In this 2026 QMJHL Draft Ranking update we’ve expanded our list from 40 to 60 players after what was a busy month of a December with plenty of league play across all the provinces on top of one of the biggest tournaments of the year in the CCM Challenge which occurred in the middle of the month. Getting to see a lot of these players live really helped shift my perspective on some of their games, and seeing them all on the same ice surface for the most part has led to a plethora of changes on our draft board as this draft class starts to get just a tad bit clearer. January will be another busy month for us with the IceJam tournament kicking off in the coming days and we’ll continue to pump out game reports for leagues across Eastern Canada as we inch closer to draft day.
You can check out our full top-60 rankings at our QMJHL Draft Center.
Changes in the Top-10
I thought about the top of my list for quite some time throughout last month, and while I considered other players for the #1 spot, it’s still the Jacob McKinnon draft for me. He did leave me wanting more in some viewings throughout the month, but at the end of the day when he’s at his best I haven’t seen another player who can match his skill and pace as an attacker and with a couple of Blizzard forwards being called up to the QMJHL I’m interested to see just how good he can be in a heightened role in the second half of the year. One contender for the top spot was Châteauguay Grenadiers forward Julien Bergeron, who climbs from #3 to #2 on our board after an impressive and productive performance at the CCM Challenge for the championship winning team. I do believe the skating is an issue, particularly in open ice, but his high-end offensive instincts, off-puck intelligence and finishing ability allow him to make up for it quite easily. A QMJHL scout recently told me he sees shades of Joshua Roy in Bergeron, and I can’t say I disagree.
At the beginning of the year I thought Eliot Faucher (#3) stood alone as the top defender in this draft class, but the recent play of Vincent Boutet has propelled him to #4 on our board and made him a serious contender for the best defenseman in this draft class. As of now I think the offensive potential that Faucher provides makes him the better prospect at this point in time, but Boutet has made some serious strides in this area throughout the year and I’m very curious to see how this plays out by years end.
One player who propelled themselves into the top-10 was Lac St Louis Lions forward Bryce Lazare. His performance at the CCM Challenge was one of the best I’ve seen from a draft-eligible prospect this season, as he was commanding play with the puck and picking apart defensive structures with tactical playmaking. It doesn’t help that he’s playing on the worst team in the Québec M18 circuit, but I do think he’s a player who is poised for a strong second half.
High Risers
Aside from Lazare, there were plenty of other skaters who rose up our board quite significantly due to their performance in December. One of these players was Amos Forestiers’ Aslan Tremblay, a skilled 6’1 and 192 lbs forward who has all the tools necessary to become a top-6 power forward in the QMJHL. Tremblay ended up just outside the top-10 by finishing at #11 on our board, but he’s a player who has only continued to get better and better as the season has gone along and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him enter top-5 consideration if he continues on the same trajectory.
Another player who flew up our board due to a strong performance at this year’s CCM Challenge is Trois-Rivières forward Émile Guévin, who made the jump into our first round by moving from #24 to #13. He’s not the biggest player, but he’s more than made up for it through sheer off-puck tenacity and pacey play on-puck which has made him a go to guy for the Estacades all season long despite being one of their younger players. With Frédéric Bergeron being called up to Shawinigan for the rest of the year, I presume Guévin will be given an even bigger role offensively which could highly benefit his already stellar production.
High Debuts
The player making the highest debut on our board is Lévis Chevaliers defenseman Enzo Roy, who ends up at #24. Roy ended up making my tournament all-star team for the CCM Challenge due to his highly impressive skating ability and transitional play, putting up 7 points in 6 games in the process. He’s undersized at 5’8 and 141 lbs, but I believe his already dynamic skillset will only be amplified as he continues to grow.
CCL Riverains defender Gabriel Coache-Luqman is another player who saw a significant rise in our rankings due to a strong performance at the CCM Challenge. He won’t overwhelm you on the scoresheet, but the 6’1 and 190 lbs rearguard brings a punishing and defensively stout game to the backend which makes him highly projectable to the next level. Speaking to some scouts, I’ve heard many consider him to be a first-round pick in this year’s draft.
Another defender who I came away impressed with after the CCM Challenge was Stanstead’s Mathieu Généreux, who suited up for QMJHL White. Généreux comes in at #31 on our board, as he showcased really strong skating ability and a willingness to jump into the rush to create advantages for his team. At 6’1 and 165 lbs he possesses above-average size as well, which is sure to attract a plethora of QMJHL teams come draft day.
If ever you want to reach out to ask any questions pertaining to the rankings or just talk hockey in general, you can always find me on twitter @ArobScouting and on Instagram @ArobScouting