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Top-20 des meilleurs espoirs
BRUINS DE BOSTON
Analyses de Scott Wheeler de The Athletic.
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| 1- Connor McMichael Centre 20 ans 6'0 187 lbs Repêché 27ie au total en 2019 par Boston.  |
" Though McMichael has been a regular with the Capitals this year, he’s among the players I made an exception to include under the criteria I use because he still feels like a prospect due to a combination of his age (he just celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday) and his limited role (averaging around 10 minutes, second lowest among regulars behind only Brett Leason). His limited role with the Capitals is also the best place to start his report because part of what differentiates McMichael from most other top prospects is his ability to play multiple roles and forward positions. Where most young kids need to play high in the lineup and get touches to earn a roster spot, and I think McMichael would have been able to do that on a less competitive team, him climbing the ranks organically was also always in the cards. I think he’ll be a top-nine centre longterm (he prefers centre to the wing) but he doesn’t have to end up there. He’s got an NHL shot that is threatening from mid-range and which he does a good job getting off from dangerous areas because of his puck protection skill (which includes his ability to protect out wide with one hand or attack on his backhand). He’s got a well-rounded two-way game. And his most impressive gift is his knowledge and understanding of the game as it develops in real time, evident in his consistently smart choices with and without the puck. There’s just detail to his game that is rare for players his age. I also haven’t seen him struggle with the higher speed and pace this year, which should help him develop into an impactful scorer in the NHL. " |
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| 2- Jacob Perreault Ailier Droit 19 ans 5'11 192 lbs Repêché 25ie au total en 2020 par Boston.  |
" Because of the pandemic, Perreault, who would still be tearing up the OHL under normal circumstances, was allowed to make the jump to the AHL these last two years (as one of the youngest players in the league in both seasons). Last season, though he contributed at 18, his play was sporadic (understandably so in some ways, and frustratingly so in others). His natural skill flashed in spurts but some of his on-ice habits were also drawn into question (not for the first time). This year, he has taken what I would qualify as a pretty significant step forward to become one of the Gulls’ most productive players. Perreault’s hands and shot are both high-end and make him dangerous both with the puck on his stick inside the offensive zone and off of the puck as a pass option who can quickly finish off of catches. When he keeps his feet moving, stays involved in the play, finishes his checks, and then works to get back open so that his skill can take over, he’s an exciting player to watch because of his ability to make something out of nothing and cleanly beat goalies from a standstill. He can overpower a goalie with a wrist shot that spins and pops off of his blade, or just pick his spot in the net and score from a bad angle. And while he can also still leave you wanting more, I think he has been a more consistent player in most areas this year (especially in the context of his age). He’s got clear top-nine talent. Now, it’s just about making good by rounding out some of the rest of his game. " | ||
| 3- Matthew Boldy Ailier Gauche 20 ans 6'2 201 lbs Repêché 15ie au total en 2019 par Minnesota.  |
" Matt Boldy has it all and we’re already starting to see it in the NHL. He’s an incredibly intelligent operator on the ice who understands where to be with and without the puck, when to take a risk and when to make a smart play, and how to support and use his linemates in all three zones. But he’s also a supremely gifted puck handler who can do things in tight to his body that few 6-foot-2/6-foot-3, 200-plus pound players can. And while he’s still not the quickest player from a standstill, I’ve never believed his skating was an issue and it has some sneaky elements to it (from his heel-to-heel hip flexibility to his ability to change tempos at pace) that help him manipulate opponents to create spacing for himself. He also has real defensive value because of his size, length, strength along the wall and overall intuition around the sheet. Even the little details are there. His positioning. His stick work in 50/50 battles. Inside the offensive zone, he uses those excellent hands to play in traffic, has a dangerous mid-range shot to finish on the chances he creates to the middle third, and has a powerful forward skating motion (to complement what has always been impressive footwork and edges for a player his size). He looks like he’s going to be a dominant two-way forward who provides value defensively while remaining highly productive offensively in a top-six, PP1 role. He’s a multi-dimensional player in the truest sense. " | ||
| 4- Mason McTavish Centre 18 ans 6'1 207 lbs Repêché 7ie au total en 2021 par Boston.  |
" McTavish is a heavyset, highly talented goal scorer who plays a powerful, middle-lane game built on a competitive foundation. He looks to dictate play in puck protection, drive the net, and manufacture his own offence first, but he can also involve his linemates and use some of the attention he draws as a tool to facilitate. Despite how sturdy and strong he is over his skates, he’s also capable of playing with speed and pace and has worked hard to add tempo changes to his game. There are still times when he can look a little slow-moving from a standstill, but when he’s ramped up and engaged, he wins a lot of races, outmuscles opponents on retrievals, and pushes through checks and bumps with such ease (a huge part of his game). He also finishes every check, knocks a lot of players over, and loves to be involved in the battles that happen on the ice. Offensively, his shot gives him power-play upside as a natural finisher who can overpower goalies and loves to shoot (occasionally to his detriment). Despite his game’s hardness, he also boasts impressive soft skill, finding his way through traffic with quick dekes under sticks when the opportunity to drop his shoulder and push past the defender isn’t there. He’s going to need to work to stay in top shape throughout his career and there are still times when I think he can tunnel vision, but he’s got just about everything else you look for in a power forward. His ability to make plays under the triangle of defenders’ sticks in one sequence, draw a penalty hanging onto a puck on the cycle in the next, and get from the outside in with incredible ease on the next, allows him to make things happen in a variety of ways inside the offensive. Plus he brings a physical element to a line on top of all of that. " | ||
| 5- Jérémie Poirier Défenseur 19 ans 6'1 190 lbs Repêché 69ie au total en 2020 par Boston.  |
" Despite this being Poirier’s fourth QMJHL season, his June birthday means he’ll play almost this entire season as a teenager, celebrating his 20th birthday just a couple of days before his Sea Dogs welcome the hockey world to Saint John for the 2022 Memorial Cup. They’ve loaded up for a run at junior hockey’s top trophy, too, with a CHL-leading eight NHL prospects (including three Flames on this list). And maybe no player on their roster has a chance to take advantage of that spotlight quite like Poirier, who has his fair share of doubters in the hockey world but has worked hard (to promising results, I’d argue) to pull back on his all-offence game. Poirier’s game is always going to be defined by his brilliance in the offensive zone. He can make good defenders look silly one-on-one, power his shot past goalies from long range, and spin off pressure to create spacing for himself and his teammates. His aggressive approach to the position comes still with its drawbacks. But those are fewer and fewer. He’s cheating for his offence less. He’s attacking without support less. He’s not trying to do it all himself as often (though there are still moments where he tries to take over and either pulls a play out of his hat or tries to beat one too many guys and turns it over). But I’m a firm believer in his ceiling and in the fact that not all six defencemen have to look or play the same way to build a competitive team. He’s got NHL power-play upside today. If he can get the rest of his game to a trustworthy enough level and continue to work at some of his tendencies, I think there’s a role for him on an NHL club at some point. He also doesn’t have the size concerns (he’s 6-foot-1 and strong) that many other defencemen his size do. I’ll bet he rises to the moment in the Memorial Cup. " | ||
| 6- Oskar Olausson Ailier / Centre 19 ans 6'2 181 lbs Repêché 23ie au total en 2021 par Boston.  |
" Olausson’s an athletic, speedy winger with hands like a much smaller player and an NHL wrist shot (in terms of power and accuracy, with a release that continues to get faster/more deceptive). He’s also a very confident player, so he’ll go right through a defender on one sequence and burn them to the perimeter on the next. His numbers haven’t popped like I expected they would in the OHL this season (which I can say about a number of Colts players if it’s any consolation) but his tools have been evident throughout. His ability to hang onto the puck under pressure for a rangier player, or split through traffic to handle underneath sticks really is impressive. with his skating, shot, skill and pro frame, I’m pretty confident in his NHL potential as a top-nine winger. Whether he’ll progress into the upper or lower echelon of that range is still to be determined though. " | ||
| 7- Pyotr Kochetkov Gardien 22 ans 6'2 179 lbs Repêché 58ie au total en 2019 par Boston.  |
" When goalies just keep getting results you have to respect them because of the ebbs and flows in performance that most of them face year-to-year. And Kotchetkov now has a body of work that warrants a move to North America to give the NHL a run via the AHL. After bouncing around levels and clubs in previous years in search of the opportunity those numbers demanded, it has been nice to see him find stability this season and perform. He’s a little on the smaller side for a goalie but he grew a couple of inches late in his development to go from 6-foot to 6-foot-2, he’s quick on his feet (and knees), he’s technically sound, and he’s athletic, relying on sharp angles to control the first rebound and his movement to make recovery saves. I like the way he tracks the play but he can be prone to letting mid-danger shots squeak through his body when he’s set in his stance. That’s really my only nitpick though. " | ||
| 8- Erik Portillo Gardien 21 ans 6'6 225 lbs Repêché 90ie au total en 2019 par Boston.  |
" After waiting for his turn in the Wolverines goal last year, Portillo has run with the net this season, playing every night to some of the best non-Levi results in college hockey. Portillo is massive, with a 6-foot-6 and 225-pound frame. He uses that frame to play a poised, deep-in-his net style, rarely overcommitting to shooters in an effort to play within his net and avoid scrambles when things start to break down. At his best, Portillo takes away all of a shooter’s space and looks unflappable. He’ll let the odd soft goal squeak through and his rebound control can sometimes disappoint him but he’s got impressive control, coordination, and skill for a goalie his size. I also like how loud he is in the net. You can really hear him back there and it’s clear he wants to command play with directions and his impressive ability to play the puck and start breakouts. He’s also, like Levi but with very different tools, an excellent goalie one-on-one with shooters on breakaways. " | ||
| 9- Tyler Boucher Ailier Gauche 18 ans 6'1 205 lbs Repêché 12ie au total en 2021 par Boston.  |
" There is a lot to like about Boucher. Ask the folks with USA Hockey, or even the ones at BU after he left midseason, or any of the NHL teams who interviewed him last year, or his new billets in Ottawa with the 67’s, and they’ll all tell you about the same thing. Mature (physically and emotionally). Intelligent. Articulate. Polite. Ripped. The list goes on. He’s a good kid who is already built like an NHLer, hits like a truck, gives it his all between whistles, and plays with power. But between last year’s knee injury, how high he was picked out of it (far too high), his play as a freshman (which included suspension trouble and an introduction to a team that battled all sorts of injury issues), his decision to sign his entry-level deal after just one semester, and the ongoing uncertainty around the OHL’s schedule now that he has joined the 67’s, and it just feels like he is being set up to fail. He’s got more skill than we saw at BU but it’s going to be hard for him to live up to where he was drafted at this point. I suspect he gets things back on the rails in the OHL, shows his hybrid heavy-skill game, gets to the front of the net, makes plays off the cycle, scores some clean goals with his hard shot, gets confident again, and gets back on track to his projection as a complementary power forward at the next level. But I wouldn’t expect an NHL player who plays like a No. 10 pick and his development needs to be handled accordingly by the Sens moving forward. If they try to rush him, they may regret it. " | ||
| 10- Lassi Thomson Défenseur 21 ans 6'0 192 lbs Repêché 19ie au total en 2019 par Boston.  |
" After a disappointing season last year, I’ve liked what I’ve seen of Thomson in the AHL this year, where he has been effective at both ends and looking to attack off the line to score (which he can sure do!). His underlying NHL results this season are among the worst in the league but he’s not alone in that group on Ottawa’s defence and he’s still got some real pro qualities. Thomson plays an aggressive style (on both sides of the puck, with and without it) that comes with some warts and his fair share of mistakes, but he’s a tough, shot-threat, what-you-see-is-what-you-get player who is capable of leading a rush (though his decision making within that can be suspect and he relies more on instinct than processing), has value physically, defends well man-to-man and along the wall (though his reads do occasionally burn him), and has always been more well-suited to the North American ice and style. " | ||
| 11- Ty Voit Centre / Ailir Gauche 18 ans 5'10 161 lbs Repêché 135ie au total en 2021 par Boston.  |
" After losing his entire draft year to the OHL’s cancellation, the Leafs took a calculated gamble on Voit, a slick and diminutive, late-birthday playmaker who showed real promise as a rookie in Sarnia. The early results have paid off, with Voit leading the Sting in scoring. He has found a new level of late too, which was highlighted by a five helper night where all five assists were primary. When the Sting score this year, it’s usually Voit who sets it up. He’s a crafty passer who will wait for coverage to open up one second and then make a series of quick give-and-go plays to set up a goal the next. His head is always on a swivel, even before he’s in possession, surveying his options. That cerebral nature to him allows him to softly move around the ice making plays and dissecting teams with perfect weight on his passes, and a silky first touch into his carries. To use a baseball analogy: If you take enough cuts on a player like Voit, he’s the kind of player where when you make contact it’s going for extra bases instead of an infield single. " | ||
| 12- Jordan Harris Défenseur 21 ans 5'11 179 lbs Repêché 84ie au total en 2018 par Boston.  |
" When I conducted a survey of NCAA staff for players who should be in consideration for the Olympic team, Harris’ (who wasn’t selected) name actually came back more commonly than Farrell’s. That speaks to the respect he has garnered as one of college hockey’s most effective, well-rounded defenders. Harris has all of the tools a 5-foot-11 defender needs to succeed and he understands the game and how he can best operate within it. His smooth forward and backward skating helps him stick with high-skill players defensively and join the rush offensively, giving him transition value. His footwork helps him escape pressure in the defensive zone to outlet the puck or walk the line in the offensive zone. He makes a ton of detailed little soft area bump plays to hit teammates with short five-foot passes through a layer. He’s confident on the attack and wants to assert himself with the puck but he knows when to push and when to pull back. Harris is one of those players where there’s just not a lot to nitpick at. There’s a lot of polish to his game and while his numbers maybe don’t pop, they’re still strong and they undersell just how much the ice tends to tilt in his favour when he’s out there. I like him as a No. 4-5 defenceman at the next level. " | ||
| 13- John Beecher Centre / Ailier Gauche 20 ans 6'3 209 lbs Repêché 42ie au total en 2019 par Boston.  |
"
When I watched the Wolverines in Ann Arbor at the end of November, the
only thing that stood out about Beecher’s game was how frustrated
he was. There was a lot of head-shaking and stick-banging. The easy way
of explaining why Beecher doesn’t look like a first-round pick is
to chalk it up to the pandemic, and the challenges he faced last year,
and the stacked team that plays in front of him to generate the
offence. But I’d argue there have been warning signs dating back
to his draft year and that he never should have been selected as high
as he was at No. 30 in 2019. The Bruins — and they weren’t
alone — clearly fell in love with this big (currently 6-foot-3,
210 pounds), athletic, physical, fast player who they hoped would
impose himself as a power forward type who goes and gets pucks, plays
on the cycle, and pushes play from the wall to the middle-third of the
ice. But the problem he always faced is that he has never been a go-to
driver of offense at any level. Whenever high-skill players have
entered the fold, he has been the one to take a backseat rather than
the other way around. And when you’ve always been that guy,
it’s never suddenly going to go the other direction. So while the
Bruins probably hoped for a top-nine piece, I think it should have been
hard for them to project him as more than a depth guy. Now he’s a
junior, his skill lags behind, and it just feels more and more like
he’s always going to be the third-most talented player on any
line he plays on. There’s too much give-and-go reliance, too many
bobbles of the puck, and too little playmaking. That doesn’t mean
he doesn’t become an NHLer. There are plenty of good NHLers who
are the third-best players on their lines. Zach Hyman and others have made careers out of it. But expectations — and draft picks — should be tempered accordingly. " |
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| 14- Vincent Iorio Défenseur 19 ans 6'3 201 lbs Repêché 71ie au total en 2021 par Boston.  |
" I have, at times, found Iorio to be a tricky player to project because despite his status as a name prospect dating back to his minor hockey days, his statistical profile never looked like that of more than a future third-pairing guy. And while I still believe that’s about where he tops out, his game has come into focus as a very projectable player in that mould for me. It has also always been easy for me to see why NHL scouts liked him a bit more than I did (enough for him to be picked in the second round instead of where I had him slotted in the third/fourth). He has always been a long, athletic righty who skates well, owns the neutral zone against the rush, and has learned to play an efficient, “turn-and-move-it” style. He has always done a good job walking the line to get pucks through traffic to the net. Those little elements of his game are just executed with such consistency. This year, though, it has been nice to see him look to do more. He’s stretching the ice with longer outlets instead of making the early play. He’s using his long stride to lead the rush or join in transition as an option more. And while his game does lack some creativity and finesse, he’s got the makings of a reliable, complementary depth defenceman at the next level. Despite his cut from Team Canada at their Calgary selection camp before the world juniors, I was impressed by his play there. His November birthday is a bummer because it will prevent him from what could have been a big role on next year’s team. " | ||
| 15- Luke Evangelista Ailier Droit 18 ans 5'11 165 lbs Repêché 41ie au total en 2020 par Boston.  |
" After taking a giant step forward in his draft year, Evangelista was one of the prospects I was most excited to track last season before the OHL’s cancellation pushed him into the AHL a little earlier than he should have. Then this year, in his return to the OHL, he has looked like one of the league’s MVPs, producing near a goal per game and two points per game as London’s captain. He’s got a curl-and-drag wrister that he has turned into a lethal weapon (both in how he changes angles and his ability to pick spots off of his body in the net to shoot into). He’s still got some physical maturing to do and he can take some bumps, but he looks stronger on his feet this year already and his play without the puck has always been good (I think there’s a chance he’s a useful penalty killer at the next level). He’s both confident in possession and can be trusted to support his linemates and stay above the puck. He’s got some underrated craftiness to his game with and without the puck offensively, with a deceptive release, quiet power through his stride, and impressive heel, toe and backhand puck control skill. And maybe most importantly, he never plays a bad game. It’s going to take him some time to find himself at the NHL level and get confident on the attack like he is in junior, but I like the potential payoff. " | ||
| 16- Alex Cotton Défenseur 20 ans 6'2 190 lbs Repêché 112ie au total en 2020 par Boston.  |
" Cotton’s one of the top defencemen in the WHL and has been for three seasons now. But questions still remain about whether he’ll get signed and his ultimate upside. He’s a 6-foot-2, offensively-inclined righty with a hard shot who has worked hard to fill out his wiry but strong frame. It’s clear that he has worked hard to pick his spots to attack better this season and round out his defensive game in an effort to get signed (likely knowing that his offence, as good as it is, probably isn’t enough to project him to the NHL). His skating still needs some work but WHL folks think he’s early in his development not late in it and I’d be inclined to bring him into the fold in the AHL and go from there. " | ||
| 17- Will Cuylle Ailier Gauche 19 ans 6'4 209 lbs Repêché 57ie au total en 2020 par Boston.  |
" I’ve been waiting to see some of the potential in Cuylle that others have and this season he has finally begun to show it at a consistent level without needing help from his linemates — and he has done it as Windsor’s captain. He’s never going to be a particularly impactful offensive player at the next level, but Cuylle is a feared physical presence who plays a mean, menacing game that is complemented by heavy wrister than can clean beat goalies. He’s a push and pop player in the offensive zone who can muscle his way around the wall. He’s big (6-foot-4), he’s heavy (well over 200 pounds), he’s hard to knock off the puck, and he gives a team a different element (which is why Team Canada selected him to play on their fourth line at the world juniors). But his small-area skills do lack, there can be some sloppiness to his execution with the puck, and he has shown any inclination that he’s going to widen his view and become much of a playmaker. His effort also mitigates against a stride that can appear a little sluggish. He’s got bottom-six upside if he can continue to get (and play) a little quicker. " | ||
| 18- Daemon Hunt Défenseur 19 ans 6'1 201 lbs Repêché 73ie au total en 2020 par Boston.  |
" Hunt’s probably the one player on this list whose opinion I diverge on from the Wild. I like him. He’s an excellent junior hockey defenceman. But I think he has also often been credited for things I’m not convinced are actual strengths. He’s physically engaged, for sure. He likes the challenge of defending good players one-on-one. He’s strong, he keeps his head up, and he skates well, which helps him defend the rush and move the puck. But I also think his game can be sloppy (both with and without the puck), he misreads the play and mistimes pinches his fair share, and he’s too eager to shoot and play on instinct rather than poise (which can get defencemen in trouble up levels). I’ve been more and more impressed by his gaps this year, he’s got the athletic tools, and there’s enough skill to his game to translate, but I do think for a player who is known for his defensive aptitude that it’s oddly unpolished at times. It’s a bummer he got injured blocking a shot at Canada’s selection camp for the world juniors because he was going to be on the team and it would have been a nice opportunity for him. " | ||
| 19- Jacob Olofsson Centre 21 ans 6'2 192 lbs Repêché 60ie au total en 2018 par Boston.  |
" Two-way center with middle-six upside. Well-rounder player with decent skating and puck skills hasn't shown high-end offensive creativity. " | ||
| 20- Axel Andersson Défenseur 21 ans 6'0 179 lbs Repêché 72ie au total en 2018 par Boston.  |
" Andersson is a lockdown, tough minutes right-shot defender who handles difficult matchups well, passes the puck smoothly, reads the play (offensively and defensively) effectively, and plays an efficient game in all areas. He goes about his business and drives results. There are questions about whether he has enough offence in his game to work his way into a depth NHL role but his handedness and completeness might give him a shot. I’ve liked what I’ve seen of him in the AHL enough but injuries over the years have made his path to the NHL feel less and less likely. " | ||
| Mentions honorables: |
- Janis Jérôme Moser (D) |