When the 2015 NHL Draft kicks off in Sunrise, Fla., on June 26, as many as seven QMJHL players could hear their names called by teams in the first round.
Here’s a look at the top-rated draft prospects in the Q this season.
Timo Meier, RW, Halifax Mooseheads
Central Scouting Ranking: 10
With the departure of Jonathan Drouin to the NHL, it’s been Timo Time in Halifax. Meier has surged up the draft rankings, going from a projected second-rounder to a potential top-10 pick in June. The six-foot, 209-lb. power forward shattered his rookie total of 17 goals, netting 44 and adding 46 helpers this season. Meier represented Switzerland at the world juniors and went on a tear starting in November, putting up 51 points in 27 games. With his physical play and speed, he’s a tough player to contain. Meier has high hockey intelligence, knowing where to go on the ice, and has found himself on the receiving end of lots of passes from Nikolaj Ehlers this season. He’s playing with confidence and has looked more comfortable in his second year in North America.
Jakub Zboril, D, Saint John Sea Dogs
Central Scouting Ranking: 12
Zboril is a smooth skating D-man who causes havoc on both ends of the ice. The fifth-overall pick of the 2014 Euro draft, Zboril has proven to be a sound investment for the Sea Dogs. He’s a physical player, using his six-foot-two, 185-pound frame to punish opponents, while using his speed to join the rush and create offensive chances. The Czech blueliner finished his rookie season with 13 goals and 20 assists in a season limited to 44 games after a mid-season MCL injury.
Evgeny Svechnikov, RW, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Central Scouting Ranking: 17
It didn’t take Russian Evgeny Svechnikov long to adjust to playing in North America. He picked up a goal and two assists in his first game and never looked back, consistently producing week-to-week. He finished his rookie campaign with 32 goals, one behind the league-best mark in the rookie-scoring race. Svechnikov was particularly good in February when he scored eight goals, responding well to increased ice time on the power play and penalty kill. He uses his six-foot-two, 205-pound body to battle in the corners and create scoring chances. In a seven-game series against the Québec Remparts, Svechnikov averaged a point per game but only found the back of the net once.
Filip Chlapik, C, Charlottetown Islanders
Central Scouting Ranking: 18
When the draft rolls around in June, it’ll be interesting to see which Charlottetown Islanders player hears his name called first. Chlapik and Daniel Sprong both enjoyed productive seasons for an Islanders team that came on strong down the stretch and knocked off the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the first round. Chlapik finished his rookie season with 33 goals, tied with Dennis Yan for the rookie goal-scoring lead. He’s adjusted well to life in North America, overcoming a lull while adjusting to the rigours of a longer season. He’s a highly-skilled forward, held back only by his skating.
Daniel Sprong, RW, Charlottetown Islanders
Central Scouting Ranking: 20
The Islanders finished March with only one loss in regulation, helped in a big part by Sprong’s best month of his two-year junior career. He scored 10 goals and added 11 assists in the final month, bringing his season totals to 39 goals, 49 assists for 88 points. It’s hard to project where Sprong will go in the draft. He’s a fast and shifty skater who loves to shoot the puck, as evidenced by his 270 shots this year. The six-foot, 185-lb. Amsterdam-born player finished a team worst minus-23. “It’s his two-way play, in particular in the defensive zone, that he’ll need to work on to be successful at the next level,” says an Eastern Conference NHL scout. A highly skilled player, Sprong is loaded with potential.
Thomas Chabot, D, Saint John Sea Dogs
Central Scouting Ranking: 15
Chabot has taken his game to a whole new level this season. While the offensive tools were there last season, the six-foot-two, 179-lb. player has improved his defensive play and has turned into a well-rounded defender. He’s positionally sound, quick on his feet and communicates well on the ice with his teammates. Chabot saw his plus/minus go from minus-29 to plus-6 this season while also going from 22 points to 41 points.
Jérémy Roy, D, Sherbrooke Phoenix
Central Scouting Ranking: 21
A quick look at Roy’s statistics from his sophomore season show he scored fewer points, but the point total doesn’t tell the whole story. Roy, the fourth-overall pick of the QMJHL draft in 2013, is a highly-skilled d-man with good skating and quarterbacks the power play. He put up 44 points but was limited to 46 games because of injuries. On the defensive side, he trimmed his plus/minus from minus-29 to minus-2 on a Sherbrooke Phoenix team that went from last to eighth place in one season. The six-foot, 182-pound blueliner isn’t particularly big and will need to rely on the finesse side of his game to excel at the next level. Roy will represent Canada at the under-18 championship in Switzerland.
Dennis Yan, LW, Shawinigan Cataractes
Central Scouting Ranking: 30
Tied for the lead in rookie goals with 33, Yan consistently found the back of the net for Shawinigan. He saved his best for last, scoring eight goals in March then scoring seven playoff goals, including an overtime winner, in the first round of the playoffs against Halifax. He has a strong hockey sense, creating opportunities to score goals. He battled hard in the playoffs, using his speed to back check and to get past defenders, but could use more strength.
Anthony Beauvillier, C, Shawingan Cataractes
Central Scouting Ranking: 33
Beauvillier took a giant step forward in his sophomore season, scoring 42 goals after a nine-goal rookie season. The five-foot-ten, 181-pound centre is used in all situations for the Cataractes. He’s a dependable, hardworking, two-way forward with a strong hockey sense and a good passer as evidenced by his 52 assists. On the defensive side, Beauvillier went from minus-27 last season to plus-16 this year. Beauvillier was the captain of Team Cherry in the Top Prospects Game in January and will represent Canada at the under-18 championship in Switzerland.
Nicolas Roy, C, Chicoutimi Saguenéens
Central Scouting Ranking: 45
The first-overall pick of the 2013 QMJHL draft, Nicolas Roy was projected to be one of the first Q players selected in the upcoming NHL draft. In September, one NHL scout said he’d have to really fall off to not go in the first round. Roy is no longer a consensus first-rounder, matching the 16 goals from his rookie season and scoring 50 points, only nine better than last season. The Saguenéens got off a to a bad start, one that led to Chicoutimi to clear house and fire the coach and general manager. Even after the team started playing better, Roy’s sophomore slump continued. At six-foot-four, 202-pounds, he has size, but needs to work on his strength and skating. With a strong hockey sense and good passing, Roy has potential, but he’ll require a lot of work from an NHL squad to really flourish.
Conor Garland, RW, Moncton Wildcats
Central Scouting Ranking: 86
With 129 points, Garland led the Q in scoring in the regular season and was tied for the overall CHL lead. He had 94 assists, many of them setting up St. Louis Blues prospect Ivan Barbashev. He’s a playmaker with lots of speed and can turn with ease to escape players. His size holds him back as he’s only five-foot-eight and 168-pounds. One NHL scout says teams have to limit how many small players like Garland they can afford to have. Surely, a team will take a chance on Garland, but it’s hard to say if he’ll be able to play in the NHL.
Dmytro Timashov, LW, Québec Remparts
Central Scouting Ranking: 92
Timashov was a pleasant surprise for the Memorial Cup host Québec Remparts. The team underwent a lot of changes in the off-season and the regular season as the team brought in new pieces with the hopes of winning the CHL tournament in May. Timashov, selected 95th in the 2014 Euro draft, led all rookies in scoring with 90 points. At five-foot-nine and 189-pounds, Timashov faces the same issues as Garland with size. He also needs to shoot the puck more, only scoring five goals in the regular season since the New Year.
Callum Booth, G, Québec Remparts
Central Scouting Ranking: 2
A mid-season trade saw the Remparts bring in Zach Fucale, a goalie with a Memorial Cup and a world junior gold medal under his belt. Even since the trade, it’s been more of a 1A and 1B situation in Québec with Booth still seeing lots of action between the pipes. When the playoffs started in late March, it was Booth who got the call to start the series against Cape Breton. Booth was pulled in Game 3 of that series after letting in four goals and has ceded playing time to Fucale. Still, he gives the Remparts a reliable option and he’ll be the undisputed starter in Québec next season. The six-foot-three, 196-pound goalie posted a 3.05 GAA and .900 save percentage over 41 games. He uses his size and strong positioning to excel. He’ll be one of the first goalies drafted this year.