Scouting Report- NHL Draft Eligible Players
Acadie-Bathurst Titan vs Moncton Wildcats (October 2nd, 2021) QMJHL
Both teams were healthy for the end of this home and home series. Bathurst has the edge in experience, while Moncton is known as a high work ethic team that competes from whistle to whistle. Bathurst is a very skilled team that included NHL picks in Cole Huckins, Riley Kidney, Jacob Melanson and Jan Bednar in net.
Bathurst Titan
| Marc-Andre Gaudet | Acadie-Bathurst Titan | QMJHL | L | D | 6’3″ | 181 | Acadie-Bathhurst Titan | St. Ignace, NB | 2003 | 2021-2022: C 2020-2021: C |
As a 17 year old I watched Gaudet play often last season and he impressed me every time I saw him play. In this game, there were various areas that stood out to me in his play which convinces me he will be a prospect that will receive much attention from NHL scouts throughout the season. Gaudet is not a busy defenseman, he played extremely hard in the defensive zone and was rarely out of position. He is mobile, not overly quick, but he rarely lost any kind of foot race for pucks. I thought he was extremely good on puck retrievals while under pressure by never panicking, getting back to pucks quickly and making good outlet passes for effective exits out of his zone. His smarts are attractive given he plays guys hard but nothing beyond the boundaries. A very reliable player who I see as a solid defensive defenseman that has a ton of growth yet in his game. A Player to watch! Game Grade: B+
| Harijs Brants | Acadie-Bathurst Titan | QMJHL | L | D | 6’0″ | 185 | Acadie-Bathurst Titan | Valmiera, LAT | 2002 | 2021-2022: C+ 2019-2020: C+ |
Brants is an offensive defenseman who is effective at joining the rush as the second wave or fourth man in the attack. He scored the first goal of the game by finding some quiet ice in the high slot and having a smooth release to his shot. In all three zone Brants plays with confidence and he looked very involved in the game. Brants has a strong skating posture, is very smooth on his feet and has an effortless stride. He is not an overly physical player, but he is effective when defending by having good stick positioning and he has the game awareness to always on the defensive side of the puck. I believe he has the frame to play a more physical defensive style while defending the cycle which will help round out his overall game. A defenseman in his third season of draft eligibility and I feel he is the type of player who’s game will translate to higher levels. Game Grading: B
| Zach Biggar | Acadie-Bathurst Titan | QMJHL | L | D | 6’0″ | 185 | Acadie-Bathhurst Titan | 2019 | Portage, PE | 2003 | 2021-2022: C+2020-2021: B- |
Another core defenseman for this Bathurst team. Although Biggar went undrafted in 2021, he recently returned from the New Jersey Devils development camp. To put it clearly, I feel he is a player that you really need to watch closely to gain a clear evaluation of his game. He doesn’t jump off the ice at you, but he does play effectively and make an impact at both ends of the ice. Biggar is a very mobile defenseman who has the edge control and power to escape from forechecking pressure extremely well. In this game, he looked very confident with the puck making good decisions at the bluelines and he was able to make smart reads while defending line rushes. Overall Biggar is a puck moving defenseman who has the first touch to be an effective power play quarterback at this level. I feel he will be a player to track throughout the 2021-2022 season. Game Grade: B
Moncton Wildcats
| Vincent Filion | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | G | 6’0″ | 181 | Moncton Wildcats | Shawinigan, QC | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Filon is a very sound confident goalie who shows maturity well beyond his age. There’s no question that Filion will be a prospect for the 2022 NHL Draft, however how high he goes remains to be seen. Although he allowed 4 goals in this game, he was the game’s third star. I liked how he showed patience in the net by not always going to his knees when challenging shooters. He has a calm demeanor and seems to move on to the next play very quickly and easily. Game Grade: B-
| Yoan Loshing | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | LW | 5’9″ | 161 | Moncton Wildcats | 2020 | Sainte-Catherine, QC | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Loshing is an explosive skater who gets to loose pucks or open ice very quickly when he wants to. His speed allows him to win races for puck races and there seemed to be certain shifts where his pace overwhelmed his opponents. Overall Loshing was average in this game. He has the puck skills to put you on the edge of your seat and a high-end release on his snap shot, however I feel his effort needs to be more consistent to really put himself into the serious draft conversation. In my opinion Loshing had too many inconsistent shifts. As a seventeen year old there is no doubt that he will help push the pace for Moncton and that he will get scoring opportunities purely based on his speed and release of the puck, but I feel when he brings that energy to every shift his game will explode. Game Grade: C
| Maxim Barbashev | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | LW | 6’0″ | 181 | Moncton Wildcats | 2020 | Moscow | 2003 | 2021-2022: B- |
Barbashev is power forward who plays a straight forward North-South game. I saw him play last year and as I watched him I grew to enjoy his game. He has a ton of bite and abrasiveness. He finishes his checks with authority and seems to feel that he can create time and space by intimidating his opponents. In this game, he was a little quiet and he just seemed to be off for some reason. He never agitated like he normally does and I feel that is a part of his game that he needs to bring on a nightly basis. He is very effective around the net and can finish, but in this game he was very quiet. He does have a very good release and will be expected to drive the Moncton’s offense. Game Grade: C
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Evaluation by: Brian Casey