Played on Oct 30, 2022
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Game Played in Avenir Centre
Scout: Ian Moran
| Etienne Morin | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | R | D | 6’0″ | 183 | Moncton Wildcats | 2021 | Valleyfield, QC | 2005 | 2022-2023: A |
Game Rating
A
Comments: Morin is a slightly below average sized left shot defender who plays the game as if he does not have a pulse. He impacted every aspect of this one as he totaled 26:38 in TOI including 3:35 while on the power play and 1:56 while short handed. In offensive transition his passes were hard, flat and on time. He rarely looked at his intended target, but he still had the puck skills and deception to hit his man in stride. There were a few times where he got caught flat footed in defensive neutral zone transition, but in those instances Morin had a back pressure so no damage occurred. In the long run we would much rather see him getting playing with a tight gap rather than backing into his goalie and being ultra passive. He finished the game with two assists. The first coming as a secondary assist after he made the correct decision for a strong side chip in the neutral zone on a line rush which allowed his forwards to maintain their speed and win the loose puck. The second assist was a primary that came after he one-timed a snap shot from the strong side point. His shot created net front confusion and led directly to a rebound goal. As a puck carrier through the neutral zone we loved his willingness to attack the middle lane and kick it wide to his teammate. As he continues to develop his overall game and add strength we would like to see him be more assertive in the defensive zone while trying to end the cycle. Morin has a very smooth outside edge pivot and an excellent skating base that we feel will allow him to attack opponents more quickly in his end. He led the game with 14 give aways, but by our metric only three impacted the game negatively for Moncton with two of those being hurried icings and one being a blind pass into his own slot while he was trying to do too much from below his goal line. The other eleven give aways were smart decisions at the lines to get the puck deep and not get his teammates trapped goin the wrong direction. Morin won 71% of his puck battles. He is a high end NHL prospect who thrives offensive in transition.
| Miles Mueller | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | C | 6’0″ | 187 | Moncton Wildcats | 2020 | Biel, SUI | 2004 | 2022-2023: C |
Game Rating
C+
Comments: Mueller is a thickly built left shot forward with wide skating base that allows him to be very strong through contact. In this game he used his speed and ability to seamlessly change pace to put consistent pressure on Saint John’s defenders. We liked his willingness to attack the middle lane and then drive the opposing defenders dep into their zone. He showed good awareness as an F2 or F3 and this awareness allowed him to score on a quick release snap shot from just below the dot after he activated as the F2. Mueller contributed to both special team’s units and he finished the game -1 while being on the ice in a 4on4 situation. At this point we do not see him as a 2023 NHL draft pick, but we feel he will continue to play on Swiss national teams and potentially earn a contract as an overager.
| Preston Lounsbury | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | C | 5’11” | 163 | Moncton Wildcats | 2022 | Salisbury, NB | 2005 | Not yet rated |
Game Rating
C
Comments: Lounsbury is an average sized left shot forward. He showed straight line explosiveness which came from a deep knee bend and solid toe snap at the end of his stride. He may have only had 10:03 in TOI, but he jumped off the ice at us during his first shift where he made a heads up read to break-up a pass into the open slot and then used a quick burst of speed to win a race to a loose puck for a 1on1. The QMJHL rookie continued to make sound defensive zone decisions throughout the game and was relied on to take defensive zone face-offs. We like his stride and attention to detail away from the puck, but to have an opportunity to play professionally he will need to continue gaining upper body strength.
| Natan Grenier | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | R | D | 5’10” | 163 | Saint John Sea Dogs | 2021 | Boischatel, QC | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
Game Rating
C
Comments: Grenier is a smooth skating right shot defender with below average size. He has the skating base and athleticism to play both the right and left sides. In this game he earned 11:11 in TOI including 0:25 while on the power play. In the defensive zone Grenier worked to be an outlet for his partner and he made good firm cross ice passes. He retrieved dump-ins with pace. but we noted that we would like to see him scan the ice more frequently while he was on his way back to the puck. There were a few times where he stayed hyper focused on the puck which allowed the Saint John forecheckers to line him up for an unnecessary big hit. In neutral zone defensive transition he appeared to base his gap off the Saint John’s player who was moving the fastest. Defensively we feel as though there were times when his body and stick ended up outside of the dot-lane which exposed the valuable middle lane. He won 75% of his puck battles. At this point we do not see Grenier as a potential 2023 draft pick, but he is a player to watch because as he gains strength he has teh skating ability to play in all situations.
| Thomas Auger | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | R | C | 5’8″ | 151 | Moncton Wildcats | 2020 | L’Ancienne-Lorette, QC | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Rating
B-
Comments: Auger is an undersized right shot forward who contributed in all three fazes of the game. He stopped on loose pucks and when he was a middle drive he stopped in front of Saint John’s net looking to be disruptive. Once engaged physically he spun off contact and won races to the open ice. On line rushes he showed the awareness to fill open lanes and he presented a forehand receiving target so he could make plays quickly and settle bouncing pucks. Auger was a very effective F1 and showed the tenacity to hound pucks until he forced his opponents into poor decisions. He won 70% of his puck battles. At this point we do not see Auger as a potential draft pick, but we have little doubt that he will earn a development camp invite and we would not be surprised if his on ice temperament earns him an opportunity to play professionally.
| Cole Bishop | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | LW | 6’1″ | 194 | Niagara Ice Dogs | 2022 | Franklin, TN | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
Game Rating
C+
Comments: Bishop is a high effort , high compete 6’1″ winger. He is bit of an inside edge skater which allowed him to show some slippery in 1on1 situations. We loved the mindset of trying to outwork his opponent on every shift, but there were times that his all out effort allowed him to get trapped below the puck while in position to be his line’s F2 or F3. Bishop earned power play minutes (1:59 TOI) as the shooter on the right flank, but his unit failed to establish quality offensive zone time. He finished the game -1, but it’s noteworthy that the minus came while the teams were playing 4on4 hockey. He finished the game with 3 give aways and 1 take away. He also received a roughing penalty for finishing his check after the Saint John defender had made a pass. We have zero issue with this penalty and would like to continue seeing Bishop should finish every check with authority.
| Cole Burbidge | Saint John Sea Dogs | QMJHL | L | LW | 6’1″ | 164 | Saint John Sea Dogs | 2022 | Falmouth, NS | 2005 | 2022-2023: C+ |
Game Rating
C+
Comments: Burbidge is a long lanky center who led the U16 Mount St. Charles in assists during 2021/22 and in this game there were glimpses of his vision and touch. On the power play Burbidge played the right flank or mid-wall. From there he one-touched passes with authority and showed nice deception. An example of his deception occurred with about 13 minutes left in the first period as he pulled a bouncing puck off the wall. He looked as if he was going to attack the top pf the circle seam which sucked the Moncton penalty killing forward to him. He then quickly adjusted his hands giving a smooth backhand pass to the top of the umbrella. We feel he is still growing into himself and gaining strength as there were times when Burbidge would stand up during shifts and almost look as if he was taking a breather, but when his knees were bent we liked his skating posture and fluid stride. He finished the game minus 2 and on both plays he was positionally were he should have been, but failed to get his stick on the puck as he was standing too upright. We like that he was 7/13 on face-offs and that he had 7 take aways compared to just three give aways. And truthfully we love that he won 75% of his puck battles. He also drew a penalty in the second period by keeping his feet moving through contact forcing the Moncton player to hook him. We feel his face-off percentage, take aways and loose puck battle winning % are a sign of things to come once Burbidge gains strength and power.
| Sam-Luca Thifault | Saint John Sea Dogs | QMJHL | L | LW | 5’9″ | 183 | Vandreuil, QC | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
Game Rating
C
Comments: Thifault is an undersized left shot forward with a wide powerful skating base and an extended stride. After recording one assist in 21 games with Sherbrooke during the 21/22 season, he is looking to reestablish his offensive game in Saint John. Although he only played 9:34 in this game, we noticed signs of mental toughness that will help him throughout his career. The first example occurred early in the first period. After having a bad give away in below the dots in his defensive zone Thifault worked to get the puck back and then used his speed to charge hard through the neutral zone and ended up drawing a penalty as he kept his feet moving after a shot. On breakouts we liked his puck poise along the mid-wall and the deception he showed by using the weakside defender or low support to the center rather than forcing the puck to the slashing winger who had limited options. He had 3 give aways compared to 2 take aways and won 20% of his puck battles. At this point we feel Thifault is long shot to be drafted, but as he continues to train and gain strength he is a player who should be watched as a potential camp invite and free agent signing.
| Vince Elie | Saint John Sea Dogs | QMJHL | R | RW | 5’8″ | 176 | Saint John Sea Dogs | 2021 | Montreal, QC | 2005 | Not yet rated |
Game Rating
B
Comments: Elie is an under sized right wing with a powerful skating base and a quick explosive first step while changing direction. He uses a longer stick and looks very comfortable sliding his bottom hand up and down the shaft so he can utilize an expanded zone to control the puck. While communicating with his defensemen Elie backchecked with a purpose using an active stick to take away passing lanes. In the defensive zone he played with his head on a swivel and was quick to recognize when his teammates were going to win a loose puck battle so he could be a quick outlet. On line rushes he showed the awareness to recognize Moncton defender’s gaps and would adjust his speed to give himself more time or accelerate to push the defenders back so his teammates had more space under him. Although he is not the biggest player he is very strong on his skates and willing to engage physically. In the offensive zone Elie was a willing net front distraction and used his quickness to win races to 50/50 pucks. While cycling he made picks and rolled off contact to the net looking for quick give and goes. Elie was a mainstay on the first power play unit where he seamlessly adjusted between the net front and bumper positions. As the net front he utilized flash screens and would slide to the goal line when needed. as the bumper he showed the understanding that he was not positioned there to be a mindless shooter, but instead executed one-touch passes and looked to be a downhill tip option. Overall Elie had 22:15 TOI including 4: 24 while on the power play. Surprisingly he did not contribute to the penalty kill unit. He finished the game with 5 give aways and 6 take aways. He won 42% of his puck battles.
| Pavel Simek | Saint John Sea Dogs | QMJHL | L | LW | 5’10” | 154 | Saint John Sea Dogs | 2022 | Kralove, CZE | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
Game Rating
C
Comments: Simek is a fleet footed left shot forward who, after playing U20 in his native Czechia last season, has come to North America to play major junior during his NHL draft year. He likes to play with pace and the puck does not slow him down. He took a huge hit early in the game, but that did not change his mindset of trying to use his skating ability and lateral mobility to beat opponents on line rushes or in 1on1 situations. Although he played 11:04 we noted his compete away from the puck, especially while backchecking and applying back pressure deep into his defensive zone. We tried to notice if this was a systematic team trait or something that he did on his own, but either way Simek worked to apply relentless pressure when he was the high forward defensively. We also liked that he finished the game with 4 take aways compared to 1 give away. By our count three of the take aways occurred while Simek was well positioned as the F3 and forced the Moncton player to make poor decisions with the puck. He won 43% of his puck battles. Although he currently may not be on many NHL draft watchlists, we feel his overall skill set will allow him to earn more ice time and potentially his offensive contribution will grow.
| Nicolas Bilodeau | Saint John Sea Dogs | QMJHL | L | D | 5’7″ | 157 | Saint John Sea Dogs | 2021 | Gatineau, QC | 2005 | Not yet rated |
Game Rating
C+
Comments: Bilodeau is a compact undersized left shot defender who uses a combination of his quick first step and game processing to impact the game on a shift by shift basis. We immediately noticed the confidence he has in his skating ability as he pinched line rushes off before the defensive blueline using a low center of gravity to knock opponents off the puck. Bilodeau retrieved pucks while at top speed and scanned the entire surface looking for forecheckers and outlet options. He worked to be an outlet for his defensive partner and we liked the game awareness he showed by using both net and corner reverses to break Moncton’s aggressive forecheck. His passes were hard and accurate. He showed the puck skills to handle bouncing pucks off the wall while under pressure and still consistently go tape to tape for clean transition. He appeared to be used as a complimentary piece on the special team’s units. After jumping into the play as the late option Bilodeau earned a secondary power play assist. It may not have been a beautifully drawn up play, but we liked the awareness and hustle he showed to activate to be an option. Bilodeau does not appear to have a rocket from the point, but he used his feet to expand the offensive zone and change shooting lanes. We liked his game, but lack of size will hinder his chances at an NHL career.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images