2026 NHL Draft Scouting Report #1: Maddox Dagenais
Background
Dagenais is a 6’4”, nearly 200-pound left-handed centerman native to Montreal, Quebec, who kick-started his Junior hockey career after being selected 1st overall in the 2024 QMJHL Draft by the Quebec Remparts. Dagenais is no stranger to the hype, as he’s been thrown under the spotlight multiple times throughout his young career. When he was 15, he starred for the Quinte Red Devils in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, where he scored 42 goals and totaled 81 points in just 35 games, which would place him second in the entire league in scoring, trailing only Ethan Belchetz. His Terrific season didn’t end there, as the Red Devils would advance all the way to the OMHA semifinals on the back of Dagenais’ 14-goal, 17-point playoff performance that spanned over 10 games.
Dagenais’ first season in the Q was filled with highs and lows and was riddled with injuries. Despite only playing in 43 of a potential 63 games, Dagenais would flash his skill and stardom, posting 12 goals and 26 points, which equated to a 0.6 point per game threshold and was second in the QMJHL among players under 17-years-old. Not only would this provide hope for the Remparts in the seasons to come, but provided a great foundation to build off of heading into his NHL Draft-eligible season.
Flashing forward to this season, and not only has Dagenais stayed healthy, but he’s taken a huge developmental step in his game. So far this season, he has scored 30 goals and 62 points in 61 games, and has played his best hockey of the year over the last month of the season. Over Dagenais’ last 10 games, he has 7 goals and 8 assists, and has a newfound level of confidence and demand for the puck.
Skating
For a 6’4”, almost 200-pound forward, Dagenais’s skating is very good. In a straight line, Dagenais can pick up some real speed. His long frame allows him to generate serious power in his strides. Unlike many players who have a similar stature to him, Dagenais possesses good knee bend, which allows him to maintain good posture in his stride and makes it easier for him to bring his feet all the way under his body when recovering his stride.
One of the best attributes of Dagenais’s skating ability is his crossovers. Although it’s hard for Dagenais to get a lot of puck touches in the neutral zone since most of the transition play on his line runs through overager Nathan Quinn, his smooth, yet quick crossovers make him a constant threat when the play is being pushed into the offensive zone. When comparing Dagenais’ skating to other players of his size, he can do something very effectively that others can’t, which is a cross-under. Although many people focus solely on the crossover aspect of skating, which is ultimately what is steering you in the direction you want to go, the cross-under aspect is equally as important, especially for a player as big as Dagenais, because it determines how quickly you can reach top speed. Dagenais’s ability to push off the ice and accelerate through his cross-unders is what makes him such a good skater.
Dagenais’s ability to generate speed through his crossovers and cross-unders is on full display during this power play zone entry.
When moving laterally and left to right, Dagenais can be a bit of a “Bambi”. He's very mobile, especially in his hips and ankles, and can shed off defenders with his quick change of direction, but he still will often slip or lose an edge when turning and changing direction at full speed simply because of how big he is. If he continues to work on his body control and lean into his hip mobility, which is a major strength in his skating, it will take Dagenais' skating to the next level.
Offensive Game
Offensively, Dagenais reminds me a lot of Caleb Desnoyers. Yes, they are both natives of Quebec, but aside from their French-Canadian connection, they have great vision and are excellent thinkers of the game.
When Dagenais has the puck on his stick their is no question that he is one of the more dangerous players in the Draft. Dagenais’s ability to survey the ice and find open teammates is one of his biggest strengths. Since most of Quebec’s transition game is run through over-agers, he’s become great at being a pitstop in the neutral zone for his teammates. Even when he’s flat-footed, Dagenais pre-scans the ice effectively, following that up by getting the puck on and off his stick immediately to keep the flow of the play and avoid turnovers. His touch of the puck is decisive and smart, and it’s another good attribute that he possesses that allows the flow of the play not to be interrupted.
Dagenais receives the puck near the corner and spins off a defender before making a behind-the-back pass.
Another thing that I like about Dagenais’ game that makes me very hopeful for his future as an NHL player is that when he is given the chance to carry the puck in transition, it very rarely ends in a turnover or failed entry. Using his crossovers to accelerate, he’s able to back up more conservative defenses and blow by more aggressive ones. Although he isn’t the flashiest player in the neutral zone, and can certainly use some work when it comes to executing high-skill moves at full speed, Dagenais can lean into his speed to gain the zone and read the play further. I’m excited to see him play next year with the hope that more experience in the QMJHL will earn him trust from the coaching staff, which will hopefully give him more offensive opportunities in transition.
When it comes to Dagenais’ scoring touch, it’s good, not great. There are definitely times when he generates super high-quality chances for himself, but cannot finish the play. However, 30-goals as a Draft-eligible can’t be overlooked, and his shot from his strongside flank on the power play is certainly a weapon, especially his one-timer. He also has a quick and deceptive release around the net, which allows him to roof pucks in tight. He’s also not afraid to get his nose dirty in front of the net and can use his size and reach to uncover loose pucks.
His combination of speed and finesse is unreal to watch when he’s playing at his best. His ability to protect the puck when under pressure is also fantastic, and a major plus in his game. What makes him stand out is that, at his size, he isn’t forced to rely on his frame to box out other players and easily get trapped along the boards. Instead, like I previously mentioned, Dagenais uses his edges to spin off opponents and maintain speed, even though his “Bambi-like” errors in his edgework can cost him possession at times. His ability to shield and protect the puck not just with his body but also his elusiveness and skill is a trait that will help ensure he isn’t a one-dimensional player at the next level, and can play both a skill-game, while also keeping a physicality-based mindset.
Defensive Game
When evaluating Dagenais defensive game, the most important thing that he’ll have to improve on is his consistency, especially in his in-zone defense. There’s freuqent times that Dagenais will skate out to challenge a point shot, fail to block the shot, and instead of cutting on a dime or stopping and starting, he’ll take lazy, wide turns out of the zone in the hope of receiving a stretch pass. On top of this, he will have to improve on shot-blocking technique and his route to the defensemen on the point. Oftentimes, he’ll have to cover for one of his wingers, but instead of taking an inside-out approach to the defender to take away the shooting lane, he’ll challenge defenders straight from the wall and work his way out from there. This results in shooting attempts that can easily be blocked getting through to the net due to Dagenais's tendency to challenge the body instead of the stick, while at the same time shrinking his body to avoid the puck instead of making it as big as possible to try and block it.
Although Dagenais is a center by nature, it’s necessary to question his shot-blocking tendencies because of his inconsistent faceoff percentage, which seems to fluctuate on a nightly basis. It’s very likely that because of his habit of playing higher in the defensive zone, he’ll be a better fit as a winger in the NHL. When looking at Dagenais’ positioning in the breakout, it’s also easy to understand how an NHL team could be enticed to switch him over to wing, due to his effectiveness as a post-up option and a distributor.
When taking a look at some of the more positive attributes in his defensive game, he’s great on both the forecheck and backcheck, and he loves hounding pucks. His defensive instincts in the offensive zone show signs of maturity beyond his years, as he’s great at making sure he’s always in a defensively responsible position, even when he’s in an attack-based mindset. Dagenais is also very physical in board battles and when retrieving loose pucks, and isn’t afraid to take advantage of his frame to make sure that his team gains possession of the puck or clears it out of the zone.
Dagenais makes a great backcheck, starting deep in the offensive end.
Hockey IQ
The most important thing to consider when breaking down Dagenais' game from a mental standpoint is how he operates with the puck versus how he operates without it. On-puck, Dagenais is great at keeping his head up and distributing the puck. His spatial awareness going into corners is fantastic, and he has a really good habit of always shoulder-checking before retrieving pucks. But limitations arise within his game when he has to rely on his off-puck movement and anticipation to create scoring chances for himself. He is a great passer; however, he has a bad habit of admiring his pass instead of moving into open ice.
Another attribute to his game that is holding him back significantly is his decision-making off the rush. He has all the tools to be a lethal offensive weapon, but when push comes to shove, and Dagenais is tasked with taking a defender 1-on-1, he isn’t able to take advantage of weak points in the defensemen’s technique because he simply isn’t aware of them. His shot selection will also leave you scratching your head at times, as he’ll pass up opportunities to carry the puck further into the zone and continue on the play to instead opt for a low-danger shot attempt.
In conclusion, I’m a huge fan of the way Dagenais thinks the game with the puck on his stick, specifically when he’s looking to facilitate. He makes passes that make you wonder whether or not he has eyes in the back of his head, and he always seems to have a sense of where his teammates are on the ice. But with that being said, Dagenais will need to improve on his urgency without the puck in all three zones on the ice. At the NHL level, he won’t be able to be disengaged from the play without it costing his team, and at times, it already does.
Player Projection
Dagenais is a very raw player, with all the talent in the world and a ton of upside, but also huge hit-or-miss potential. He’ll need to add more urgency and intent away from the puck to his game to truly reach his ceiling as a top-six winger in the NHL. He’ll also need to add another level of comfort and confidence to his game if he wants to take advantage of his combination of speed and playmaking fully. On the flip side, Dagenais’ style of play brings both a physical presence and a sense of finesse and skill, which will provide him with many opportunities as his career continues. Currently, he is ranked in the third tier in my Draft rankings, which spans from the 7th to the 11th spots, and consists of players like Caleb Malhotra and Tynan Lawrence. He is also ranked as high as 23rd by Sportsnet, and as low as 43rd by Craig Button.
Ultimately, the biggest thing that will determine Dagenais' success will be his development curve and where he gets drafted. As I said before, Dagenais has all the physical tools to be a good two-way winger in the NHL, who consistently posts around 40-50 points a season and plays around 15-16 minutes a night. I can’t pinpoint his game to a specific player comparison, but I do think he has specific areas of his game that are similar to certain players. For example, Dagenais’s ability to use both his size and skill when protecting and carrying the puck is very reminiscent of Tage Thompson. He also thinks the game in the same way as someone like Robert Thomas - always looking to set up his teammates, scanning the ice, and planning where he wants the puck to go next based on the position of his teammates. While the way he skates and moves around the ice reminds me of a much more frantic Leo Carlsson.
I’m very excited to see how Dagenais’ game progresses over the next couple of seasons, and I’m very interested to see how his role on Quebec increases next season, assuming he isn’t traded. He has a long way to go, but given time and the right support system from a team that’s willing to mold his skill set into something NHL worthy, Dagenais could be one of the higher value picks of this year’s Draft, depending on where he’s selected.
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