NHL Draft season is underway, and what better time to take a sneak-peak into some of the best the QMJHL have to offer who might hear their name called next weekend.
RW Maxim Masse - Chicoutimi Saguenéens
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Since the beginning of the year, Maxim Massé has generally been the No. 1 ranked player from the QMJHL and for good reason. Masse’s 29-goal, 62-point season in 2022-23 was good enough to be named CHL’s Rookie of the Year. He followed it this year with a stronger 39-goal, 75-point campaign, but didn’t lead draft eligibles in either stat. He got the nod to Canada's U18 team for the U18 World Championships where he put put up two goals and three assists for five points in seven games, more than projected first round picks Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin. Masse's offense mostly stems from using his frame to drive the net and shooting around the crease, which are both projectible habits. He also battles along the boards, again using his frame, to win pucks. Masse may not have elite tools or be as flashy as other prospects, but his game seems extremely adaptable to pro hockey and lacks holes that would hold other prospects back.
D Tomas Lavoie - Cape Breton Eagles
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Former 1st overall pick in the QMJHL draft Tomas Lavoie checks off a lot of boxes that NHL scouts look for in defensemen. Right shot? Check. Large frame? Check. Good skating? Check. Lavoie has the tools to potentially become a capable shut-down defender at the NHL level. Though there are still many parts of his game that are a work in progress. Conservative defensemen are becoming a rare breed in the NHL as many teams prefer even their most defensive defensemen to be able to jump into the rush or break the puck out – things that Lavoie has struggled to or generally doesn’t do. Lavoie’s 24-point season doesn’t give a lot of confidence in his offensive ability, but his weaker production seems to be less of a reflection on his passing ability or shot than his commitment to playing a defense-first game. Lavoie is certainly a project, but if he can unlock that part of his game, he could become the kind of defenseman that playoff teams salivate over.
C Matyas Melovsky - Baie-Comeau Drakkar
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Matyas Melovsky is 20 years old, was passed over twice in the draft before and wasn’t even in the top 75 in goals in the QMJHL last season, yet he’s one of the league’s most interesting prospects this year. Melovsky may have only had 18 goals across 53 games this year, but he had coupled that with 42 assists for 60 points. He would showcase his playmaking ability further at the World Juniors where he had 1 goal and 10 assists across 7 games for 11 points helping lead Czechia to a bronze medal finish. Despite being primarily a playmaker, Melovsky drives offense with give-and-go’s and zone entries. He’s not only offensively proficient, but also a stalwart in his own zone. He's already attracted some league interest last year, participating in Detroit's 2023 rookie camp. If he can work on his shot and skating, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think he could become a three-zone distributor at the NHL level.
LW Jiri Klima - Shawinigan Cataractes
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At the start of the New Year, it was hard to imagine the possibility of Jiri Klima getting drafted. He may have taken the pre-season by storm, with 13 points across eight games, but by January 1st, the former 20th overall import selection had only four points across 22 games. Then all of a sudden, he took off again. Klima potted 27 points – 17 of which goals – over the next 31 games to close out the season. He’s got a good shot, high-end motor and good smarts. Next season will be important in determining whether he was inconsistent or just snake-bitten and if that’s the case, Klima could be in for a massive sophomore season. For prospective teams, it might be best to buy now when Klima's production is low rather than potentially have to draft him higher should he blossom next season.
The first round of the NHL draft will be airing June 28th, 2024 at 7:00 PM EST, and the following rounds throughout June 29th.