Game played 10/18/2024.
Korney Korneyev (C, L, 6’0″, 172, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 10/16/2007)
Grade: A-
Comments: Incredibly impressed with this players game, I realize games like this one with a large scoring margin might not be the greatest indicator of talent especially with a very talented young team like the Sags, but Korneyev had a terrific game. His speed and creativity was off the charts, he didn’t shy away from the dirty areas of the ice and was engaged all game long, He’s an incredibly savvy silky smooth winger with great edge control and compete level. His game reminded me of former Rouyn-Noranda Huskies forward and Boston Bruin draft pick Jakub Lauko, by no means is he as tough and rugged as Lauko, but the way he transports the puck and plays in traffic reminded me a lot of his game. This kid is deceptively fast and tremendously skilled, it was the subtle indirect passes and plays that he made at top speed that really jumped off the page for me, Again, here’s a player that might not appear on too many lists or rankings right now, but he will be there at the end, he was engaged from start to finish, here’s a player to definitely keep an eye on moving forward, As he continues to adjust to the North American game his offensive numbers will continue to climb. He was very responsible defensively and accountable in all three zones, he didn’t cheat and played hard in all three zones.
Alex Huang (D, R, 6’0″, 161, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 08/30/2007)
Grade: A-
Comments: It’s incredibly difficult to evaluate and project a young draft eligible defencemen when the game is out of hand, but that’s the job that we have to do on some nights. Alex Huang has all of the tools to be a highly effective defender moving forward into the pro game. Critics will look at his size as a knock, but Huang makes up for the perceived lack of size with amazing hockey IQ and tremendously solid defensive structure to his overall game. An offensive defender who’s first priority is the defensive end, that’s a rare combination, but that’s what Huang brings to the game. Huang defends well and continues to put the work on and improve that element of his game. He has a very active stick in all three zones and skates extremely and is really learning how to leverage his body and frame to defend and then initiate transitional opportunities. His skating ability and edge control only adds to his escapability. He makes would be forecheckers miss and possesses a great first pass. This kid has great gap control and overall game awareness, his puck retrievals are calm, consistent and composed. He seldomly rushes things coming out of his zone and is willing to take a hit to make a play. He has pheromonal instincts to jump into the play and contribute offensively. I had the privilege to watch this kid during the playoffs a season ago, His composure with the puck in all three zones jumped off the page then and it’s only getting better and better as this season progresses. Obviously, critics will question his skating ability, size and strength in the defensive zone, but those aspects of the game are always called into question when evaluating any ‘undersized’ D-man, Huang is a highly effective full three zone defender at the Q level who projects to be the same type of player at the next level. Huang’s progression and trajectory is truly noteworthy and he is definitely one defensive prospect to keep an eye on moving forward. Huang will continue to prove his critics wrong just like he has all the way through.
Alonso Gosselin (D, L, 6’1″, 195, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 08/13/2007)
Grade: B-
Comments: solid skating rearguard, transitions pucks well, and defends well, active stick in all three zones, here’s a young player trying to find his footing and traction in the league. At 6’1 Gosselin will have to get stronger and a lot nastier in order to play a hard nosed in your face type of defensive game. He does possess offensive instincts and has the capability to contribute to the rush and more offensive situations, but needs to be more assertive in those sequences, that will come with more reps and experience. Gosselin had some time on the top pair and didn’t look out of place in that situation, but here’s a young player still searching for his identity and might be looking to solidify his role with the Sags and within the league. What type of defender does he want to be? That’s the question, if he wants to make it to the next level, he will have to get stronger which will help his overall game and style of play, You can tell Gosselin is very confident in his ability, he just has to become more consistent and trust his ability. All signs point to a late bloomer here, definitely a player that possesses quiet talent and in some cases all those players need is time.
Thomas Desruisseaux (C, L, 5’11”, 162, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 03/10/2006)
Grade: B
Comments: I see tons of potential in this player, he went undrafted a year ago, but still possesses all the tools to be an effective energy player with tons of offensive upside. Here’s a player that might not have had the greatest of nights vs the Cats, but still has tons of value, Desruisseaux along with Vermette and Duquet for the Sags that are the straws that stir the drink for this organization. This kid competes every shift and will have another big year, He’s the prototypical 2nd line center or top six forward who will score you big goals or shutdown other players top lines.
Emile Duquet (LW, L, 5’9″, 170, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 02/02/2005)
Grade: B+
Comments: Duquet continues to catch my eye, here’s an ‘undersized’ player that doesn’t get a ton of credit for what he brings to the table, At 5’10 this kid is hands down the hardest worker in the Sags lineup. He logs massive minutes in every situation, is a fantastic energy player, has great hands, plays in traffic and never backs down. Duquet is incredibly versatile and is one player that you can tell his opponents hate to play against. When you line up against Emile Duquet you know you’re going to be in for a long long night, because he will make you pay in many aspects of the game. He’s skilled enough to play up and down any line up and can play both forward positions with relative ease, but I can definitely see this kid playing at the pro level, I like him through the middle at the Q level, but he could play on the wing at the pro game and bring tons of energy and grit. His offensive instincts and puck skills are highly underrated. There’s no question Emile Duquet is one of the most underrated players in the Q.
Jonathan Prud’homme (D, L, 5’10”, 177, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 01/27/2007)
Grade: B-
Comments: Prud’homme is a solid skater, possesses good puck skills and has a good first pass, There’s no question he has good poise on the offensive blueline and is creative with the puck, but on this night, in my opinion he really fought things and tried to do a little too much with the puck and away from the puck. At times he got exposed from an agility standpoint. He can definitely transport pucks, but his recovery needs to improve if he’s going to do that more often. He has an active stick and pretty good gap control, however Prud’homme will need to continue to work on his agility and lateral mobility if he wants to reach his full potential at the next level. He will have to continue to get stronger which will help his explosiveness. His puck retrievals were good, but he will need to continue improve that area of his game and work on taking better routes to pucks, to aid in quicker and more seamless transitions and 1st passes. He does have good instincts to jump into the play, but needs to pick and choose his opportunities better and be more assertive and confident when he has the puck on his stick through the neutral zone and while gaining the offensive zone.
Nathan Lecompte (C, R, 5’9″, 168, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 01/19/2007)
Grade: B-
Comments: Lecompte is fantastic skater, has amazing edge work and speed for days, He processes the game extremely well, and definitely has the capability to be a great two-way player in the Q and beyond, but on this night, he was way too perimeter in my opinion. Lecompte is coming off a great rookie season that saw him put up 15 goals, but versus the Cats he wasn’t consistent and didn’t compete hard enough away from the puck at times. Again, here’s a perfect example of a player and entire team that had a ‘tough game’ which can happen and by no means am I going to hold that against anyone, but you can definitely learn a lot from watching these types of games. Lecompte needed to engage and get to the middle more to contribute and create offensive opportunities that night, It wasn’t from lack of effort or skill and sometimes you have to give the other team credit, but here’s a perfect example of what this player might face at the next level. At 5’10 Lecompte is going to experience these types of nights a lot at the pro game, it’s how a player can adjust that reveals a lot about their potential. There’s no question Nathan Lecompte can play, he just needs to find that consistency and play more to his identity no matter who or what team he is facing. If a player doesn’t have their A game, what’s their B game like? That’s very telling. Lecompte is one player to keep an eye moving forward to see how he continues to progress this season.
Emile Guite (LW, L, 6’1″, 174, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 05/31/2007)
Grade: B+
Comments: Guite had a solid outing vs the Cats, again it was a tough game to assess due to the score, He didn’t back down and stayed engaged throughout the entire contest. Guite is dynamic skating creative power forward who has great offensive instincts, his edge control and agility are impressive for his size. From last year during the playoffs to now you can tell this young man has worked incredibly hard on getting a step quicker and more explosive which will only help him reach his full potential at the pro level. Guite possesses game breaking qualities and can really take over games with elite offensive instincts and vision and passing ability, his puck skills are off the charts, he still needs to bring more urgency and assertiveness to his game at times on both sides of the puck. One aspect of his game that needs to be refined is his routes to pucks, He needs to take more direct routes to pucks and engage and win more battles in all three zones. Emile Guite can flat out play the game, if he continues to progress and work on certain aspects of his game he will be a terrific pro!
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images