QJMHL Report: Shawinigan Cataractes

After making it to the finals of the QJMHL playoffs two seasons ago, the Shawinigan Cataractes knew they would have to begin a rebuilding process last year. With a few shrewd trades and some good choices at the entry and import draft, Shawinigan is well on their way to be one of the top teams in the QJMHL once again. Mckeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti looks at some of their younger players.

Dillon Donnelly (2011), D, Shawinigan

American-born defenseman is the son of former NHL player Gord Donnelly .. barely 17, yet is already playing for his third team in the QJMHL .. tough as nails, he will take on anyone in the QJMHL even if it means coming up on the losing end .. improved his lateral mobility and his turns are more fluid with the results that his gap-control is slightly better .. tends to play the puckcarrier aggressively .. doesn't have a very good shot but is managing to get the puck through traffic .. doesn't carry the puck much at all but is effective at making a solid lead passes to an open teammate .. doesn't read the game very well at this point and is vulnerable against a hard forecheck.

Maximilien LeSieur (2011) RW, Shawinigan

Was traded to Shawinigan from Cape Breton last December .. uses his frame effectively along the boards, in the corners and in the front of the net .. is not explosive but he has good speed and keeps his feet moving .. not afraid to go to the slot and battles to hold his position .. hard wristshot .. doesn't hit the net enough to be a scoring threat .. choppy stickhandler .. pressures the point man effectively in his own zone .. gets into position quickly cutting the passing lanes well .. not an imaginative player .. sees some special teams time on both units due to his work ethic and smart play.

Jonathan Racine (2011), D, Shawinigan

Young defenseman who's improved play has given him more icetime this season .. hard work during the off-season has made his physical game more effective .. has to be careful not to get carried away at times, as he can get into penalty problems .. smooth skating strides .. speed is good and should continue to improve as he gains lower-body strength .. pivots well to the outside when skating backwards, but has some problems coming inside .. excellent work ethic and willingness to battle for the puck .. uses his stick well to cover angles .. plays the puckhandler aggressively .. blocks a lot of shots .. quick to move the puck with effective passes but doesn't have great offensive vision, so he needs to learn how to make safer decisions .. has a heavy shot on net.

Yannick Veilleux (2011), LW, Shawinigan

Big forward has stepped up his game after participating at the U-17 tournament last season and continues to do so this season .. has found some real chemistry with Colorado draft pick Michael Bournival .. has a wicked wristshot that he's not afraid to use .. fairly mobile skater .. needs to get a little quicker to really be able to take advantage of scoring chances, but is improving .. has quick hands and keeps control of the puck when picking up speed .. not afraid to hold on to the puck and create plays .. slowly picking up his physical play .. has to make better reads defensively .. as he grows into his body, his improved balance should make it possible for him to use his long reach and break up plays effectively .. plays the game with a lot of confidence.

Anton Zlobin (2011), LW, Shawinigan

Has a wicked wristshot that he doesn't use nearly enough .. part of the problem is that he is not aggressive enough in the slot .. good first-step quickness and nice top-gear speed .. strong peripheral vision but has a tendency to get careless with his passing .. drags his shifts out a little too much at times, which is problematic, as he appears to get winded quickly .. seems passive defensively but is actually effective, as he anticipates the play well .. problem is that he doesn't seem motivated to backcheck with much conviction .. has to involve himself in the play more, as he tends to skate around passively .. currently used in offensive situations .. could explode once he gets used to the North American game.