Some Random Thoughts

Rather than focus on one specific point, I figured best to go over everything that has happened since the last post. And so, here we go....

Playoffs

- First, a big tip of the hat to the Châteauguay Patriotes for their courageous playoff performance. Short on size but big on heart, they kept working and working and working no matter what the obstacle. In what would prove to be their last game, they came back from a 3rd period deficit against the Collège Antoine-Girouard, only to see the Gaulois score the game winner on a fluke play in the closing seconds. They truly deserved a better faith, and the quality of the team bond was not lost on those in attendance. Congrats Patriotes.

- This year's Cinderella story was the Lac St-Louis Lions. Driven by the strong performances of their 15 year-olds (and ok, a veteran or two), they far exceeded expectations, particularly in eliminating the Collège Charles-Lemoyne Riverains. Defenseman (and I use the term losely, as he spent the finals on the wing) Michael Matheson cemented his status as a first round draft pick, and an early pick at that. His consistent progression throughout the season was very, very impressive and he ended the season as not just a good player, but a dominant one.

- Dillon Fournier justified why I have him so high in my rankings, being an anchor on that blue line. He's got size, smarts, mobility, puck skills, hockey sense and I feel he still has some untapped potential. A terrific prospect.

- How did the QMJHL's CSR rank Patrick Walsh as a second round prospect, I'll never know. This guy is money, but seems to get little respect from the CSR (most notably, being handed a jersey with his name mispelled at the CSR Challenge). Remains as the top Quebec prospect amongst forwards as fas as I'm concerned.

- Gaulois defenseman Simon Desmarais' play was solid all through the playoffs, and he was employed in all situations. While not a quarterback, he's rock solid in his own end and will be ready to step into a QMJHL line-up next season. He should be a second round prospect, but I feel teams are hoping to steal him in the third or higher.

- Defensive forward Sébastien Sylvestre got the 'Rodney Dangerfield' treatment in being ranked in the 9th to 12th status by the CSR, but was a vital part to the Gaulois' playoff success. He could always be counted on for superior performance on the penalty kill and chipped in some timely goals for his team.

- The Collège Antoine-Girouard's championship doesn't really come as a surprise, as they were the best team in the league. They were physically too big and too strong for the rest of the teams. That level of physical maturity is really what set them apart. They were even winning games without playing 60 minutes of hockey, as whenever they needed a goal, they could charge up and get it. Game 4 against the Lions in the finals is the only game I can remember them needing a goal and not getting it. This ability to win games this way probably turned out to be the best and worst thing that could happen to them, as on one hand, it meant they could always walk away with a win, and on the other, in brought about a lack of attention to detail. I know their coaching staff enjoys saying they bring attention to detail in their program, but when you compare to what Marc-André Dumont was doing in Châteauguay before, the Gaulois really don't. And while it won them a league championship, it probably cost them the TELUS Cup.

CSR Challenge

- Luca Ciampini: While some were criticizing his inability to answer the question marks, I say nonsense to that. By now, you should know what kind of player he is, i.e., a goal scorer with all the tools. He may not be a franchise player, but I don't recall the Flyers ever complaining about what they got out of John LeClair, and Ciampini will be competing for the league lead in goals pretty quickly.

- Marc Biega: Consider me officially off the bandwagon. After seeing him show some competitive drive all the way to the finals, the hockey world also got to see him show a complete lack of desire in the finals, of all places. The coaching staff kept throwing him out there, because they really needed him, and all too often he just refused to compete. He basically saw a better team on the other side of the ice and conceded defeat. To then see him not compete again at the CSR Challenge (and wearing one of his brother's Harvard equipment at a QMJHL event) proved just how much of an inflated ego he now has. He's got talent, the game comes easy to him, but if I was going to war, I wouldn't want him in the foxhole next to me.

- Mathieu Lemay: He had a really good showing. Pretty much everybody always seems to put teammate Christophe Lalonde ahead, but he showed that while Lalonde was ahead at the start of the year, Lemay is the leading one at the end.

- Raphael Lafontaine: The Gatineau forward impressed (a lot!) with the improvements in his skating. I can distinctively remember a game earlier in the year where he rarely ever got there, but now he was flying all over the ice, and zooming past Maxime St-Cyr in the rankings.

- Julien Lepage: Already filled with lots of potential, he had a strong showing that could put him in the first round. One of the players with the most to gain with extra strenght (currently at 157 pounds), he proved he has the talent for junior, and with the extra muscle masse he'll put on in the coming seasons, he'll be a force to be reckoned with.

- Maxime St-Cyr: A disppointing showing, sadly. Already had a lot of question marks to answer because of his lack of size & speed, but now it's hard to see him going before the fourth round. Stock is sinking ....

- Victor Provencher: The tank that everybody seems to love (and with tools like that, it's understandable), but I worry about how much he does accomplish. He's a reliable player, no question about it, but he's looking more like a strong supporting cast player rather than the central piece everyone seems to make him to be.

- Loic Leduc: The 6'4 Midget Espoir defenseman had a very strong showing. Playing that way against players in Midget AAA while he himself having been in Midget Espoir says a lot of good things about him. The second round is looking more and more like a possibility for him.

- Jonathan-Ismael Diaby: Having only limited viewings of him, he was a player with lots of upside earlier in the year. Well, to his credit, a lot of that upside has come out during the season, and he no longer looks like a player in need of polishing. A very impressive campaign.

- Mackenzie Vézina: Another who had a strong showing that just may leap him ahead a round or two.

- Jérémy Fraser: A man amongst boys, his level of physical strenght is just off the charts. But I'm still not as sold as I would want to be on his hockey sense. It's not bad, but not great either. There are also durability concerns with him, so, were I drafting in the first round, I'd hope somebody ahead of me takes him.

- PEI Rocket: And finally, I have to jeer PEI's scouting staff, all of whom had left the CSR Challenge before the conclusion of the last game, and I don't mean when there were 5 minutes to go, I'm talking with 20 minutes + left. I just find it a complete lack of profesionnalism on their part.

Rankings - Forwards

So it's now time to have a look at the forwards. Sadly, I wasn't able to beat the CSR to the punch, but, it will allow me to comment on where they had their guys versus me. As stated earlier, Collège Esther-Blondin and Collège Notre-Dame only had limited views, so for the former, I go with what I have, and for the ladder, I prefer not speak rather than speak of ignorance.

If nothing else, you certainly are getting an independant opinion.

Forwards

1) Patrick Walsh - LSL

It's unbelievable to me that anybody would have him anywhere but as the top ranked forward. He's money in all three zones.

2) Frédéric Gamelin - CHA

A dynamic offensive force with terrific vision. Made Ciampini a better player.

3) Luca Ciampini - CHA

Certainly the most hyped prospect is the draft. The Hockey News already had him as one of the top 5 prospects for his NHL Draft. I agree that he is quite a prospect with all the tools, but, for the duration of the playoffs, he only got going once Gamelin did. Once in motion, he was a force, but he wasn't visible as long as his centerman wasn't.

4) Nicolas Dionne - AMO

A very skilled forward who can step right in. He would fit terrificly well on a team a little further ahead in its development curve.

5) Charles Hudon - STE

Terrific hands and speed, but can be a little shy about going into traffic.

6) Maxime St-Cyr - TR

Like a grand master chess player, sees the game two or three moves ahead. Just has terrific hockey sense to compliment very smooth hands. Definitely lacks in size, but with his eyes, he'll play around the problem. I predict he'll progress into junior the same way Brent Aubin did... a rough start but will lead his team in scoring by the end.

7) Marc-Olivier Roy - STE

I might be the only person in the world who has him this high, but he's an explosive skater who can play in all situations. He may not score, but he'll help you in a lot of other ways. Plus, he's one of the players who most needs to gain strenght, so when he does, look out...

8) Louick Marcotte - CCL

Hard to pinpoint a specific skill that sets him apart but he puts it all together very well. Most likely will be a headache free player that will play in the Top 6.

9) Mathieu Lemay - STE

I just love his potential. He'll need some seasoning, but down the line, you're looking at a player who will contribute in all three zones.

10) Victor Provencher - CCL

Built like a tank. Small, but very powerful and hits like a ton of bricks. Junior ready, but I wonder how much better he can become, seeing as he is already so strong.

11) Alexandre Larouche - SSF

An ongoing project. He didn't 'wow' anybody last year, but really contributed offensively this season. He really needs to keep getting stronger but there's a lot of hockey in that frame of his and it is slowly coming out. Players that tall tend to need a little more time for their coordination to catch up to them. Took a huge step forward in his development this season.

12) Raphael Lafontaine - GAT*

A playmaker plain and simple, but not the fastest guy around.

13) Angelo Miceli - LM

An upgrade but almost a clone of teammate Emilio Audi. Small guy, great hands, great vision, good straightaway speed but lacks the ability to change directions. Audi was a top scorer this season, and Miceli will certainly be that if he comes back next season, but I wouldn't expect him to put up big numbers in junior until after he's old enough to vote.

14) Félix Chamberland - LEV

One of the bigger player's available who can move and also has good hockey sense. May not be more than a 3rd liner, but a 3rd liner who helps out you a lot.

15) Sébastien Carré - SSF

Passed over in last year's draft, but I really like this player. He was regularly put on a line with the worst players on his team and he just carried them. He's also very good in his own end. Should be killing penalties in no time.

16) Dwayne-Bradley Tessier - AMO

He's got good size, good wheels and makes good reads. Should be a middle range 3rd liner.

17) Félix-Antoine Bergeron - TR

The hardest worker in the draft, bar none. He has a motor that won't quit and he should make a junior roster on that ability alone. He's small, but speedy and certainly not afraid. An energy player at worst.

18) Alexandre Poulin - SSF*

Not much offense left, but Poulin should be a 3rd liner that can chip in every now and then. Defensively aware, can skate well and he's got good size.

19) Charles Poulin - LEV

A little small, but certainly not shy about using his shoulders.

20) Olivier Caouette - MAG

A poor man's version of Victor Provencher. Plays the same game, but needs to add more strenght.

21) Sébastien Sylvestre - CAG

A defensive forward who can chip in offensively. Very silently goes about his thing, yet so reliable. Ready to step in right away.

22) Samuel Courtemanche - MAG

I might be the only person to have him this high, but he can be hard to get a read on. He's got good wheels and sound defensive positionning, however, the puck never seems to come to him. Too bad, because he does have surprinsingly good puck skills.

23) Christophe Déry - STE

A defensive forward who would rank a little higher if he were a little bigger.

24) Michael Gagnon - JON

May be a steal or a complete bust. On the one hand, he has very good hands and makes things happen offensively. I can remember a period vs LM where he created a scoring chance on every shift. But, his entire game lacks another gear and you wonder if he'll be able to step it up for the higher ranks.

25) Ryan Eardley - LSL

The Lions best penalty killer not named Walsh. Better upper body movement (which is pretty easy to fix) would give him a little more speed. Having a solid playoff.

26) Jérémy Carignan - AMO

Not the biggest guy, but a hard worker with good wheels. Defensively responsible.

27) Toliver Bergeron - CHA

Burried behind the stars on his team, but silently played the wing on the first line. Needs to raise his game to play in the Top 6 in junior. May only be able to play such a role on a rebuilding team.

28) Christophe Lalonde - STE

Always uses the shortest route into corners no matter what and works very hard. I'm still not sold though, as he doesn't accomplish as much as I'd hope.

29) Philip Zielonka - LSL

Another forward in the Brent Aubin mold. Skating sadly lacks another gear, but has the hands and eyes to make good things happen.

30) William Cochrane - CEB*

31) Samuel Hodhod - CHA

When he's on his game, you see a dynamic forward. When he's off his game, you see a very, very small forward.

32) Simon Tremblay - JON

A lower end goal scorer. He has a touch around the net, but the rest of his game may not be elevated enough for junior hockey.

33) Thomas Gobeil - CAG

A competitor who helps out in his own end, but doesn't 'wow' you with anything.

34) Érik Longtin - MAG

He's got decent size and he's pretty responsible. I question how much offense he'll bring at the next level though.

35) Jimmy Vaillancourt - TR

A reliable forward, but a little small for the role he'd play in the bottom six.

*Denotes players who got limited views. Séminaire Saint-François didn't get as many as I would wish, so some players are most likely left off because of it.