Neutral Zone focused on players eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft.
| Tomas Lavoie | Cape Breton Eagles | QMJHL | R | D | 6’4″ | 225 | Cape Breton Eagles | 2022 | Repentigny, QC | 2006 | 2023-2024: B |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Standing at 6’4′ and with a thick build Lavoie is a massive presence on the backend. He showed a shoulder width skating base while staying in an athletic posture of shoulders-knees-toes alignment. He is not a burner but he showed smooth cross-overs while wheeling the net and he used his body to cut through his opponent’s ice so he would have more time and space to make a play. He finished the game with 10 takeaways as he showed consistent understanding of how to position himself between his opponent and the loose puck. On puck retrievals he looked over both shoulders to locate all three forecheckers. This allowed him to recognize when the forecheckers were below his wingers and Lavoie would perfectly content to wrap the puck along the wall or use an indirect pass to get the forecheckers trapped going the wrong direction. This simple play head’s up play led directly to Cape Breton’s first goal. We also liked the awareness and puck poise he showed at the end of a second period penalty when he blocked a shot, gathered the puck to make a perfect pass to send his man out of the box in on a breakaway. Defensively there were some recognition issues as he finished -3. His first minus came after he pinned his man to the wall but then let him spin off contact to beat him to the net front for a quick give and go goal. The second came on a line rush when Acadie had what was effectively a 3 on 5 with the puck carrier coming down Lavoie’s right dot-lane. On the rush Lavoie played with a soft gap allowing the pick carrier to gain the zone driving deep into the face-off circle before he passed to the goal scorer in the slot. It was a total team breakdown but he could have ended it early with a tighter gap and better footwork. The third came on point shot where Lavoie was attempting to box out but in all reality turned himself into a flash screen for his goalie. He also picked up a minus on Acadie’s empty net goal. He finished the game -3 with 0 points, 5 shots, 1 hit, 1 shot blocked, 2 giveaways, 10 takeaways and on the season he is winning 56% of his 50/50 puck battles.
| Emile Ricard | Cape Breton Eagles | QMJHL | L | C | 5’11” | 164 | Cape Breton Eagles | 2023 | Drummondville, QC | 2007 | 2024-2025: B- |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Ricard is a below average sized left shot left wing with an upright skating posture and very quick first three steps. early in the game as a 2007 playing a regular 5 on 5 shift there were times when it looked things were moving too fast for him but as the game went on he settled in showing more confidence. Examples, in the second period he picked up a loose puck at the offensive blueline and then swung through the left dot-lane to fire a quick snapshot through the defender’s legs. And in the third he jumped on a loose puck in the high slot and fearlessly attacked the net for a quick backhand-forehand-backhand quick dribble for a high quality scoring chance. As he gains confidence we would love to see him attack the middle lane offensively as the puck carrier. He finished the game -1 with 0 points, 2 shots, 1 grade ‘A’ opportunity, 2/4 on face-offs, 0 hits, received 1 hit, 4 giveaways, 2 takeaways and on the season he is winning 42% of his 50/50 puck battles.
| William Shields | Cape Breton Eagles | QMJHL | R | RW | 5’9″ | 168 | Cape Breton Eagles | 2022 | Falmouth, NS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Shields is an undersized right shot right wing with a smooth glide and powerful explosive strides who pops coming out of tight turns and hard stops. As the puck carrier he used his speed to drive the opposing defensemen off both the defensive and offensive bluelines. In the third period he used his speed to beat his opponent around the net for a grade ‘A’ wrap around scoring opportunity. Unfortunately he did not use his feet in a defensive situation and took a hooking penalty in the defensive zone with 1:54 remaining in the third period. For the game he finished -2 with 0 points, 2 shots, 0 hits, received 2 hits, had 1 giveaway, 3 takeaways and for the season he is winning 53% of his 50/50 puck battles.
| Lincoln Waugh | Cape Breton Eagles | QMJHL | L | D | 5’10” | 170 | Cape Breton Eagles | 2021 | Wilmot Valley, PE | 2006 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Waugh is a below average sized left shot defenseman who took shifts on both the right and left sides. He uses a long stick and combines that with a hidden poke check to force bobbled pucks when opponents are trying to beat him 1 on 1. He finished the game -1 on a goal where he left his net front coverage to chase behind the net. Overall he played a simple game looking to make the right play so he would stay out of trouble. He finished the game -1 with 0 points, 1 shot, 1 hit, 2 giveaways, 7 takeaways and on the season he is winning 61% of his 50/50 puck battles.
| Jakub Milota | Cape Breton Eagles | QMJHL | L | G | 6’1″ | 167 | Cape Breton Eagles | 2023 | Ostrava, CZE | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Milota was drafted 23rd overall in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. He backed up tonight.
| Callum Aucoin | Cape Breton Eagles | QMJHL | L | LW | 6’11” | 172 | Cape Breton Eagles | 2021 | Hammonds Plains, NS | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Did not play
| Etienne Desjardins | Cape Breton Eagles | QMJHL | L | D | 6’1″ | 208 | Cape Breton Eagles | 2022 | Mirabel, QC | 2006 | Not yet rated |
Did not play
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images