NHL Draft 2025: a fine crop for the QMJHL

The QMJHL hasn’t had great representation in the last three NHL drafts. But that could change in 2025, according to Simon Boisvert.

Four QMJHL players have received invitations to participate in the next Hlinka-Gretzky Cup with Canada, and it’s these players who should be targeted by fans.

We’re talking about forwards Émile Guité and Caleb Desnoyers, defenseman Alex Huang and goaltender Lucas Beckman.

Without explicitly saying so, we could sense that Boisvert expects at least one of his players to be selected in the first round of the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

Émile Guité currently plays for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens and is often compared to Maxime Massé, who was drafted in the third round in 2024 by the Ducks. However, “The Snake” expects to hear his name called earlier in the draft than Massé’s because of his superior skating stroke.

Guité completed his QMJHL rookie season with 57 points in 61 games and won the Rookie of the Year award.

Caleb Desnoyers, however, remains Boisvert’s most attractive player of the year. The first overall pick in the 2023 QMJHL draft, Desnoyers offers a more complete game than Guité, while also being a better playmaker.

He finished his first season with the Wildcats with 56 points in 60 games.

These two forwards are the two most interesting players of this year’s crop, but let’s not forget Alex Huang, who, like Guité, plays with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.

Boisvert isn’t confident that Huang will make it out of the first round in the NHL, but he likes his skilful play. However, he thinks the defenseman lacks a bit of physical play.

Lucas Beckman completes this short list. The Baie-Comeau Drakkar goaltender spent most of his last season in the Quebec U18 AAA League, but made the jump to the Drakkar for nine games.

In those nine games, Beckman maintained a .938 save percentage and a 1.32 goals-against average.

No QMJHL player has heard his name called in the first round since Nathan Gaucher and Maveric Lamoureux in 2022. Maybe that will change at the next NHL draft in 2025.

Overtime

– Rhett Pitlick failed to reach an agreement with the Canadiens.

The #Habs have quietly parted ways with one of their prospects: https://t.co/lx1vXiQjVf

– HabsWorld.net (@habsworld_net) August 2, 2024

– Sennecke will be one to watch in the OHL this season.

I suspect that the Ritchie/Sennecke combo is going to be deadly in Oshawa this season. Beckett looks primed for a big year. Three points today, could easily have had five.

– Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) August 2, 2024