Scouting Report
EVALUATED 20/04/2022
Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
Player Type: Intellegent & Skilled Offensive Weapon
QMJHL Draft Projection: 1st Round
Projected QMJHL Arrival: Fall 2022
Projectable Skills: Natural ability to anticpate and adapt to changes in posession, as well as position himself to capitalize on opposition mistakes.
Development Opportunities: Wavering application of his incredible skill and explosiveness.
As one of our most highly touted prospects for the 2022 QMJHL draft, Thomas Desruisseaux offers a package of what I consider to be some of the most sustainable and projectable offensive elements in this class. The Levis Chevaliers forward garnered substantial attention last summer at the Team Quebec U16 camp where his technical skill and puck handling were focal points of the camp. Since last summer, however, Thomas has leaned more heavily into his cognitive strengths in order to bolster his offensive projection in our minds. When he's on, there's almost nothing that he cannot accomplish in the offensive zone. He has a no-hesitation release that enables him to leverage his accurate half-slap one-timer in moments of chaos to find the back of the net. While there seems to be the occasional game where this isn't as much of a factor, Desruisseaux does posses the ability to use explosive footwork and creative puck manipulation as a catalyst for his offense. Finding the right groove to of confidence to maintain this skill and engagement will greatly support his consistent production and development. His natural and proven ability to consistently anticipate the flow of play as effectively as almost any player in the QMAAA circuit is what makes his offensive projection so sustainable. He naturally moves to opportunistic areas of the ice in anticipation of loose pucks or favorable passes. Rather than adapting to or struggling in situations where his skills are not favorable, Desruisseux forces the puck into areas where his skills can be utilized. He chooses optimal lanes to loose pucks, and recognizes changes in possession before they occur so that he can quickly adjust his posture or body position to accommodate. This tendency applies in all zones and means that he is also often a defensively supportive forward. He regularly recognizes opposition opportunities and injects himself between the puck and otherwise open opponents. While there are some elements of his game that could benefit from a more consistent application, Desruisseaux is undoubtedly has one of the most impressive upsides in this QMJHL draft class.
Skating
7.5Puck Skills
9Hockey IQ
8Playmaking
9Scoring
8.5Physicality
6.5Defense
7Overall
7.93Scouting Report
EVALUATED 02/02/2022 Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
While there are plenty of ways for forwards to offer value and find success, few do it in a way that is quite as entertaining and engaging as Thomas Desruisseaux. Beginning without the puck, Desruisseaux is an active forechecker and backchecker who is eager to engage in battles along the boards and in open ice to secure himself possession of the puck. The combination of his timing and stickwork enable him to very efficiently abduct possession from his opposition, and begin earning forward progress immediately. Further, once securing possession Desruisseaux is highly sensitive to maintaining it. Although not as physically powerful as some of his peers, the 5’11”,150lb forward is hostile towards would-be puck thieves, and again, not shy to muck out possession along the boards if it comes to that. While controlling the puck in the offensive zone he remains constantly in search of space to deploy one of his most valuable gifts – accurate short-range passing to ideal scoring locations. Although occasionally he shows a pang of overanxiousness that results in an overshot pass, his success rate is quite high. He utilizes incredibly intricate but polished footwork and puck handling to find success in navigating high traffic areas, as well as defeating lateral cuts to create immediate space. It goes without outright saying that Desruissaux appears to be one of the most technically skilled players in this class, however, what some may not immediately realize is that that harmony of his speed, puck skill and most of all, adaptivity indicate that this player is much more conscious of his objectives than some sellsword who knows only what he does and not why.
Overall
7.93Scouting Report
EVALUATED 02/02/2022
Christian B-Côté
North American Crossover Scout
Desruisseaux’s first full season in the M18 circuit was eagerly anticipated, though he was sadly slowed by a separated shoulder early in the season. He is progressively regaining his momentum and primed to go on an absolute tear post-break. His biggest asset is how he maintains possession of the puck at key times. As such, he protects and handles effortlessly on the PP. In addition, he has excellent separation speed, which he employs to perfection on this high-offense Lévis squad. Realistically, Desruisseaux could finish the season as the number 1 pick overall and it would come to no surprise. Yet, this would demonstrate how he was able to overcome the challenges associated with his injury.
Overall
7.93Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
Nearing the half-way point of the season, Thomas Desruisseaux's rookie campaign could be considered a modest success. The 16-year-old forward has been a regular in the Eagles lineup and found his way on to the scoreboard occasionally. In this game I observed that Desruisseaux still seems to be working to find a cadence with the pace of the league. Saint John's lineup on this night was far from the best that the QMJHL had to offer and on occasion it seemed to me that Thomas was struggling to keep to his check in the defensive zone, while simultaneously giving himself the opportunity to break loose in transition when pucks came his way. The compromise seemed to be chaotic defensive zone time with semi-regular opportunies off of the rush. I think the next key to production for him will to be in finding a physical edge. He has the size to be more effective on the forecheck and has been in good position often enough. While his skill and processing speed in transition will surely catch up in time, there are immediate dividends to be earned by getting pucks on his stick in new ways. His ability to sustain pressure in the offensive zone was okay, but I did notice a few instances of him turning away from the puck while he was seeking open ice - alternatively, I'd love to see him continually facing the puck and using movement in his hips to stay square and available. This will ultimately reduce the risk of missed opportunities in the split seconds that can make a big difference in the QMJHL.
Game Reports
EVALUATED
Joel Henderson
Director of Scouting
I think he’s shown these little flashes of higher-end finesse in moments which caught my eye from a creativity standpoint. A lot of his game has been very north-south but today when he stickhandled through the triangle of his opponent and carried on, I thought that was quite impressive.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
Desruisseaux got on the scoreboard mid-way through the first period after recognizing a loose puck in the defensive zone and quickly acting upon it. After gathering the puck seamlessly, he transitioned the puck with calm, waiting for a linemate to match his position so that he could make a deceptive pass to the middle of the ice for a clear backdoor goal by Brett Yuzik. His skill was more subtle but just as practical as usual in this game. I was particularly impressed by a pass that earned him a secondary assist early in the third period where he gracefully pickpocketed an opposing defender and used a broad stroke with his stick to saucer a pass to the far wing, opening up the high slot for a trailing Justin Poirier. His offensive positioning was very supportive of creating secondary opportunities. He was often positioned such that he could quickly recover his teammates fumbled pucks and use that subsequent window of opportunity to expose his opponents lapse in attention.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
The relentless forechecking and skilled transition elements of Desruisseaux’s game were more prominent in this game than in the last that I’d watched at the tournament which was great to see. There are moments in each game where I find he has a highly persistent technical ability that is unmatched in this class. I’m talking about the pairing of skill and determination that it takes to take over games at critical junctures, and make plays happen – essentially the technical requisite of being “clutch”. With the open ice of the powerplay, Desruisseaux shifts to a more subtle and mobile style whereby he focuses on cycling the puck and posturing his body such that he can always see the ice. I find him to be one of the most consistent players in terms of his tendency to always face the play, an element which I consider quite crucial for sustainable success in his role at higher levels.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
While Desruisseaux seemed to get off to a bit of a slower start in this game, it didnt take all that long for him to get back to his usual self. Early on, the Chevaliers centerman seemed to have less of his usual explosive power to separate from traffic than I’m used to seeing from him. While this was a bit unusual, it did present an opportunity to separate and identify another positive element of his game with the puck which was his immense composure. Almost to a fault, Desruisseaux exhibited a level of calm with the puck as if he might’ve been playing a game of pick-up. Remaining calm while opponents encroached on him enabled him to identify more optimal outlets in moving the puck as opposed to just getting tunnel vision. Now, as the game went on, he gradually began to rely more deeply on his high level of puck skill and explosiveness, however, that element of composure really didn’t seem to fade once it was recognized. Few players rival him in terms of their hand-eye coordination ability, or strength in acquiring the puck inside of movement, and that’s nothing to say about his actual puck handling ability which is, in my opinion, far and away the most spectacular of any draft-eligible player. Desruisseaux gets the puck on a string as soon as it’s in his vicinity and almost always makes something happen with it. He’s also one of the most shrewd offensive players in the group, using his flexibility and athleticism to see the ice and stay square to the play. He’s almost always available when playing away from the puck and rarely makes a mistake when the puck gets to him. His process of collecting pucks in nearly any situation or body position, and gluing them to his stick to evade traffic is a workflow that is consistent in his game.
Player Card
- All Data is derived via 5v5 per 60 minutes rate displayed in percentile format.
- Data Courtesy of In Slat.
SIGNED:
Chicoutimi Saguenéens
05/07/2022
LEAGUE PREDICTION
-
CHL
Confirmed
100%
TEAM PREDICTION
-
Chicoutimi Sagueneens
Confirmed
100%
TIMELINE
- 2022
23/12/2022
Desruisseaux traded to Chicoutimi Sagueneens
- 2022
05/07/2022
Cape Breton Eagles sign Thomas Desruisseaux
- 2022
04/07/2022
Drafted by the Cape Breton Eagles in the QMJHL Draft
