Saturday, June 10, 2023

A closer look at Saint John's 2023 draft class

John Moore/Twitter
SHERBROOKE, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs made a surprising first pick and then went heavy on defense at the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs selected seven defensemen, two forwards and two goaltenders in Saturday's event and added another forward and defenseman in the American portion of the draft. Saint John drafted just one Atlantic Canadian while picking three Americans and nine players from Quebec.

Saint John only made a couple minor trades on Saturday, swapping some picks with the Gatineau Olympiques. The team opted to keep the three second round choices they entered the draft with.

Here's a more detailed look at each of Saint John's picks.

Round 2, 30th overall (Baie-Comeau) - C Egan Beveridge (Chicago Mission 15U AAA)
Beveridge, a New Hampshire native, spent last season with the Chicago Mission under-15 team.

Beveridge was recently the first overall pick in NCDC Entry Draft and was a sixth-round choice of the Madison Capitols in the USHL Futures Draft.
Puck Preps called Saint John's choice "one of the savviest picks of any recent QMJHL draft."

Beveridge was in attendance in Sherbrooke and sported a Sea Dogs jersey at the team's draft table.
Round 2, 33rd overall (Moncton) - RD Olivier Duhamel (Collège Charles-Lemoyne Riverains)
Duhamel spent last season with the Charles-Lemoyne College Riverains of the Quebec under-18 league where he registered two goals and eight assists in 40 games. He added two goals and five assists in five playoff games.

The league lists him at 5'10" and 157 lbs while Elite Prospects has him at 5'11" and 165 lbs.

QMJHL Central Scouting had Duhamel ranked 46th while HockeyProspect.com had him 39th.
Duhamel is one of the youngest players in the draft and won't turn 16 until November. He is known for his strong skating ability and work ethic.

"If his decision-making and anticipation can reach a higher level, Olivier Duhamel can be a really effective two-way defenseman at the next level," writes HockeyProspect.com. "He needs an extra year of development in the M18 AAA to round up his game before making the jump to the QMJHL, but you can expect a big year for Duhamel."

Round 2, 40th overall (Quebec) - LD Benjamin Amyot (Châteauguay Grenadiers)
Amyot, who won't turn 16 for another month, has spent the past two seasons with the Châteauguay Grenadiers of the Quebec under-18 circuit. The defender recorded 16 assists in 40 games last year and added three helpers in nine playoff matches.

He had a goal and two assists with Team Quebec at the Canada Winter Games.

Amyot was ranked 45th by HockeyProspect.com and 42nd by Central Scouting.

Scouting reports indicate that Amyot is an exceptional skater but can struggle under pressure with the puck at times.

"He can be a really good transition defenseman at the next level and bring offence by joining the rush and moving the puck around the offensive zone," writes HockeyProspect.com. "His positioning is still good, he has a good defensive stick and he makes good reads defensively. Paired with his great feet, we can expect a two-way defender at the next level."

Round 4, 72nd overall (Victoriaville) - G Kyan Labbe (Magog Cantonniers)
Labbe posted an 11-7 record to go along with a 3.14 goals against average and a .903 save percentage last season with Magog. 

Labbe was ranked 71st by HockeyProspect.com and was considered a sixth-to-eighth round pick by Central Scouting. He had a strong showing at the QMJHL Cup.
The 15-year-old (he'll turn 16 next month) is listed at just 5'7" and 148 lbs. For a very "Sea Dogs comparison," Saint John selected Sebastien Auger in 2010 and was, at the time, listed at 5'9" and 143 lbs.

"The question mark for him will always be with regards to his size, but he has the athletic qualities and the hockey sense to make it work at the junior level in our opinion," writes HockeyProspect.com.

Round 7, 117th overall (Charlottetown) - RW Alexis Beaudoin (Trois-Rivières Estacades)
In his first season in the Quebec under-18 league, Beaudoin recorded eight goals and eight assists in 42 regular season games. He added two goals and two assists in 11 playoff matches.

He's listed at 5'7.5" and 167 lbs by the league.

Beaudoin was ranked 144th by HockeyProspect.com and a sixth-to-eighth round pick by Central Scouting.

"His success at the next level will likely come from the intangibles that he brings to the table," writes HockeyProspect.com, noting he plays a speedy and physical style despite his size. "With the style of game that he plays, he would benefit greatly from adding size."

Round 7, 127th overall - LD Julien Bonnet (Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois)
A 16-year-old defenseman, Bonnet recorded four goals and 10 assists in 34 games with a strong Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois squad in the Quebec under-18 league. He added an assist in 15 playoff games.

Bonnet played with Team Quebec at the Canada Winter Games where he recorded a goal and an assist.


Bonnet was ranked 41st by HockeyProspect.com and 43rd by Central Scouting. He's got good size and is listed at 6'2" and 178 lbs.

Bonnet is projected to be a physical, shutdown style defenseman at the next level.
Round 11, 188th overall - LD Matthew MacLean (Summerside Western Capitals)
MacLean, 17, is a Charlottetown native who played with both the Charlottetown Knights under-18 team and the Maritime Hockey League's Summerside Western Capitals last season.

MacLean appeared in nine games with the Knights where he registered a goal and seven assists. In 42 MHL games he posted two goals and nine assists.

Listed at 6'1" and 165 lbs, MacLean was projected to be a sixth-to-eighth round pick by Central Scouting.

Round 11, 199th overall - RD Arnaud Tardif (Marie-Rivier Canimex M17 AAA)
The 16-year-old defenseman posted four goals and three assists in 28 games with the Marie-Rivier Canimex of the Quebec under-17 league. He also appeared in one game with the Trois-Rivières Estacades.

Tardif was projected to be a ninth-to-12th round pick by Central Scouting.

Round 13, 224th overall - D Tomas Lulic (Collège Bourget M18 D1)
Another defenseman, Lulic had three goals and nine assists in 30 games with Bourget College this past season. 

Like Tardif, Lulic was projected to be a ninth-to-12th round pick by Central Scouting.

Round 13, 235th overall - LD Giuliano Caputo (Collège Esther-Blondin Phénix)
The 17-year-old defenseman had four goals and seven assists in 42 games this past season. He also appeared in five playoff contets.

Caputo also appeared in three games in the Quebec under-18 league the year prior.

Central Scouting had the Terrebonne native ranked as a 13th-round pick or later.

Round 14, 242nd overall - G Samuel Doyon-Cataquix (Mount St. Charles Academy Saints)
The second goaltender the Sea Dogs selected in this draft, Doyon-Cataquiz played US prep school hockey at Mount St. Charles this past season. He had solid numbers with school's under-15 program, posting a 28-6 record to go along with a 2.29 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.

Elite Prospects lists him as both a Canadian and American citizen. He was also a sixth-round pick of the Muskegon Lumberjacks in this year's USHL Futures Draft. He is presumably considering college hockey options.

Doyon-Cataquiz was projected to be a sixth-to-eighth round pick by Central Scouting.

US Round 1, fourth overall - D Jeremy Poirier (New Hampshire Avalanche)
Jeremy Poirier, not to be confused with Jeremie Poirier, is a Salem, NH native who spent last season with the New Hampshire Avalanche program, playing with both the under-18 and under-16 teams. The defenseman is listed at 5'10" and 150 lbs.
US Round 2, 22nd overall - F Daniel Daley (Franklin High School Panthers)
Daley, 17, is a Franklin, MA native who played last season with the Franklin High School Panthers in Massachusetts. There isn't much info on him at Elite Prospects.
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