Thomas Desruisseaux (C, L, 5’11”, 162, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 03/10/2006)
2024 NHL Draft Grade: C+
Season stats 2023/24
Games played: 78
Goals: 20
Assists: 50
Points: 70
+/-: -10
Penalty time: 24:00
Penalty time against: 72:00
Average per game
Time on ice: 17:55
Power play time: 03:42
Short-handed time: 00:04
Shots: 4.5
Shots on goal, %: 56%
Faceoffs won, %: 50%
Puck battles: 14
Puck battles won, %: 46%
Accurate passes, %: 88%
Hits: 0.74
Hits against: 0.58
Desruisseaux is a 5’11”, 160 pound left shot center who plays a detailed 200′ game that translates to professional hockey. Defensively he works well with his defensemen while backchecking and is quick to take control when sorting out picks while defensing the cycle. Offensively he shows a good first touch on both his forehand and backhand. Desruisseaux is willing to play in traffic and attacks the middle looking to generate scoring opportunities for himself or his linemates.
QMJHL Cup, May 1, 2022: Desruisseaux is a speedy centerman out of Levis Chevaliers where he averaged nearly a point per game and earned an ‘A’ grade by our scouts at the QMAAA CCM Challenge. He had a first round grade heading into the camp and he backed it up with 3 goals and 4 assists in 4 games. He’s 5’10’ 150lbs and still growing; he’s got a fluid stride and smooth set of hands so he makes difficult plays look easy. One of his goals was a catch and shoot in the slot with an explosive release, another was on a loose puck beside the net showing puck touch to get his stick on it, settle it and lift it with little to no space and his last goal was a hard release, well-placed snap shot off the rush. It wasn’t the points however that really stood out but rather the skill and creativity that was really on display; he went around defenders like they were standing still, he turned broken plays into 2v1’s and 3v2’s by isolating a defender and creating time and space for his linemates. He could make any pass on the ice; he had backhand saucer passes in the neutral zone on the tape, he had curl back and zip cross ice passes, he had soft touch passes to space and started at least two rushes with indirect passes in the neutral zone placing the puck behind his defenders stick to hit the wall and land on the tape. On 1v1’s, Desruisseaux knew how to breakdown the defender and attack; one play he flipped the puck over the defenders stick to catch it on the other side and then cut inside leaving the defender in the dust. He had another zone entry where he saw the defender was gapped up tight and so he put the jets on and was around him before the top of the circles. Some skill players rely on their skill but Desruisseaux is playing chess out on the ice; he knows when to use different skill sets and how to create offense. He also uses his full swing pain when stickhandling. He can play it close to the body or he can really extend and get defenders to reach for the puck or lunge and then he’s got them beat with his quick hands and puck control. While he is still developing his defensive game and wasn’t overly engaged in his own end here as he’s looking more to spring free on the breakout then defend his net front; he did block a nice shot on the penalty kill and showed good awareness as a penalty killer for where the puck carrier was trying to go with the puck. A talented playmaker with speed, skill and hockey IQ who makes everyone around him better.