QMJHL: All Eyes on Latendresse

Scouting notes focus on several promising draft-eligibles out of the Q including David Laliberte, Jason Churchill and 2005 hopeful Guillaume Latendresse.

David Laliberte (2004), RW, P.E.I.

Establishing himself as a dependable two-way man .. very good skating ability and excellent foot speed .. lacks explosive offensive tools .. a responsible backchecker who is willing to help out and dig in the corners .. uses his body but isn’t overpowering .. somewhat of a different story in the opponent’s end, where he simply doesn’t know where to go .. struggles to create space and position himself for shooting opportunities .. still a fairly attractive commodity for the draft, but won’t excite anyone.

Guillaume Latendresse (2005), LW, Drummondville

Creative and wonderfully proficient at stickhandling .. good vision with above-average stickhandling skills .. very soft hands, a crisp shot with good accuracy .. great awareness at both ends of the ice and isn’t afraid to throw his body around .. fights for the puck with passion and isn’t afraid of high-traffic areas.

Jason Churchill (2004), G, Halifax

A big, positional goalie .. has been recently handed the number one job in nets with the Mooseheads due to the recent trade of Jonathan Boutin to PEI .. shows good fundamentals and is gradually gaining confidence .. nice, lively glove and keeps his body square to the shooter .. somewhat intriguing and could go late in the rounds.

Milan Hruska (2004), D, P.E.I.

Plays a smart, defensive-minded game .. a smooth, mobile skater shows backbone and poise .. a strong one-on-one player who knows his role and doesn’t get out of position .. a superb stickhandler and an above-average passer who prefers to stay back and play a safe style .. doesn’t have to eliminate the conservative tag, but must pinch in offensively to become an attractive prospect .. a lot of fine tools he must learn to use.

Olivier Latendresse (2004), C, Val d’Or

Little, offensive-minded speedster .. proficient at handling the puck at full speed .. finds open lanes well with a heads-up, full-blast style .. drives to the net and reads plays well .. lack of frame is a major downside .. can get away with the lack of body bulk in the Q, but will have a lot of trouble adjusting as a pro.

Luc Bourdon (2005), D, Val d’Or

Defensive minded, solid in his rookie season .. positionally strong in his own end .. has an offensive touch and is willing to jump into the rush .. an excellent, hard point shot .. uses his body well .. ties up guys effectively and delivers hard hits .. delivers the puck smartly, but must work on his poise and puck protection.

Tyler Hawes (2005), LW, P.E.I.

Big kid with soft hands and showing flashes of excellent offensive awareness .. seeing limited time, but has impressed regardless .. an excellent passer who reacts well to the flow of the game .. an above-average shooter with a crisp, accurate shooting array .. skating will be a bit of an obstacle; must improve foot speed and quicken his twists and turns.

Marc-Andre Gragnani (2005), D, P.E.I.

A tall and slender stay-at-home defenseman .. great size and uses it effectively .. likes to take the body and delivers strong, accurate hits .. hard-working and shows moxie .. must fill out his frame, especially his lower body.

Thomas Bellemare (Cgy), RW, Drummondville

A weak skater without a lot to offer in the offensive department .. the big enforcer too often looks out of shape .. has a penchant for taking undisciplined penalties .. doesn’t really know what to do with the puck, not a lick of vision .. it’s shocking this kid ever got drafted, which was mainly due to his brawn .. he can fight, but that’s it.