QMJHL: Elliott Desnoyers, LW, Moncton (2020)

Elliot Desnoyers has seen a bit of a stagnant stretch this season, through no fault of his own. The depth of the Moncton Wildcats belies his talents a bit. His points-per-game are up this season compared to last, but he is seeing a very similar role this year with no real progression; up-and-down the lineup on the top three lines. He does not have consistent linemates with Moncton, lining up with most of their top forwards on any given night, but has seen his powerplay time dwindle and his penalty killing time as well. The Wildcats adding 2021 top prospect Zachary L’Heureux to the fold has not helped his cause in a different way, as it adds another forward that can take some ice time off his plate.

Having said that, Desnoyers is a reliable, hard-working forward much in the same vein as L’Heureux or Calgary Flames first rounder Jakob Pelletier; a hard-working, fast-skating jack-of-all-trades who can be relied upon in all situations. Desnoyers will see his role increase massively next year, either with Moncton or another team, as the Wildcats will lose many of their key players next season, and he could be the centrepiece of a trade to improve the contending Moncton squad. Either way, he will make an impressive step forward next season, and more consistently show what he has been leaving under wraps for two years.

Elliot Desnoyers. Photo by Daniel St. Denis.

Skating: Desnoyers can flat-out fly but does not use his speed as much as could be expected. Like the rest of his game, his skating is muted a bit in game situations. He displays great straight-line speed and very good edgework. He has excellent fundamentals on his stride, nice and wide and a powerful, full release to maximize leg power. His stride does not look as fast as it is; his speed is deceptive as you only notice it with the ground he picks up after the fact. As well, he gets to top speed quickly when he needs to. He drives wide a lot on the rush to take advantage and sets up play coming wide on either wing to try and blow by defenders. He forechecks effectively because speed catches up to defenders much quicker than they’re used to.  Grade: 60

Shot: The wrist shot is the weapon of choice for Desnoyers, and it’s an underrated shot for him. He is able to identify the shooting lane, unload quickly, and fire it off in traffic. His shot totals are up from last year, though his shooting percentage is down, which can be attributed to shooting more off the rush and from distance this year. He also uses his shot well to play rebounds in front of the net for teammates to pounce. Having said that, he projects to be more of a playmaker than a sniper at the next level. Grade: 50

Skills: Desnoyers plays a simple but effective game with the puck. He does not use many shifty moves or decoys to make his plays with the puck. He is more of a North-South player but knows his limits and plays well within them. This is not to say he is not capable with the puck; far from it, he can lead the rush and follow it, has a pretty good pass and a pretty good, though underused, shot. Desnoyers is a solid stickhandler, but not a flashy one. He rarely needs to use a nifty move, but he reserves his finest moves for optimal occasions only when he needs separation or a one-on-one situation. He thrives more in space, and gets enough of it with his teammates, but spends more time without the puck on a strong offensive Moncton team. This section is a work-in-progress for game situations, and we will have a better idea next year with different teammates just how strong his puck skills are.  Grade: 50

Smarts: Desnoyers has superior hockey sense to most and that allows him to play in any role on any line, and you cannot say that for many junior-aged players. He is useful and can be deployed in many different game situations. He keeps it simple, and to his advantage; he knows what he is and what he is not. He does not get caught in an area or a situation that he does not know how to properly react to. As a result, Desnoyers rarely makes mistakes. He reads play strongly, allowing him to be strong on forecheck and attack the puck effectively by snuffing out passing lanes on the pursuit. He is one of the better Q players without the puck; he follows the play well, is great in pursuit on the backcheck, blocks shots, blocks lanes, and provides good support in follow-ups along the boards. Grade: 60

Physicality: Desnoyers looks bigger than he is but is not a particularly physical player. He plays physical enough that he contributes to the hit column. He is not particularly strong, but fast and good on the forecheck because of his speed and smarts, as well as stick. He does not shy away from contact; he just does not initiate it outside of game situations that demand it. He can play on bottom-six lines because of his willingness to compete and get dirty. Additionally, he is strong in pursuit of rebounds and fights in front of the net. Grade: 50

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 54