2004-05 QMJHL East Division Preview

Baie-Comeau Drakkar:

2003-04: Following back-to-back winning seasons, Baie-Comeau stumbled to a 13th place finish last season, finishing with a 21-42-5-2 record (though good enough to squeeze into the playoffs, only to exit quickly in four games at the hands of Moncton).

Key Losses: Leading scorer Robin Leblanc and Maxime Lessard wrapped up their junior careers.

Returning Core: A tough, solid core of veterans is in place. Forwards J-F Jacques, Alexandre Blais, Martin Mandeville and Mathieu Gravel will dominate the icetime, while the blueline is big and strong with Alexandre Dulac-Lemelin, Maxime Belanger and sophomore Patrick Simard. Loic Lacasse is a gifted goalie who was seen by many scouts as a darkhorse pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Young Guns: Benjamin Breault was drafted fourth overall in the league's midget draft and is one of the best youngsters in the province for the 2006 NHL draft. Norwegian import Joakim Jensen will provide a sparkle of instant offense.

NHL Selections: Jean-Francois Jacques (Edmonton 2003), Loic Lacasse (Montreal 2004), Pierre-Luc Leblond-Letourneau (New Jersey 2004) and Alexandre Dulac-Lemelin (Montreal 2004) and Mathieu Gravel (Columbus 2003).

Outlook: This will be a strong playoff team for next season, but one unlikely to be among the elite as Baie-Comeau will not be able to match the star power of the likes of Rimouski and Halifax. If Lacasse shows that he can carry the club, then do not be surprised if they challenge for second in the division.

Projected Division Finish: 4th Overall

Chicoutimi Sagueneens:

2003-04: Chicoutimi could not seem to buy a goal at times last season and that hurt them in the standings, but strong goaltending from Jeff Deslauriers propelled them to a solid finish (32-27-7-4). Deslaurier's dominance seemed to rub off on his teammates when the Sagueneens shocked the favorites Cape Breton in five games in round two, before falling to a superior Gatineau team.

Key Losses: Goalie Jeff Deslauriers and defenseman Rosario Ruggeri are locks for the AHL this season, while Sebastien Courcelles was dealt to Shawinigan in the off-season.

Returning Core: Some key vets are back, including forwards Maxime Boisclair, Yan Gaudette, Stanislav Lascek and Francis Lemieux. The defense looks mostly bare, with only Nicolas Marcotte as a reliable returnee. Also returning are NHL draft-eligible youngsters Alexandre Vincent (in net) and Romy Elayoubi - the club's most exciting youngster and a budding offensive dynamo in the Quebec League. Brandon Verge will back up Vincent.

Young Guns: 2004 first round choice Nicolas Blanchard is the most promising rookie for the club, while exciting Euro import Marek Zagrapan should attract scouts and, eventually, some fans. Both are ranked for the upcoming NHL draft.

NHL Selections: None

Outlook: This is a young, developing lineup that will not be an easy opponent for even the top clubs, however the loss of Deslauriers will be felt and it is unlikely that the offense will be considerably better.

Projected Division Finish: 5th Overall

Lewiston MAINEiacs:

2003-04: In their inaugural season, the MAINEiacs introduced the United States to the QMJHL. Led by sniper Alexandre Picard, the top Q player selected in last June's NHL draft, the MAINEiacs won over their new fans by playing competitive hockey (33-31-5-1). However, their playoff life was short-lived, as Rouyn-Noranda squeezed past their wrath in seven games of round one.

Key Losses: The contract of head coach Mario Durocher was not extended. Also gone are vets Karl Fournier, Gabriel Belasescu and Francis Trudel; each wrapped up his junior career. European forward Vladislav Balaz and goalie Matt Davis were not invited back, while star rearguard Richard Stehlik will turn pro. Backup netminder Brandon Verge was dealt to Chicoutimi.

Returning Core: Picard and 2005 NHL draft-eligible stud Alex Bourret will lead Lewiston on the scoreboard along with sophomores Brent Aubin and Marc-Andre Cliche. A thin blueline is an area of concern and is led by returnees Jonathan Paiement, Brandon Roach and Chad Denny. The goaltending position is wide open and the starting spot (although the coaching staff could decide on a platoon) will be claimed by a rookie.

Young Guns: Jonathan Bernier is a top prospect for the 2006 NHL draft. An interesting addition to the club is Slovak netminder Jaroslav Halak who started for Slovakia at this winter's World Junior hockey championships. Slovak import Michael Korenko shores up the blueline.

NHL Selections: Alexandre Picard (Columbus 2004), Jaroslav Halak (Montreal 2004) and Jonathan Paiement (Philadelphia 2004).

Outlook: There is some firepower there, but Lewiston does not possess the depth to significantly improve on last year's finish. It will be interesting to see how Halak adjusts to the North American style of game. The goalie was known for his very European style of netminding, whereby he would stay deep in the crease and rarely handle the puck. He will have a lot of adjustments to make and will have to leave the blue ice on occasion in order to support the mediocre defensive corps. New head coach and general manager Clement Jodoin is now at the helm.

Projected Division Finish: 3rd Overall

Quebec Remparts:

2003-04: Goaltending legend Patrick Roy enjoyed his first season as General Manager, observing as his team finished slightly below the middle of the pack with a 28-33-7-3 record - 12th overall. The opening round was a cup of coffee - the Remparts bowed out in five games to P.E.I.

Key Losses: The rapidly developing Alexei Shkotov and fellow countryman Alexander Kozhevnikov turn pro, while Alexandre Imbeault was dealt to Victoriaville. Leading scorer Justin Laverdiere no longer qualifies for junior eligibility.

Returning Core: The addition of Karl Gagne helps pad the scoring lines which will also feature Josh Hennessy, Simon Courcelles, Kevin Coughlin and Mathieu Melanson. The blueline is talented and experienced with the likes of Nathan Welton, Andrew Andricopoulos, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Evan Shaw and Joey Ryan as the likely top five. Jean-Micahel Filiatrault will be the number one goalie.

Young Guns: Import additions separate the Remparts from other teams in the league. Russians Gennady Churilov and Alexander Radulov are bluechippers - Churilov being a potential first rounder in the upcoming NHL draft. The two countrymen are expected to put up big points and could blossom together if their communication pans out as expected. Also, Russian-American Maxim Gratchev is looking to build up his stock for the 2007 NHL draft.

NHL Selections: Alexander Radulov (Nashville 2004), Josh Hennessy (San Jose 2003) and Mathieu Melanson (Minnesota 2003).

Outlook: There is a plethora of skill top to bottom here, with Josh Hennessy likely to be among the scoring leaders in the league. Goaltending is a minor question mark and may be upgraded midway through the season.

Projected Division Finish: 2nd Overall

Rimouski Oceanic:

2003-04: Rimouski saddled Sidney Crosby's back, as the workhorse rookie guided an otherwise mediocre squad to a respectable regular season (34-28-5-3), leading them to the semis. The dynamic virtuoso led the CHL with 135 points, winning MVP honours and solidifying his stock for the upcoming NHL draft.

Key Losses: Only one of note is that of overage goalie Guilaume Lavalle. Guillaume Veilleux and Charles Bergeron were dealt to Moncton.

Returning Core: This is the strongest returning core in the league. Sidney Crosby, Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Dany Roussin are all top-10 players in the league and will be aided by Mark Tobin and Danny Stewart. Top prospect Michal Sersen will dominate the puck handling duties and is joined by the likes of Jean-Michel Bolduc and Patrick Coulombe at the blueline. A likely weakness appears to be in goal with Cedrick Desjardins taking over, but with the team's abundance of firepower, he will not be asked to steal many games until the post-season.

Young Guns: Don't expect any standouts from the rookie class. Francis Charette is a small, offensively-gifted forward, while the surprise of the camp Scott Fraser takes over as the back-up goalie and could put some heat on Desjardins.

NHL Selections: Marc-Antoine Pouliot (Edmonton 2003), Dany Roussin (Florida 2003), Mark Tobin (Tampa Bay 2004), Danny Stewart (Montreal 2003), Michal Sersen (Pittsburgh 2004), Eric Neilson (Los Angeles 2004), Jean-Michel Bolduc (Minnesota 2003) and Zbynek Hrdel (Tampa Bay 2003).

Outlook: Could Crosby possibly make a run at 200 points? The World Juniors should take away about 10 Q games from him, but he could certainly make it interesting. Crosby and Roussin showcased spectacular chemistry last year and now that both are older and hopefully better, this year's fireworks could be pure magic. Having to step up is Michal Sersen who has to shake off criticisms of wildness and erratic play and show a more solid, consistent side to his game. A greater defensive commitment from the Rimouski players could mean frequent blow-out games, instead of usual 6-5, 7-6 types of games we saw so much last year. This is probably the most gifted team in the league, so consider them as the favorites to finish with the best record in the league. Just call them the greatest show on ice (in the QMJHL).

Projected Division Finish: 1st Place