QMJHL: Lord Byron II

McKeen's correspondent Chris McCluskey has notes on several 2008 draft-eligible prospects from the Val d'Or Foreurs, as well as reviews on NHL draft picks Paul Byron and Joey Ryan from the Gatineau Olympiques.

Gatineau Olympiques

Paul Byron (Buf), C, Gatineau

The Sabres may be onto something by selecting Byron with their sixth round choice in 2006 .. played on Gatineau's top line without the benefit of Claude Giroux, who is with Team Canada at the WJCs .. confident and effective on both special teams, showing impressive defensive work on the points to set himself up for a breakaway while the Olympiques were down two men .. quick skater and is especially strong on his feet for only being 140 pounds .. keeps it simple and practical, getting fancy with the puck only when under pressure to compensate for lack of size .. undeterred by traffic, and drives straight for the net .. has a penchant for driving end-to-end, including once through the entire Foreurs team, earning three scoring chances before J-P Chabot notched the OT winner seconds later .. if he continues to get physically stronger, he has first or second line potential in the mould of a Pierre-Marc Bouchard or Derek Roy.

Joey Ryan (LA), D, Gatineau

Playing his first game since being re-acquired by the Olympiques, who initially drafted him in 2003 but shipped him to the Quebec Remparts shortly thereafter .. not much has changed from previous analysis with Ryan still looking as though he is the fourth forward in a 5-4 situation .. undeveloped offensive potential .. mobile defenseman with quick feet and a physical dimension who moves the puck well .. with steep competition on the point in the Kings' prospect chart (Johnson, Hickey, Boyle, Petiot), Ryan may have to sell his pro-transferable skills quickly to avoid being buried .. initially assigned to the Manchester Monarchs this season, but then disbursed to the QMJHL where he would benefit from increased playing time.

Val d'Or Foreurs

Jean-Francois Caron (2008), D, Val d'Or

Stay-at-home defender has four points and 43 penalty minutes in 28 games this season .. sees regular ice .. a workhorse with a heavy frame, he does not restrain himself from lunging into opposing forwards as they advance .. languid skating prevents him from being a draft consideration as an intimidating checking defenseman .. lacks traction needed to accelerate .. release with the puck, both in terms of passing and shooting, is another raw aspect of his game that needs some major work to make the transition to pro .. third line minor-pro potential at best.

Paul Dorsey (2008), G, Val d'Or

Newly acquired netminder handed his first nod for the Foreurs only a 20-minute drive from his hometown of Kanata .. unknown quantity exceeded expectations, turning aside 34 of 38 Gatineau shots .. one of the main reasons this game made it to overtime .. made difficult saves by simply being square to the shooter, and in a strong position to have an angle on the rebounds .. with only four QMJHL starts to his credit, his short term goal should be to establish himself as a comfortable option to Raffaele D'Orso, with whom he shares goaltending duties - a role the Foreurs hope he'll continue to fill.

Derek Famulare (2008), LW, Val d'Or

One of 10 players dressed for Val d'Or eligible for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft .. playing in his first game with the Foreurs, who traded Remy Lamoureux to Drummondville to make room .. two-way forward saw minimal ice early in the game, but saw his workload improve as the game progressed .. eventually finding a home paired on the top line with fellow newcomer Maxime Sauve .. good vision, and is a low risk taker who makes high-percentage plays .. best qualities involve reading the play and knowing where to be on the ice .. was in the right position to bang home a quick Sauve pass for the goal that sent this game into overtime .. impressive physical effort contained Gatineau forwards .. slow skater, although technically sound .. potential of a third line forward, but is a project.

Jonathan Hazen (2008), RW, Val d'Or

With Brad Marchand's departure to Halifax, there is an opportunity for Hazen to establish himself as the Foreurs' top winger on the right side .. must work on the dynamics of his skating, especially with respect to his first step and being able to turn on something smaller than a hula-hoop .. plays with enthusiasm, but lacks vision .. must subscribe more often to the adage that "it's not where the puck is, it's where the puck is going" .. Hazen often leaves his positional responsibilities to chase the puck with reckless abandon.

Shawn Morton-Boutin (2008), D, Val d'Or

What would entice an NHL club to take a flier on Morton-Boutin is his play with the puck in his own zone .. conversely, what might deter them is his play without it .. slated on the Foreurs' top-defensive line with captain Samuel Richard .. top-notch puck control, even when pressured in dangerous vicinity of his own net .. reacts quickly and decisively, coordinating tape-to-tape plays .. sneaks into the offensive zone from the point without neglecting his defensive responsibilities due in part to smooth, quick skating .. good neutral zone coverage along the boards, but could benefit from building some muscle .. if he and his defensive partner were one, they might constitute one complete player .. understanding appears to be that all grind is left to Richard, while Morton-Boutin is more capable of clearing once he has possession .. while he is able to quarterback a play, he rarely shoots… might be snapped up as a project player if he can begin to develop a physical game and offensive instincts.

Anze Ropret (2008), RW, Val d'Or

A neutral zone specialist who concentrates his game between the tops of the four end-zone circles, rarely venturing further .. extremely efficient forechecker .. stellar play covering opposition defensemen on the points gave his netminder the extra five seconds needed to recover following a goalmouth scramble .. no finish, opting instead to allow his teammates to get the job done offensively .. good grinder along the boards.

Maxime Sauve (2008), C, Val d'Or

Notched one assist in his first game with the Foreurs since being acquired in a three-way trade from the Quebec Remparts .. one of the most comfortable looking players on the ice, showing patience and composure .. lethal, if not pressed in front of opposing netminders .. a beautiful pass to Derek Famulare on Val d'Or's third goal displayed his ability to think quickly and spot teammates in the open .. slick hands and feet .. there are questions concerning his drive and play without the puck .. defensively responsible, but willingness to join the backcheck does not necessarily translate into above-average effectiveness .. displays some promising qualities, but needs to play with more grit to sell to professional clubs and fulfill his second-line potential.