Few teams in the QMJHL have been as dominant lately as the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. 

With nine players already drafted in the NHL, the Sags have turned their talent-laden roster into consistent results. They currently sit second in the Eastern Conference with 27 points, trailing only Charlottetown (28 points) — but with four fewer games played, Chicoutimi owns the best point percentage in the league (.794).

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Through 17 games, the Saguenéens have dropped just two in regulation, and haven’t lost in regulation since October 5th. They’ll look to extend their current four-game win streak when they host Rimouski on Friday night.

A big part of their success? Special teams dominance. Chicoutimi’s 30.4% power play ranks second in the league, while their 89.1% penalty kill is the best in the QMJHL. That lethal combination has turned every opponent mistake into a potential turning point.

Leading the way offensively is Maxim Massé, the Anaheim Ducks’ 2024 third-round pick, who’s showing exactly why he was drafted. The 6’3”, 200-pound power forward sits fifth in the league with 12 goals in 19 games, totaling 21 points. He’s flanked by Émile Guité (16 points) and Nathan Lecomte (15 points), who has made an immediate impact since rejoining the lineup, scoring twice in his first games back.

Meanwhile in Blainville-Boisbriand…

Things aren’t as rosy for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, who have hit their first real skid of the season. After a hot start that justified their preseason hype, the Armada have now lost six of their last nine games.

Despite the slump, Blainville-Boisbriand still leads the Western Conference — but just barely. They’re one point ahead of Drummondville and two ahead of Rouyn-Noranda, both of whom hold two games in hand.

Injuries have become a real problem

Defenseman Spencer Gill, a second-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2024 and acquired from Rimouski to deepen the defensive core, has suited up for only two games this season and remains sidelined.

Meanwhile, Czech goaltender Jakub Milota, a fourth-round pick of the Nashville Predators expected to form a reliable tandem with Arseni Radkov after being acquired from Cape Breton, has appeared in just three games. His absence has left Radkov to shoulder the entire workload early in the season.

Add in the loss of top forward Bill Zonnon (out 4–6 weeks), and the Armada’s lineup looks far less balanced than the one that started the year.

The defensive struggles are starting to show. Blainville has allowed 28 goals in its last six games — nearly half of its 63 goals against in 20 games. Whether that’s a product of Radkov’s heavy workload, inexperienced defenders still learning new systems, or poor special-teams execution, the issues are mounting.

Discipline hasn’t helped either. The Armada lead the league in penalty minutes and own the sixth-worst penalty kill, a combination that has repeatedly cost them key points.

With so many draft picks and young prospects traded away to bolster the roster, the pressure is on to turn things around quickly. Otherwise, the 15th anniversary season — still without a championship banner — could spiral into disappointment for a franchise that expected to contend, not collapse.

Even more puzzling, they’ve been better on the road (7-2-1) than at home, where they hold a 5-3-2 record. That inconsistency underscores a team still searching for its rhythm.

They’ll have a chance to reset on Thursday night in a pivotal matchup at Rouyn-Noranda — one that could swing momentum either way and reveal whether this skid is a short-term slump or a sign of deeper problems.

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