles the puck well, makes crisp passes and isn’t afraid to play a physical game. Occasionally, he allows himself to jump in the play and join the offense.
Nicolas also possesses a powerful shot that manages to surprise opposing goaltenders. If he can improve his explosion on skates, he’ll become a more than respectable defenseman, as he’s already been given a lot of responsibility by his coach since the start of the season.
- Daniel Noonan, CSR Scout
Maxwell Branton – Forward – Toronto Marlboros
Maxwell is a very dynamic and talented left-handed center. With a fluid, explosive and powerful skating stide, he’s able to make quick changes of direction when in possession of the puck, confusing his opponents. Playing with passion and high energy, Maxwell is visible during every shift.
Because he is responsible at both ends of the ice and he wins most of his face-offs, he is a player much appreciated by his coach, who doesn’t hesitate to use him in all game situations. Maxwell is destined for a successful junior career, as he has what it takes to become an impact player in the QMJHL.
- Pierre Cholette, CSR Director
Malik Desrochers – Forward – St-Hyacinthe Gaulois
Malik is an offensive-minded player. Skilled, intelligent and unpredictable when in possession of the puck, he is capable of creating opportunities for himself as well as for his teammates.
With a good feel of the offensive game, he finds open spaces to get open and is able to position himself well to take good shots. For these reasons, his coach doesn’t hesitate to use him when his team is on the power play.
- Jean-Pierre Belzil, CSR Scout
Jesse Dunlap – Defenseman – Rothesay Netherwood School
Jesse Dunlap is a shifty defenseman that excels in transition. He facilitates the breakout by skating the puck out of his zone with ease. His acceleration and elite edge work allow him to move around his opponents and get pucks out of his zone quickly. He rarely makes a mistake with the puck, even when he’s under pressure.
Jesse’s able to deliver a good, accurate first pass to kickstart the offense. He’s also always in motion in the offensive zone, which makes him hard to contain. He moves well along the blue line when he has the puck and creates good scoring chances by finding shooting lanes. He’s more of an offensive player, but he uses his stick and strong positioning to be a solid defenseman in his own zone.
- David Landry, New Brunswick CSR Scout
Jax Ginnish – Defenseman – Halifax MacDonald’s
Jax is a very dynamic player. He is an offensive defenseman who skates well and loves to carry the puck. He has good hockey sense, vision and anticipates the play well. He uses his speed and skill with the puck to generate lots of chances offensively.
Although a little small in stature, he doesn’t back down from physical play. He brings a lot of energy to the game, can quarterback a power play and be a difference maker for his team. He has a lot of potential as a prospect for the upcoming draft.
- Taylor P. Burke, Nova Scotia CSR Scout
Camden Jackson – Defenseman – Châteauguay Grenadiers
With his advantageous physique for a defender, Camden makes the most of his long reach. He uses his stick very well and keeps opponents at a good distance. His puck-handling skills and vision are what enable him to make good breakouts.
This big, right-handed defenseman is very reliable in his own zone. His coach is constantly working with him to develop his execution. On top of it all, his physical play has become more and more present as of late.
- Benoît Payment, CSR Scout
Clément Landry – Defenseman – Laval-Montréal Rousseau Royal
At 6’03” and 201 pounds, Clément is a defenseman with natural physical power who doesn’t fail to stand out when he hops on the ice. A defenseman for only a few years, he now knows how to fill a reliable role, known for his ability to hit opponents hard and keep his plays simple.
Like many young players of his size, his foot coordination, a skill acquired later in the motor development stages, is still in the process of improvement. We’d like to see him develop explosive, fast footwork to avoid being outflanked in the neutral zone, in particular. His strong character and determination will be assets in the next stages of his athletic development.
- Jérémie Bergeron, CSR Scout
Jase MacPherson – Goaltender – Kensington Wild
A goaltender with good size, Jase has good athleticism as well as good power and explosion in his legs. He shows good lateral mobility and strong T pushes when moving around in his crease. While he plays on instincts, he’s really reactive, but sometimes gets up too fast after making the initial save instead of locating the rebound opportunities.
Jase is hard to beat, even with a clean shot. He remains one of the top prospects at his position coming from the Atlantic provinces.
- Maxime Ouellet, CSR Goaltending Specialist
Julien Nadeau – Defenseman – Collège Notre-Dame Albatros
Julien is a defenseman with an excellent skating stride. This allows him to stand out from opposing players on breakouts, as well as contain his opponents in one-on-one situations. What’s more, he’s very good at moving the puck, both out of his own zone and on the power play.
Although he is capable of playing physically with efficiency, Nadeau will need to work on his defensive consistency. No doubt he’ll be a player to watch at the next QMJHL draft.
- Frédéric Lévesque, CSR Scout
