2025 NHL Draft: Top 10 prospects from the QMJHL you need to know

Credit: (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)

After looking at 10 of the best 2025 NHL Draft prospects from both the OHL and the WHL, it’s the QMJHL’s turn.

The Q has never been as well represented on draft day, and that’s why there are fewer than 30 drafted prospects in the league right now. But the league is having a bit of a resurgence on the draft front this year, boasting one of the most impressive selection pools we’ve seen from the league in quite some time.

Caleb Desnoyers is essentially a lock to go in the top 10 this year – something we haven’t seen since Alexis Lafreniere went first overall in 2020. Justin Carbonneau should also go in the first round, but that could be it. Since 2010, we’ve only seen five players taken in the top 10, and just one in the top 20 dating back to 2021.

Still, it’s a good class out of the Q. Don’t be surprised if the quantity matches that when players are chosen in Los Angeles in late June:

1. Caleb Desnoyers, C (Moncton Wildcats)

Desnoyers has a legit shot at going in the top five, with some scouts thinking he could be a top three pick. While I wouldn’t go that far, I understand it. I like his physical play, even though he’s not huge. I think he’s a great playmaker and he’s one of the smarter centers in this draft. He might not be the flashiest, but at the very least, Desnoyers is going to be a middle-six center because he does so many great things away from the puck. He’s a guy you can win with – something Hockey Canada knows quite well after watching him win at the U-17 and U-18 level already.

2. Justin Carbonneau, RW (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)

Carbonneau’s game has a lot of high-end attributes. Great skater? Check. Excellent shot release? Absolutely. Carbonneau loves to make big, flashy, high-end plays and often comes out on the right side of it. He can get caught trying to do too much and could use his teammates a bit more, but he understands that and is doing a better job of realizing when to bail on a play. Teams in the top 15 will be intrigued with Carbonneau’s future.

3. Bill Zonnon, LW (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL)

I like Zonnon. He’s very energetic, a tremendous playmaker and is looking more comfortable as a shooter, too. He’s physical, smart and is an excellent passer who can do some dangerous things with the puck. When he has the puck, he makes things happen in open space. Without it, he creates space for his teammates and he gets himself to the net. It feels like Zonnon has been underappreciated and that he deserves more attention for his work ethic and tremendous vision. He’s the type of player you can stick with other high-end talents and find success.

4. Carlos Händel, RHD (Halifax Mooseheads)

The World Juniors was a perfect opportunity for Händel to show just how capable he is with and without the puck. He was Germany’s best defenseman despite being just 17. He’s not afraid to get engaged on the rush and is capable of leading a power play, too. Händel is producing at half a point per game with Halifax, but scouts have noticed that it didn’t take him too long to figure out how to create and make moves on the smaller North American ice. I feel like he’s so adaptable and can play a variety of roles, making him valuable to the Mooseheads.

5. Zachary Morin, LW (Saint John Sea Dogs)

Morin jumped from the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms after just four games and has thrust him into the top 70 for 2025. The Boston University commit slowed down as the season wore on, but was still one of Saint John’s better playmakers He doesn’t get pushed around easily and he can make quick enough passes to help take the pressure off him and get into a scoring role. Morin is best at creating opportunity for others – and the Sea Dogs are better because of it.

6. Mateo Nobert, C (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)

Nobert has continued to rise up the ranks this season. He has more goals (28) this year than he had total points (26) as a rookie last year. He’s also tracking for a nice 69-point season to boot. The thing that’ll drive teams to be interested in him, though, is just how smart he is. Nobert reads plays exceptionally well, and he has a nice mix of physicality and defensive awareness. The one thing holding him back right now is a lack of pure explosiveness, both in his speed and with the puck. But there’s some potential.

7. Owen Conrad, LHD (Charlottetown Islanders)

Conrad is an athletic, strong defenseman who can move the puck and take space away. Conrad’s offense might not be a shining element of his game, but he’s playing with more aggressiveness than we’ve seen from him at other levels – and he’s dang good in his own zone. At the very least, Conrad will earn love for just how rugged he is. QMJHL attackers don’t seem to like to play against him.

8. Alex Huang, RHD (Chicoutimi Saguenéens)

Some scouts love him – others aren’t totally convinced. But Huang is a productive blueliner who’s tracking to finish with 40 points while being one of Chicoutimi’s more creative puck movers. He’s not big or strong, but he moves well, activates on the rush and effective in all three zones. At the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, it looked like Huang was a bit more reliant on Matthew Schaefer to make things happen. But back in the Q, it looks like he’s a lot more confident in himself and the results have been solid.

9. Nathan Quinn, C (Quebec Remparts)

Quinn’s numbers might not be explosive or anything, but his play definitely can be, at times. He’s really smart, making so many effective plays at both ends of the ice. Even when that doesn’t translate into statistics on a page, he’s easy to appreciate because you can rely on him anywhere on the ice. Quinn has also added a bit more physicality in his game, making him more difficult to play against. He’s not big at 5-foot-10, but I still see a future for him in the bottom-six one day because he’s toolsy and has the brains to keep him engaged at all times.

10. Lucas Beckman, G (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)

Beckman is having a standout year with the Drakkar, stealing a bunch of games throughout the year. He might only be 6-foot-1, but he’s calm in the crease and doesn’t give up many bad rebounds. He’s athletic and tracks pucks well, and some scouts have noted that his positioning looks a lot better than it did in his QMJHL Draft year. He has had a bunch of shutouts over the past two years, too, which doesn’t hurt. I wish Beckman was bigger, and I can see him falling because of it. But from a technical and competitive standpoint, an NHL team definitely needs to take a close look.

Other notables: Samuel Boisvert, LW (Baie-Comeau Drakkar), Liam Kilfoil, C (Halifax Mooseheads), Gabriel D’Aigle, G (Victoriaville Tigres), Louis-Antoine Denault, G (Quebec Remparts), Philippe Veilleux, C (Val-d’Or Foreurs), Émile Guité, LW (Chicoutimi Saguenéens)

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