Caleb Desnoyers is a top prospect in the 2025 NHL Draft. He plays for the Moncton Wildcats so I’m assuming most Canadiens fans know him. He’s a 6’2” center and Montreal needs that position filled in the worst way. This won’t happen overnight, but selecting him could help them move in that direction.
I track draft-eligible players for a living and I take snapshots of players to see how they improve during their draft year. When I look at centers I’m looking for guys that can play the position inside and out. So I look at face-offs, and according to InStat, he’s up to 62%. That’s impressive but it won’t stay that high as he moves up the ladder and I account for that too.
I’ve been tracking his defensive zone starts and they’re up to 25%. It was at 17% previously. That’s another great sign.
When talking about points in the “Q”, you have to take them with a grain of salt because they’re plentiful there and not a great indicator for most players. He has 34 goals and 46 assists currently in 54 games. This only places him 6th in the league to put it into perspective.
Desnoyers knows how to draw penalties with puck possession and excellent skating. I like his acceleration and he can make plays with defenders on him. He has a quick wrist shot too.
The trick here is the Canadiens have to be in the Top 10 to have a shot at him. He’s not going to slip outside of that so where they finish in the standings matters.