The physical forward is among the top re-entry prospects available in the 2026 NHL draft.
As the countdown to the 2026 NHL draft reaches the 10-day mark, the scope of prospects coming into focus widens as the league shifts away from the on-ice product and into off-season mode.
Today's focus is on Liam Lefebvre, a player whose stock has risen as the season has gone along, and is now seen as one of the top re-entry prospects in this year's draft.
The 19-year-old was moved from Rimouski to Chicoutimi ahead of the Sags' run to the Gilles-Courteau trophy, and was again moved to a Cape Breton team loading up earlier this month.
Liam Lefebvre with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. (Photo: Bruno Girard)So, clearly a player with Lefebvre's profile is in demand across junior hockey, and the interest is extending to NHL scouts who have paid attention to his game.
The Montreal native scored 59 (32+27) points in 59 combined regular season games between the Océanic and Saguenéens, and added 12 points in 20 playoff games to go alongside that.
This functioned as his rookie season, choosing to play his age-16 through 18 seasons in the U.S. for Trinity-Pawling prep school.
While he lit it up there, it's difficult to be seen and evaluated playing at that level, so moving up to a more established development league is what's boosted the big man's draft stock as he's shown what he can do against better competition.
In addition, Lefebvre is a big, hard-checking forward that can play in many different roles.
He's shown a great ability on the forecheck to disrupt opposing defenders and lay the body. He can score in tight and has a decent set of hands to go along with his 6-foot-3, 203-pound frame. He's responsible defensively and can play a regular shift at centre or wing.
Lefebvre is just a really well-rounded player who plays an endearing style to NHL teams, especially those who are looking to beef up in the bottom-six.
The downside, as it is for most overage players in the NHL draft, is that he's already a year further down his developmental pathway. While a point-per-game season in major junior is a very good season for a prospect, it's more impressive for an 18-year-old to do it than a 19-year-old.
Because of that, you have to evaluate on a bit of a curve, and project out with your older player against younger players who have more time to develop.
That's typically why these re-entry players only start entering the picture in the second round of the draft, because it's rare to find the combination of a player who has so much talent they deserve to be drafted super early regardless of their age, and that player not already being taken in his first year of eligibility.
For Lefebvre, he'll probably start entering the conversation at around the pick 45-50 mark. His combination of size, physicality and enough soft skill will be tantalizing to NHL teams who want to get bigger, and his scoring profile is that of a second-round player anyway.
He's committed to join the NCAA's University of Vermont for the 2027-28 campaign, after his season with the Eagles is done.
For now, though, it'll be about getting drafted and getting back to the Memorial Cup with his new QMJHL team for Liam Lefebvre.
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