| Jacob Steinman | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | G | 6’0″ | 186 | Moncton Wildcats | 2022 | Cambridge, ON | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Jacob has been tremendous for the Wildcats yet again this season, he’s a quick, agile and athletic netminder, he challenges well, and is a battler between the pipes, he fights for his ice, he’s relentless and will do just about anything to stop the puck, Steinman is calm and composed, you can tell he’s made a concerted effort to get stronger, He has a very good glove and is very good downlow, he handles pucks well, but that’s one area of his game he could still improve, At 6’0 many scouts will believe he’s just too small to play the position at the next level, but he definitely possesses the intangibles it takes to play there. His compete level continues to be off the charts.
| Gabe Smith | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | C | 6’4″ | 208 | Moncton Wildcats | 2022 | St. Andrews, NB | 2006 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: has all the tools to be an extremely dangerous two way presence at the QMJHL level and beyond. Smith, a prototypical power forward skates incredibly well for his size, but still needs more polish to that side of his game, You can make all the comparisons and similarities you want, but Gabe Smith is a close to a bona-fide power forward as you could have. Many comparisons are unfair, especially when it comes to NHLers, but Smith possesses an excellent foundational skill set. The St. Andrews, New Brunswick product competes on every puck in every situation all over the Ice. He’s a nasty player to play against, not because he’s dirty, because he’s mean and has tons of sandpaper to his game. Gabe Smith finished every single hit available. He plays the game the right way in all three zones and doesn’t cheat offensively. Smith is defensively accountable in all three zones, thinks the game very well and has very active stick in all three zones. Smith can play both forward positions, but is better suited on the wing at the Q level and beyond. He can play in any situation and distributes the puck very well. He has extremely soft hands and solid puck skills in open ice and in high traffic areas at times. At times Smith has a tendency not to handle pucks enough in certain areas of the game, I would like to see him become a little more patience and creative with the puck especially in open ice and in the offensive zone. When it comes to the offensive side the game, Gabe Smith has incredible upside when it comes to the offensive side of the game as he possesses a heavy accurate shot, his point totals will continue to increase at a solid pace this season when he returns from an injury due to his increased top 6 role with the Wildcats, his shot rivals that of many pros, but he needs to shoot the puck even more at times and if he hangs onto pucks longer he will generate more scoring chances. Smith projects to be a solid middle six forward with a flare of offensive ability, this kid doesn’t back down from the physical aspects of the game, actually he’s at his best when it’s intense out there.
| Miles Muller | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | LW | 6’0″ | 194 | Moncton Wildcats | 2020 | Biel-Bienne, SUI | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: This kid has come a long way, he’s an amazing skater, who’s great on the forecheck, incredibly agile and can play a gritty two-way game when he zeroes in on his game and identity, he has very good puck skills in one on one situations, but needs more refinement in that area when in traffic, his offensive numbers are climbing substantially which is great to see, but he still needs more finish to his game, Mueller has all the tools to be an highly effective bottom six checking forward, his progression so far with his time in the league as been very noteworthy.
| Adam Fortier-Gendron | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | D | 5’10” | 203 | Moncton Wildcats | 2022 | Repentigny, QC | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Still struggling to recapture his game from last year, he’s been a lot better as of late, when playing his best, he’s a strong two and half zone defender, he’s lost a half step from where he was a year ago, but still processes the game exceptionally well, tremendous base and his game has progressed the last 5 or 6 games, but he still needs to get stronger and more explosive.
| Julius Sumpf | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | C | 6’1″ | 179 | Moncton Wildcats | 2023 | Munich, GER | 2005 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: highly effective scoring two-way center with great vision and puck distribution skills, sneaky, deceptive player, very fast in open ice, skates extremely well, strong on pucks in all three zones, it took him some to adjust to the league, but he’s really picked up his game in the last 6 or 7 games, has an incredibly underrated accurate release, he’s catching a lot of netminders by surprise, can really rip the puck, his processing is extremely good and he makes all the subtle plays in traffic with relative ease, Will need to get a stronger to ensure he wins puck battles at the next level, but here’s a kid that skates well enough to play through the middle at the pro level, obviously has he gets stronger he will get a half step quicker which will serve him very well at the next level. Impressive player to watch and will continue to turn a lot of heads as the season progresses.
| Yoan Loshing | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | L | LW | 5’9″ | 165 | Moncton Wildcats | 2020 | Sainte Catherine, QC | 2004 | 2023-2024: C+ 2021-2022: C |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: + Loshing went undrafted again last season, he definitely had his share of injuries that derailed his momentum over the years, today’s game was his first game back after an upper body injury, He’s an elite level skater that possesses game breaking speed and agility. Arguably his release is no doubt in the top 5 in the league, It’s all about consistency with Loshing, when he’s moving his feet and engaged in the forecheck great things happen. It’s all about going to the dirty areas and executing He definitely has a pro release, at times he doesn’t seem to want engage in puck battles, that element of game changed over the last few games this season, which is great to see, Yoah possesses the tools to play at the pro level.
| Felix Plamondon | Shawnigan Cataractes | QMJHL | L | D | 6’1″ | 163 | Shawinigan Cataractes | 2022 | St-Raymond, QC | 2006 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: A-
Comments: – This kid can flat out play the game, he’s a two and half zone transitional defender with exceptional feet and edge control, he has ice in veins in all three zones, outstanding first pass, it’s his patience and processing that jumps off the page, he has tremendous gap control and stick positioning, he will have to get stronger and a half step quicker to reach his full potential at the next level, this kid is a quiet talent, sometimes quiet talent just needs time and an opportunity, Plamondon is taking full advantage of his playing time and his playing in every situation, he’s a coaches dream out there because they can trust him in any situation which is something to be said for a 17 year old. Sky’s the limit for this defensive prospect, He’s not going to light the world on fire offensively, but he has a solid shot from the point position and has an uncanny knack for fitting pucks through, he can definitely quarterback the man advantage as well, but he’s probably better suited to play the offside on the PP because of vision and passing ability.
| Alexis Bonefon | Shawnigan Cataractes | QMJHL | L | LW | 6’1″ | 184 | Cape Breton Eagles | 2020 | Saint Jean sur Richelieu, QC | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Strong performance versus the Wildcats, solid skater, great two-way forward, good puck skills in traffic, lacks breakaway speed and explosiveness, but can definitely get from point a to point b in a hurry due in large part to his will and compete level, doesn’t have a ton offensive numbers this season, but processes the offensive game very well, fights for his space and goes hard to the net, goes to all of the dirty areas of the ice, strong accurate shot, plays a lot bigger than he is, If he continues to work on his skating, he could definitely play pro hockey.
| Jiri Klima | Shawnigan Cataractes | QMJHL | L | LW | 5’11” | 185 | Shawinigan Cataractes | 2023 | Hradec Kralove, CZE | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Strong smooth skating middle six forward with great vision and puck skills, has a strong accurate release, would like him to engage more especially in on the forecheck, he skates well enough to play at the pro level, needs to bring more grit and sandpaper to his game, when he takes the puck to the middle of the ice, his skills flourish, can create time and space for himself and others, just needs to do that more frequently, but he’s definitely adjusted well to playing at the QMJHL level so far, definitely a player to watch moving forward, his point totals will skyrocket when he becomes more aggressive in certain aspects of his game especially in the offensive zone, he has the potential to be a solid two way player because he plays his position very well, just needs to get stronger to make sure he wins pucks on the half boards in his own zone.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images