2027 NHL Draft Prospects That Have Impressed In QMJHL So Far

We're just three weeks into the 2026-27 QMJHL campaign, but that's plenty of time to some prospects around the league to start impressing scouts.

Getting off to a hot start is always a good thing, leaving a good first impression to those watching you closely ahead of your draft year. This year, there's a ton of intrigue in QMJHL prospects, more than any recent year on memory.

Thanks to added imports, more Americans coming over thanks to the NCAA/CHL rule change, and also just a solid batch of young Canadians, the intrigue in prospects around the league is legitimate, and there have been some players certainly boosting their stock in the early goings of this season. 

Here's a look at a handful of those guys, in no particular order.

With six assists in six games, L'Italien is off to a very solid start to his draft year. After a very strong showing at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, playing on the top pair on a dominant Canadian team alongside Landon DuPont, his poise, puck-moving and smart decision making stood out.

That tournament definitely got even more eyes than there already were on the third overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL draft, and vaulted him up to legitimate first round conversations.

Playing big minutes with solid production as a 6-foot-4 blueliner that skates well is a tantilizing combination of talent, and continued success will absolutely put L'Italien in the conversation to be a day one pick come June.

The Océanic have been off to a flying start to the new campaign, shattering a lot of preseason expectations throughout the opening seven games of the season.

A big part of that has been a pair of new signings, with import Mares and American Pellegrino sitting tied for second on the team in scoring with three goals and nine points apiece.

The big, 6-foot-6 Mares is a nightmare to contain at his size, and possesses some soft hands in and around the goal. He's making a legitimate claim to be part of Czechia's World Juniors team this winter, and if he continues at this pace, it'll be hard to overlook the big man.

Pellegrino came in after some gaudy point totals at the U.S. prep school level last year, and has continued his scoring exploits for the Océanic this season. He's quick, moves the puck effectively, and knows where to be on the ice to create offence. 

At just 5-foot-10, he likely won't be a super high pick unless his point totals really inflate, but he's absolutely making his mark on the Q early on.

It's pretty difficult to talk 2027 NHL draft prospects in this league without bringing up the Remparts trio.

Scantlebury has been electric to start the campaign, with six goals and three assists in six games. He's a quick-strike, dangerous attacking weapon who can beat defenders with the puck, dart past them to get open without it, and has a wonderful finishing touch both in tight and from a distance.

He's another guy who's a bit smaller, which may hurt his stock a bit, but he's so dynamic and fun to watch on the ice.

Meyer is a bigger, more well-rounded player, who has two goals and nine points in six games. His playmaking has been on display in the early goings, and he's just someone who's very good at everything you want a player to do on the ice. There's a reason he's touted as a top-10 prospect.

Deniger has continued his positive play from last season, sporting a 4-1-0 record, .909 save percentage and 2.40 goals-against average as Quebec's starter. Keeping consistent will be important for his draft stock, as well as an improved playoff performance.

This highly-rated duo hasn't quite popped the way some of the other prospects on this list have, but they are both point-per-game in the young campaign.

Joseph has a ton of eyes on him after a couple of so-so international showings over the summer, and people are really waiting on him to really pop offensively. He's at two goals and four assists in six games, a good tally but not quite the explosion hoped for.

Still, he has a hard and heavy shot, he's a big body with good finesse, and he's putting up solid point numbers. He's well on his way to being a high pick come June.

Glance is the newer addition to this team, with the American signing with the Sea Dogs over the summer. His playmaking game has been on full display, with a goal and six assists in the opening six games of the season, including a three-helper game the other night.

He's a good passer who excels with little one-touch plays, keeping the puck moving quickly and effectively. He's also very quick and loves to push the pace of the game that way, too. 

There's no doubt Glance is a first-round calibre player, and adding a few more goals to his game will only help him rise from there.

Russian import Shtyrkhunov made headlines on his debut with a two-goal performance, and while he's faded a bit since then, he's sitting at four points in five games now.

The Cataractes have been quite poor defensively as a young team, which has hurt his defensive totals a bit, and while he isn't a perfect player off the puck, situation has more to do with that than anything else. 

Shtyrkhunov has shown a good ability to be dynamic with the puck, run a power play and overall just help his team with the puck on his stick, and has been a bright spot in a tough start for Shawinigan.

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