Top QMJHL prospects discussed ahead of 2023 NHL Draft

The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The first round will be June 28 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 are June 29 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at the top-eligible prospects from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in a Q&A with Jean-Francois Damphousse of NHL Central Scouting. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Ethan Gauthier and Etienne Morin are the two top players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League projected to be chosen during the opening two rounds of the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

Gauthier (5-foot-11, 183 pounds), a right wing with Sherbrooke, is the highest-rated player from the QMJHL at No. 16 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters presented by BioSteel. The right-handed shot finished fourth on the Phoenix with 69 points (30 goals, 39 assists) in 66 games. He also scored seven power-play goals and five game-winning goals.

"I look at the (Stanley Cup) Playoffs right now and the teams that are doing good have players that are gritty, in your face, finishing checks, really good down low around the net, and I think Gauthier brings that type of game," Central Scouting's Jean-Francois Damphousse told the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "Those are the reasons he's the No. 1 prospect from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League ... he brings some intangibles that we all really like."

Morin (6-0, 180), a left-shotdefenseman with Moncton, had 72 points (21 goals, 51 assists) in 67 regular-season games and 17 points (two goals, 15 assists) in 12 playoff games. He's No. 19 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

"With Etienne, it's the hockey sense, the puck skill, the poise with the puck, and his ability to sort out the options in front of him," Damphousse said. "To me, that's the difference-maker with his game. He can find shot paths around the net, and I think his defensive play has gotten better throughout the season."

Gauthier and Morin are two of 31 QMJHL players on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

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To break down the QMJHL prospects, here are five questions with Damphousse:

Morin led QMJHL defensemen with 21 goals, the second-most ever by a Moncton player at the position. Clearly his offensive game will be his calling card at the next level, but he's got a good frame to get stronger. What stands out about his game?

"He's as good as anybody that I've seen this year on the offensive blue line, whether it's 5-on-5 or power play. He can create and he can find lanes. He can find shot paths around the net, and I think his defensive play has gotten better throughout the season. He was a minus-12 last year as an underage player and finished this year plus-29. I thought he defended well in the second half. His timing was better through the neutral zone. He's got a little bit of bite too, can finish checks, and he can be mean around the net. He did well in the playoffs, so for me he's progressed throughout the season. He's a nice prospect."

When we talked to Gauthier in January, he said the biggest thing for him was finding consistency game-to-game. Did you see that type of effort from him through the second half of the season?

"I think he may have been hard on himself. I think he's that type of kid who wants to deliver every single night, but you can't score every game, you can't deliver every game. For me, the consistency has been there. The fact he played for Sherbrooke, which was a stacked team from top to bottom and still found a way to get that top-six role, those power play minutes ... that kind of shows that type of player and that type of character he has. The consistency has been there, though. He delivered throughout the season, even in the playoffs, scoring at a point-per game clip. He's a solid prospect all around."

Mathieu Cataford (5-11, 190; No. 36 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters), a right-shot center, can play wing or center and is used in almost all situations. Why do you think Cataford could be a solid choice early in the draft?

"I think Cataford brings aspects similar to Gauthier. He plays hard, he's tough to play against and he can play the middle or the wing. He can kill penalties and can play the power play extremely well. The hockey sense makes a huge difference. He sees the ice well and understands the defensive part of the game. He covers the defensive side on all three zones. For me, it's the complete package and the fact he delivered offensively with 31 goals and 75 points. He's on a playoff contender and is still a top-six (forward) on a team with a ton of good players and still delivering. For me, a 17-year-old that can play a huge role on a championship team ... that means a lot. Mathieu is a solid all-around prospect who would fit right in as far as the work ethic and intangibles he brings."

Cam Squires (6-foot, 165), a right wing from Cape Breton, had one of the biggest jumps among all players to No. 56 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters from No. 114 at the midterm. He had 20 goals and 36 points in his final 32 games of the regular season, so production stepped up. What changed in his game to earn him such a huge promotion in the final ranking?

"I think in the first half we saw the potential and weren't sure if, offensively, he would deliver. Obviously he did in the second half. He's another 30-goal scorer in the 'Q', on par with Gauthier and Cataford as far as goal scoring. He scored 25 goals at even strength so he's not just a one-dimensional power-play guy. There's a lot of growth physically that needs to happen to project to the pro level, but I think as soon as he gets stronger, physically, his skating will get better. He'll be more powerful in 1-on-1 battles. Anytime he's on the ice and has the puck, he makes things happen offensively. It's easy for me to project four or five years from now with that with added physical strength and a more powerful stride, I could see this kid breakthrough in the NHL."

Are there any dark horse candidates from the league you feel could be a solid pro at some point?

"There are always a few guys in the draft, and I think the 'Q' is kind of known for those late bloomers, those prospects who go undrafted but sign as a 20-year-old and perform at the NHL level. When you look at Halifax defenseman Dylan MacKinnon (6-2, 190) at No. 61, he's playing a big role, on the penalty kill, plays physical. He's tough and the type of kid who would translate well at the pro level in a physical, defensive type role. I think Andrei Loshko (6-1, 173; No. 68) in Chicoutimi could be a solid two-way centerman at the next level, maybe we project as a third-line center. I think he brings a lot of positives as far as playing well defensively. His hockey sense is good, and he did a good offensive job on a team that was kind of in a rebuilding phase and played a lot of young players.

"Also right wing Lucas Romeo (6-1, 195) is kind of a late bloomer. He's an Ontario player who came to the QMJHL as a free agent. He has good size, plays hard and ended up with 15 goals as a rookie on a rebuilding team in Charlottetown. He fought a few times and can be nasty, physically. I think he's one of those guys that, when looking at Stanley Cup playoff hockey, he fits right in. Maybe he's a third or fourth-line guy who, down the road, can produce a little bit of offense as well. But he's tough, he's mean, and he's got the frame to play at the NHL level."

Photo: Vincent L-Rousseau, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)

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