Despite the audible, the Sea Dogs have seemingly positioned themselves well coming into 2025-26, with a good mix of young talent and veterans. One thing is clear, this team should be poised to not only make the playoffs but likely have their best season since 2021-22, where they went 47-17-4.
Goalies
Returning for his third season in Saint John is presumed starting goaltender Justin Robinson. To say Robinson had an underwhelming season would be an understatement, however the collapse of the team in front of him and mid-season push into the starter role are very good excuses.
In relief, it'd appear as though Rafael Courchesne is the man. The former third round pick in 2024 by the Sea Dogs will be a rookie this season, having yet to have iced in a QMJHL game. He is a 2026 NHL draft eligible.
I can imagine the team is looking towards acquiring an overage goaltender to fill the sole remaining overage slot to start or tandem with Robinson and help provide stability as the team pushes towards becoming a legit team. However, in the meantime, they will be graded accordingly.
Rating: C
Defense
Defensively, there's a lot of maybes, however it's hard not to be excited at their blueline.
The d-corps only features one returner in recent NCAA commit Olivier Duhamel, a 2026 NHL draft prospect, who I expect to, at the very least, double his production from last year (9 in 39).
As for new players, 2026 NHL draft eligible Cameron Chartrand and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Everett Baldwin are among the biggest additions.
Chartrand, 17, was the team's 19th overall pick last year and is fresh off of representing Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. He projects as a Top-100 level prospect in the upcoming draft.
Meanwhile, Baldwin is an offensive dynamo who thrived in the US Prep school circuit and didn't look out of place on the USA National Team Development Program nor Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL either.
I expect both blueliners to eclipse the half-a-point per game mark.
Import Patryk Zubek should also be a solid piece on the blueline as well, coming off of 23 games of pro hockey between Slovakia's top and second leagues.
The other import, Max Vilen, was listed at camp. I cannot confirm this, however, as EP has him listed with Vaxjo's U20 squad in Sweden and Vilen has yet to have played with the Sea Dogs this pre-season at all.
While I think Chartrand and Baldwin can work the league, and Zubek and Duhamel are solid as well, I am still left with questions about the last two defensive slots and how they might pan out.
The massive turnover also makes me think that out of the gate they may struggle as the team adapts to the systems and also eachother. As such, I'll be a bit conservative, however I can see this batch exceeding my expectations.
Rating: B
Forwards
Up front is where the team is built best.
The team boasts many returners.
Winger Zachary Morin, 18, will look to bounce back after an underwhelming 36-point rookie campaign, and should have the tools and runway to potentially double that number,
18-year-old centerman Olivier Groulx should be set to expand upon his 41-point breakout season last year.
Both William Yared (30 in 58) and Dylan Rozzi (34 in 62) are poised to breakout offensively in their sophomore seasons, and break into Top-100 considerations for the 2026 NHL draft.
Meanwhile Elliot Dube, 18, will continue to develop as a faceoffs specialist, and potentially become a middle-six calibre scorer this season after a 22-point rookie campaign.
However, outside of the familiar faces, the new additions are where things get tantilizing.
The QMJHL's first overall pick, centerman Alexis Joseph, will look to make an immediate impact on the league right out of the gate.
Alongside him, import Olivers Murnieks is yet another 2026 NHL draft eligible of note, who is fresh off of a 35-point season in the USHL with Sioux City. I can very well see Murnieks breaking out and becoming a second, or perhaps even mid-to-late first round pick if all goes well by June.
The team also added University of Denver commit and 2025 NHL draft snub Alex Donovan, who netted 91 points over 58 games with the prestigious Shattuck St. Mary's prep program last season.
Not to mention the two recent overage pickups in Angelo Fullerton from Cape Breton and Natan Ethier from Shawinigan, who may very well end up as depth players for the team.
All-in-all, this can be a very good squad offensively, but they still aren't quite apex predators in that regard. Perhaps next season, though.
Rating: A
Verdict
While I don't expect the Sea Dogs to be contenders this season, I do expect them to make a massive leap forward towards that. Goaltending and the overage choices remain suspect and they could use a more experienced blueline, however, should they find these additions and continue their trajectory upwards, they should be one of, if not, the team to watch in 2026-27.
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