QMJHL: Raphaël Lavoie, RW/C, Halifax

Raphael Lavoie is the best QMJHL prospect for a reason; he is the most tantalizing package of size and speed available out east. He is a bit raw, though, and parts of his game could use a polish. He had a pleasantly-surprising year last season with Halifax with 30 goals in the regular season, pairing it with five playoff points in nine games. This season, the team has much more at stake as the Memorial Cup hosts, and the team has been a bit of a disappointment thus far.

The offence has not clicked at the level anticipated, with the exception of the former Titan forward Samuel Asselin. Lavoie’s numbers have not taken the jump many expected of him, but the team as a whole has not been as strong offensively as they appear on paper. A new coach with a defensive system has led to much of that, and a ton more pressure could also be a factor. Either way, Lavoie has shown growth in using his size and continuing to use his speed to create separation in his game and expect that to continue next year.

At present, without improvement over the summer, Lavoie will likely start next season back in the QMJHL, but he did surprise and make the Mooseheads as a 16-year-old rookie at mid-season and was a useful player. Consistency is an issue in Lavoie’s game, and some games he is not as physical as one would like, but the player as a whole has a ton of potential and the work ethic in training to match. Like many young prospects, he will need to fill out, but he has strong power forward potential.

Halifax is the best organization for him to grow as a professional prospect, as they have nurtured many young NHLers like Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, Nikolai Ehlers, Timo Meier, Mackenzie Weegar, and more on the way like Filip Zadina and teammates Jared McIsaac and Benoît-Olivier Groulx. The history is there, and the puck is on Lavoie’s stick for what he chooses to do in his development. He has center potential but has played most of his time as a winger thus far in the Q.

Skating: Lavoie uses his long body to his advantage with his swift stride. He has a big man stride like Mats Sundin; long, powerful legs and great energy transfer where it does not look like he is moving as fast as he is, but it takes two strides to get where others would take five. His legs also allow him to take position in front of the net and along the boards and make him next to immovable, though he has been thrown to the ice in open areas, so his stride could use some tweaking to ensure balance at every point of the push. His center of gravity is higher than most, so defenders can get underneath him to knock him off the puck. Grade: 55

Shot: Lavoie keeps the low hand lower than most in his stance, and that makes his stick more like a two-hand lever than a spring. His shot is accurate with a lot of control over the accuracy. He tends to shoot more off his front foot, which means his shot could be even harder while sacrificing some loading time. Having said that, he will score at the next level due to his ability to pick corners and his quick release. His backhand is an underrated tool, as well. Grade: 60

Skills: Lavoie’s hands are very quick for such a long stick, though he does tend to paddle the puck on occasion rather then cradle it on the rush. Having said that, due to the long stick, he can draw defenders in and use them to his advantage. He can suck the defence in and drag the puck around them. He is a shooter first, but he does find the open man well on the rush and can make the correct play after reading the defence. His short passing is pinpoint, forehand and backhand.  Grade: 55

Smarts: Lavoie is smart beyond his years at using his body to create separation between the puck and defenders when it is on his stick. He knows how to use his big frame and long arms to keep the puck away from the opposing team at an elite level. When he controls the puck, he keeps his legs out wide to further anchor himself to the ice and it makes him very tough to knock off the puck unless you go underneath. He is sure-handed and will find the open teammate to relieve pressure. He knows his body and the type of player he is, and as a result he knows where to be on the ice to optimize the attack with his skillset.  Grade: 55

Physicality: Lavoie has more potential in this area than he presently displays, but he could be a punishing hitter. He does not bang bodies as much as one might like, but he demonstrates the ability strongly. At his size and speed, he could be a wrecking ball with the right training and more thickness added to his frame. His game is more about positioning and balance, especially in front of the net. He scores many of his goals from rebounds on the left-wing side of the goal, where he can use his long reach and strong roots to fire the puck around defenders. He has top-6 power forward potential. Grade: 55

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 56.25