| Tomas Cibulka | Val d’Or Foreurs | QMJHL | L | D | 5’11” | 170 | Val-D’Or Foreurs | 2021 | Budejovice, CZE | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Cibulka is a slightly below average sized defender who is having a nice rookie year in the QMJHL. Although he has a solid skating base, strong edge control and shows the ability to open passing lanes we do not feel he is a candidate to put to be a true offensive defenseman. He is however a player that we are very intrigued by for over the past few seasons his development has been quite dramatic. As recently as 2018 Cibulka was playing U16 “B” hockey in his native Czech Republic and has developed so quickly that a he played in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this past summer. We like that he has the game awareness to play both left or right defense and his ability to consistently make the simple offensive play so he stays out of trouble, but to be a serious threat to be drafted Cibulka will need to continue improving at the rate he has since playing U16 “B” level hockey back home.
QMJHL: Val d’Or Foreurs as of December 26, 2021 Season stats: Games played 30, Goals 0, Assists 6, Points 6, plus/minus -9, Penalty Minutes 8, Penalties Drawn 12, 2021 Game Averages: Time on ice per-game 18:55, Power play time 1:10, Short-handed time 01:42, Shots 2.9, %Shots on goal 42%, Puck battles 11, %Puck battles won 55%, Hits 0.44, Hits against 0.50
| William Blackburn | Val d’Or Foreurs | QMJHL | L | G | 5’11” | 176 | Val-D’Or Foreurs | 2019 | Hebertville, QC | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Standing 5’11” Blackburn is an undersized goal who is very quick laterally, especially when exploding off his right inside edge to move to his left. The explosiveness and quickness almost catch you off guard, but in reality the movement shows his game reading and puck anticipation. He does an excellent job of staying square to the puck and directing rebounds to the corners. As an undersized goalie Blackburn needs to play perfect hockey to be considered for the 2022 NHL Draft, but we feel his attention to details and anticipation make him a goalie that we enjoy watching watching.
| Felix Paquet | Val d’Or Foreurs | QMJHL | L | D | 6’3″ | 179 | Val-D’Or Foreurs | 2019 | Bedford, QC | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
Paquet is a defense first old school defender. He is strong on his feet through contact and has the ability to clean breakout passes while an opposing forechecker is on his back. Offensively he keeps things simple showing game awareness and understands that one of his greatest strengths is his ability to to stay of of trouble to alleviate pressure in his end. Defensively Paquet plays with tight gaps through the neutral zone showing nice lateral mobility and explosiveness when making body contact at his defensive blueline. In professional hockey we feel he is player who will not be counted on to play key offensive minutes, but instead to be a reliable defensive presence who kills penalties and defends against the other team’s offensive players. To maximize his potential Paquet will need to continue developing his skating posture to make sure he keeps his hips low and shoulders back because his size, strength and awareness of what type of player his would be an asset on a professional bench.
QMJHL: Val d’Or Foreurs as of December 26, 2021 Season stats: Games played 30, Goals 1, Assists 10, Points 11, plus/minus -3, Penalty Minutes 8, Penalties Drawn 10, 2021 Game Averages: Time on ice per-game 21:28, Power play time 1:00, Short-handed time 02:54, Shots 3.3, %Shots on goal 43%, Puck battles 12, %Puck battles won 60%, Hits 0.63, Hits against 0.93
Quebec Midget AAA: Chateauguay Grenadiers VS Cantonniers de Magog, March 17, 2020: One of the best all around defenseman in the league, Paquet was extremely solid in this one making it look easy. Paquet is a good skater who’s not overly dynamic but does not play out of his means. He’s solid laterally allowing him to spin away from forechecks or fight off pressure in order to pass the puck up ice to his forwards. His one on one play in this contest was stellar as he never got beat on a rush or when someone tried going around him. Solid presence on the power play as well getting as assist in this one after solid puck movement with the man on the half wall. His play is no flashy or makes you jump out of your seat but he’s extremely reliable and know what you’re going to get. A second-round pick in last year’s draft should transition seamlessly to the next level. Game Grade: A-
| Philippe Cloutier | Val d’Or Foreurs | QMJHL | L | G | 6’3″ | 207 | Val-D’Or Foreurs | 2019 | St-Eustache, QC | 2003 | Not yet rated |
The late 2003 in his first year of NHL Draft eligibility. Cloutier has all of the physical traits that National League teams are looking for in a young goaltender including size and wingspan. We feel that to rise on NHL team’s draft boards Cloutier will need to continue developing his mental consistency because he can certainly make all of the initial saves that teams will be expecting.
| Jason Desruisseaux | Val d’Or Foreurs | QMJHL | L | LW | 5’8″ | 174 | Val-D’Or Foreurs | 2020 | Warwick, QC | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Desruisseaux is an undersized forward who does an excellent job of keeping his feet moving at all times. He is quick to 50/50 pucks and understands how to position his hips to help him have the body position advantage through contact. Desruisseaux must continue to work on his awareness away from the puck in five on five situations as well as continuing to gain strength, as this will help him win battles more consistently.
QMJHL: Val d’Or Foreurs as of December 26, 2021 Season stats: Games played 27, Goals 5, Assists 8, Points 13, plus/minus -5, Penalty Minutes 10, Penalties Drawn 6, 2021 Game Averages: Time on ice per-game 14:30, Power play time 1:17, Short-handed time 0:40, Shots 1.28, %Shots on goal 68%, Face-off% 41%, Puck battles 10, %Puck battles won 39%, Hits 1.34, Hits against 0.45
2004s: Ville de Saguenay CCM Midget AAA Challenge, February 10, 2020: A forward showing poise and patience. Uses time and space effectively to generate scoring chances, particularly with the man advantage. Smart, skilled, and quick hands. Smaller forward but does not mind going into the dirty areas. As a winger he was strong on his wall, got pucks out to his center and played well in the d-zone. Finished a couple hits on the forecheck showing he is not afraid to battle against tougher opponents. Grade B
| Zackary Michaud | Val d’Or Foreurs | QMJHL | R | RW | 6’1″ | 176 | Val-D’Or Foreurs | 2019 | Sherbrooke, QC | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
Michaud is a power forward who keeps it simple for Val d’Or. He is strong on the puck and finishes his checks with authority. Through minor hockey Michaud was able to put up nice offensive numbers at every level, but that has not been the case so far in Major Junior. We feel he has a good game awareness and smooth release, but think he needs to continue developing his stride efficiency to have a professional career.
QMJHL: Val d’Or Foreurs as of December 26, 2021 Season stats: Games played 27, Goals 4, Assists 4, Points 8, plus/minus -18, Penalty Minutes 39, Penalties Drawn 10, 2021 Game Averages: Time on ice per-game 15:06, Power play time 1:19, Short-handed time 1:35, Shots 2.2, %Shots on goal 57%, Face-off% 51%, Puck battles 11, %Puck battles won 46%, Hits 1.45, Hits against 0.72
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