2021 QMJHL Draft Results

Round 1

The 2021 QMJHL Draft has future NHL talent on display. Find out who went to what QMJHL team and our grades for all 20 first round picks.

Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Last Updated: August 5, 2021.

1. Sherbrooke Phoenix: Ethan Gauthier, C, (2023) A+ Grade
   
   
   The 5-11 176 lb Ethan Gauthier is the son of Calgary Flames 1995 first round pick Denis Gauthier. His cousin is also 2016 first round pick Julien Gauthier.
   
   
   
   Despite being only 16, Gauthier has the speed, explosion, burst, agility, skating, foot speed, playmaking, passing, sniping, wrist shot power, wrist shot accuracy, slap shot power, slap shot accuracy, vision, offensive awareness, defensive awareness, and hockey IQ to succeed in the QMJHL. He could be a first line center on the Sherbrooke Phoenix at some point down the road.
   
   
   
   He had 13 goals, 27 assists, and 40 points as an alternate captain on Bois-Francs Cascades Bantam AAA team in 2020-2021. He should follow in his fathers and cousins footsteps by potentially being a first round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft since he entered this draft as the consensus top prospect in the 2021 QMJHL Draft. His player comparison entering the QMJHL is former Boston Bruins center David Krecji.
   
   
   
2. Drummondville Voltigeurs: Tyler Peddle, LW, (2023) A+ Grade
   
   
   The 6-1 190 lb Tyler Peddle has the versatility to play left wing, center, or right wing. His 31 goals, 15 assists, and 46 points in 47 games helped him get picked as early as he got selected. Tyler Peddle was the clear cut second best player in this draft behind Ethan Gauthier.
   
   
   
   Despite being only 16, Peddle has the speed, explosion, burst, agility, skating, foot speed, playmaking, passing, sniping, wrist shot power, wrist shot accuracy, slap shot power, slap shot accuracy, vision, offensive awareness, defensive awareness, and hockey IQ to succeed in the QMJHL.
   
   
   
   He's fast, explosive, and the clear cut second best player in this draft behind Ethan Gauthier. Tyler Peddle has a chance to be Drummondville's first star left winger since Sean Couturier who the Flyers took in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Baie-Comeau Drakkar: Vincent Collard, C, (2023) F Grade
   
   
   The QMJHL Draft analysts believe this is a top six guy on a first or second line. He had 0 points in 0 games played and went third overall. I can't give a team anything above an F grade for taking a guy in the top 5 let alone the top 3 if they had 0 points in 2020-2021.
   
   
   
4. Rimouski Oceanic: Luke Coughlin, D, (2022) A Grade
   
   
   The 5-9 172 lb Luke Coughlin is the top defenseman in the 2021 QMJHL Draft. His comparision was Nick Leddy. He had 8 assists and no goals which is why he got an A grade instead of an A+ despite being the best defenseman in this entire QMJHL Draft.
   
   
   
   Despite being only 16, Coughlin has the speed, explosion, burst, agility, skating, foot speed, playmaking, passing,, vision, offensive awareness, defensive awareness, and hockey IQ to succeed in the QMJHL. He just needs to develop his shot and then he may be able to be a first round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft after playing for the Charlottetown Knights Under 18-Team.
   
   
   
   Gatineau got a good center and defender in the 2019 QMJHL Draft. They came away from this draft with the top defender, top winger, and top center with three of the first four picks in this draft.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Halifax Mooseheads: Dylan MacKinnon, D, (2023) A Grade
   
   
   Dylan MacKinnon is a nasty defenseman to play against. He's a puck mover and a great skater. One knock scouts have with him is his processing, but I don't think that will be an issue. The 6-1 172 lb Dylan MacKinnon had 4 goals, 7 assists, 11 points, and a +18 +/- ratio in 18 games. Dylan MacKinnon was the best defenseman outside of Luke Coughlin.
   
   
   
6. Halifax Mooseheads: Mathieu Cataford, C, (2023) A Grade
   
   
   Another guy with 0 points in 2020-2021 this season goes in the top six. He's got a lot of good traits on tape though so you could argue that Halifax knows what they are doing due to their good track record. He had 16 goals, 20 assists, and 36 points in 2018-2019 before recording 14 goals, 15 assists, and 29 points in 2019-2020 showing consistency on tape despite having 0 points in 2020-2021. Cam Russell, the GM of the Halifax Mooseheads has been with Halifax since 2008. I trust Russell with his talent evaluations as he's one of the best GM's in the QMJHL. Russell raved about Mathieu Cataford's vision believing both of his picks are ready to play right away.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Blainville-Boisbriand Armada: Alexis Bourque, RW, (2023) C- Grade
   
   
   Alexis Bourque has yet to play an Under-18 game. He also had two consecutive seasons of 41 points on one team before being promoted to a team where he had two consecutive seasons of 0 points. This feels like a boom or bust pick, but Alexis Bourque has a great release on his shot as well as good speed.
   
   
   
8. Cape Breton Eagles: Emile Perron, D, (2023) C+ Grade
   
   
   Emile Perron has two conseuctive seasons of 0 points. He did get promoted to team captain as this was the only pick Cape Breton had for the entire fifteen round 2021 QMJHL Draft. He's got great speed and good pivots. He reads the play and processes the game very well.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Shawinigan Cataractes: Jordan Tourigny, D, (2022) C Grade
   
   
   The 5-9 150 lb Jordan Tourigny can be an effective offensive defenseman. Jordan Tourigny is an offensive defenseman who did well in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, but did not play in 2020-2021. I'm not sure if that was due to Covid-19, but this is the fifth prospect in the top 9 with 0 points and 0 games played in 2020-2021. Phenomenal puck mover. He may be the best skater in the entire draft. Attacks the dirty areas. He's got a tremendous first pass. He was the ninteenth best player on one board, but his older brother was picked twenty third overall.
   
   
   
10. Rimouski Oceanic: Mael St-Denis, C, (2023) C Grade
    
    
    The 5-11 165 lb Mael St-Denis will probably be inserted into a third line center role. Mael St-Denis was ranked at twenty by Central Scouting for the QMJHL so this felt like a reach, but he's a good fit for this team.
    
    
    
    Mael St-Denis had 11 goals, 13 assists, and 24 points in 2018-2019. He had 11 goals, 9 assists, and 20 points in 2019-2020. He had 0 points and was the fifth player with 0 points and 0 games played to be picked in the top ten.
    
    
    
    
    
11. Drummondville Voltigeurs: Matteo Rotondi, D, (2023) A+ Grade
    
    
    The 6-0 194 lb Matteo Rotondi turns 16 in less than two weeks. He had 1 goal, 6 assists, and 7 points in 11 games.
    
    
    
    Despite being only 15, Rotondi has the speed, explosion, burst, agility, skating, foot speed, playmaking, passing, sniping, wrist shot power, wrist shot accuracy, slap shot power, slap shot accuracy, vision, offensive awareness, defensive awareness, and hockey IQ to succeed in the QMJHL.
    
    
    
12. Rimouski Oceanic: Maxime Coursol RW, (2022) B Grade
    
    
    Maxime Coursol is a solid pick who can step up offensively. He also had 0 points in the QMAAA in 2020-2021. However he had 27 goals, 16 assists, and 43 points on an Under-15 Team. Coursol had 17 goals, 17 assists, and 34 poins in 25 QBAAA games in 2019-2020 before being promoted to QMAAA.
    
    
    
    
    
13. Blainville-Boisbriand Armada: Justin Boisselle, RW, (2023) C+ Grade
    
    
    Justin Boisselle will either be a top six or a bottom six player after not playing in the QMAAA this year. He's more of a playmaker than a goal scorer.
    
    
    
14. Victoriaville Tigres: Justin Gendron, RW, (2024) A+ Grade
    
    
    The 6-1 183 lb Justin Gendron joins the 2021 Presidents Cup Champion Victoriaville Tigres who won the 2021 QMJHL Playoffs. He won't be eligible for the NHL Entry Draft until 2024.
    
    
    
    Justin Gendron had 6 goals, 5 assists, and 11 points in 14 games. He also had 7 goals, 4 assists. and 11 points in 8 playoff games showing he could perform down the stretch when it mattered.
    
    
    
    
    
15. Rimouski Oceanic: Kyle Hagen, G, (2023) A Grade
    
    
    The 6-0 170 lb Kyle Hagen has had a 2.62 goals against average or lower in every year of hockey he's played leading up to the 2021 QMJHL Draft. Kyle Hagen has a chance to win the starting goalie job right out of the gate. If he does, and plays right away, he's got a chance to be the top goalie in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft if he does well.
    
    
    
16. Drummondville Voltigeurs: Marc-Olivier Beaudry, D, (2023) A+ Grade
    
    
    Marc-Olivier Beaudry was a top ten prospect. I've handed out four A+ grades with Sherbrooke getting the first one and Drummondville getting the other three. That should say a lot with Drummondville hitting on three of their first four first round picks.
    
    
    
    
    
17. Drummondville Voltgeurs: Loic Goyette, C, (2024) A+ Grade
    
    
    Loic Goyette is the best 2024 NHL Draft prospect left in the 2021 QMJHL Draft. The Drummondville Voltigeurs go 4/4 hitting on all four of their first round picks. Goyette ended 2019-2020 with 13 goals, 10 assists, and 23 points in 19 QBAAA games. Loic Goyette is versatile enough to play left wing, center, or right wing making this a superb pick.
    
    
    
18. Baie-Comeau Drakkar: Nathan Baril, LW, (2023) A Grade
    
    
    The 5-8 140 lb Nathan Baril had 19 goals, 23 assists, and 42 points. He should be a third line left winger with a top 9 role who could work his way up the lineup.
    
    
    
    
    
19. Saint John Sea Dogs: Natan Grenier, D, (2023) F Grade
    
    
    Nathan Grenier had 5 goals, 10 assists, and 15 points on the Quebec Typhon Bantam AAA Team in 2019-2020. He didn't record a point after getting promoted from QBAAA to QMEAA before being promoted again to QMAAA where he couldn't get a point after playing in the QBAAA. The Saint John Sea Dogs traded up for this defenseman. He had a fourth round grade. Saint John's traded away Leighton Carruthers a guy Saint John's took third overall a year ago to get this pick from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
    
    
    
20. Halifax Mooseheads: Logan Crosby, RW, (2024) A Grade
    
    
    The 6-3 179 lb Logan Crosby is from Nova Scotia. That's the same area where guys like Sidney Crosby and Nate MacKinnon played growing up prior to getting drafted in the QMJHL. Great pick by the Halifax Mooseheads here taking a guy who had 12 goals, 6 assists, and 18 points in 29 games.