QMJHL Report: Drummondville Voltigeurs

For the past few seasons, the Drummondville Voltigeurs have constantly been near the top of the QMJHL standings. This year, led by highly regarded prospect Sean Couturier, the Voltigeurs continue to be near the top of QJMHL. McKeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti has notes on Couturier, as well as fellow 2011-draft-eligible-prospects Marc-Olivier Brouillard and Francis Lambert-Lemay.

Marc-Olivier Brouillard (2011), D, Drummondville

First pick of the Voltigeurs at the 2009 QMJHL entry draft, 55th overall .. represented team Quebec at the 2009 under 17 tournament .. small player who is not shy to initiate contact .. battles hard along the boards .. first-step quickness is average but he does a lot better once he gets going .. stride is very smooth and balance is solid helping him out on his turns .. has a tendency of bringing his arms up when giving a hit leading to some penalties .. also draws a lot of penalties by antagonizing opponents .. manages to get himself open in the crease but tenses up when scoring opportunities arise .. will support his defensemen but has to learn to play his position better .. tends to force plays in his own zone.

Sean Couturier (2011), C, Drummondville

Dominant player who has a very high hockey IQ .. facing bigger challenges this season as Drummondville is not as deep as they have been in the past .. is used in all kinds of situations .. sees the ice very well and is able to make the right decision quickly .. average quickness but anticipates the play so well that he is usually a step ahead of his opponents .. impressive balance, he is able to quickly pivot on either side .. able to shoot the puck exactly where he wants, releases the puck quickly with little warning .. distributes the puck on either side of him with regularity .. long-reach makes it difficult for opponents to get the puck off him .. handles the puck likes it's attached to his stick .. impressive in the faceoff circle .. defensively, he understands the play well and is not hesitant to make decisions - usually the right ones .. doesn't initiate contact much but is not afraid to take a hit either .. missed training camp due to a bout with mono, but his stamina is improving as the season goes on .. able to handle pressure situations well.

Francis Lambert-Lemay (2011), LW, Drummondville

Stocky defenseman who looks to initiate contact but takes himself out of position at times .. not a very agile skater .. doesn't move well laterally hurting his ability to angle his opponents with any effectiveness .. has a very heavy shot from the point but has to learn to get into position to use it more often .. doesn't have great vision for the passing play so he will usually get it out of his zone quickly .. protects his crease very well .. sticks up for his teammates when he needs to .. plays a simple game but plays it well, rarely making mistakes.