It seems like only yesterday that Chicoutimi was hoisting the Gilles-Courteau Trophy, but once Friday rolls around, we’re onto a new season once again. The QMJHL is expected to have an especially exciting campaign ahead with top 2027 NHL Draft prospects, some key returning NHL prospects and a seemingly wide-open field for the title.
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The 2027 NHL Draft will probably end up being one of, if not the biggest storylines this season in the Q. There are a number of players that appear poised to go very high in the draft including the top American currently ranked for this year’s selections in Carter Meyer.
Additionally, all eyes are on Alexis Joseph – the former QMJHL top pick who has some work to rebuild a flagging draft stock, but all the tools that NHL teams dream about. There is also a particularly strong crop of goaltenders in the QMJHL this season with multiple NHL-affiliated prospects expected to man the creases across the league.
To help get you ready for the QMJHL season, we’re taking a look at 10 prospects you should know about as you get ready to watch the very best junior hockey anywhere in the world right here on FloHockey.
Ten NHL Prospects To Watch In The QMJHL 2026-27
Carter Meyer, C, Québec Remparts (2027)
After leaving the U.S. National Team Development Program a year early, Meyer is hoping to raise his draft profile in the QMJHL with Québec. The son of former NHL player Freddy Meyer and younger brother of current Rempart defenseman also named Freddy, Carter has a chance to make a big splash. He is currently the top-ranked American for the 2027 NHL Draft.
Meyer is a highly-skilled, competitive center who can use his smarts to make a lot of plays. He had 37 points in 42 games last season at the NTDP and played in both the World U17 Challenge and Men’s U18 Championship, producing at a solid clip in both tournaments. He also has some festiness to him and should bolster a strong Québec attack.
Maddox Dagenais, C, Québec Remparts (STL)
Of all the moves the Remparts made last season, making sure Dagenais came back may have been the biggest. The 6-foot-4 forward who can play down the middle or on the wing is a natural goal scorer with some serious hands. The Blues thought so much of him, they picked him 16th overall.
Dagenais has excellent skill for a bigger player and when he wants to be physical, he can be a handful for the opposition. After a point-per-game output last season, it’s not unreasonable to expect Dagenais touching the 40-goal mark this year.
Meet the Top Prospects: Maddox Dagenais
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Go on a meet-and-greet with 10 of the CHL's top prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft: https://t.co/cylF9tFT46@CHLHockey | @QMJHL | @LHJMQ | @quebec_remparts#nhldraft #qmjhl #lhjmq #chl pic.twitter.com/OWROSG0GCB
Alexis Joseph, C, Saint John Sea Dogs (2027)
Coming into the year, Joseph was looking like a favorite to challenge Landon DuPont for No. 1 in this draft class, but back-to-back international tournaments with tepid showings has changed the expectations. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t still a lot of excitement for where Joseph can take things next.
A 60-point rookie season was impressive and Joseph was the best player at last year’s World U17 Challenge. There’s still plenty to like about his game, but he has to find a level of consistency and more urgency in his game to appease some of the concerns of scouts. At 6-foot-4 with high skill, he’s got the physical traits teams crave. If he can dial it up a notch, he can get back into the top-five conversation.
Jamie Glance, C/W, Saint John Sea Dogs (2027)
An exciting addition to the Saint John attack, Glance graduated from the U.S. NTDP after a 56-point campaign with the U18s. Glance is a candidate to go in the first round of the 2027 NHL Draft thanks to a strong combination of skill and speed.
His arrival with the Sea Dogs should help give a strong running mate for Joseph as the two look to put Saint John in the hunt and reach their draft goals together. With two years of junior experience, primarily in the USHL with the NTDP, Glance won’t be your normal first-year player in the QMJHL. He should be an immediate contributor.
Malik L’Italien, D, Halifax Mooseheads (2027)
One of the top defensemen for the 2027 NHL Draft, L’Italien got off to a good start to his draft campaign at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. The 6-foot-4, left-shot blueliner has good mobility and size, which could help him go earlier among a fairly light defense group for the upcoming draft.
Last season, L’Italien had 24 points in 64 games and made the QMJHL’s all-rookie team. After a goal and two assists at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup where Canada won the gold, L’Italien is poised for his big breakout with Halifax.
Egor Shilov, C, Victoriaville Tigres (COL)
An 82-point campaign last season led to Shilov being named QMJHL Rookie of the Year and earned him a second-round selection by Colorado. There was an expectation that Shilov would be heading to school this season, but he ended up back with Victoriaville, which is a huge boon for the Tigres.
Shilov is a tall forward who has remarkable patience with the puck on his stick. He had 32 goals last season, but his ability to make plays all over the offensive zone is what gives him a chance to be an NHLer one day. He does need to get a little harder to play against and work to the interior more, but the skill and hockey sense he has makes his offensive game deadly.
Liam Lefebvre, C, Cape Breton Eagles (LAK)
Being passed over in the draft in his first go in 2025, Lefebvre road a breakout season to a second-round selection by the Los Angeles Kings in 2026. The 6-foot-3 center has some toughness to him and can play more of a power game which came in handy for Chicoutimi last season on their way to the Gilles-Courteau Trophy. Lefebvre was also a standout at the Memorial Cup where he had four points in four games.
Traded to Cape Breton in the offseason, Lefebvre has a chance to build off of his impressive season in a new location. The Eagles should get a good boost in both the toughness and the scoring categories with this addition.
Liam Lefebvre is no stranger to tall odds... literally#QMJHL #LHJMQ | @QMJHL Opening Night September 18 | Live on FloHockey 📺 pic.twitter.com/1WbYjmk7hi
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) September 13, 2026
Lucas Beckman, G, Cape Breton Eagles (OTT)
After Beckman was traded to Chicoutimi last season, there may not have been a better goalie in junior hockey. He went 13-1 with four shutouts to close out the regular season with the Saguenéens, posting a .940 save percentage. In the playoffs, he went 16-4 with three shutouts and a .918 mark. The Ottawa Senators draft pick was a critical addition on the way to the championship.
Now heading to Cape Breton for his final season in the QMJHL, we’ll see what one of the league’s best goaltenders can do in his last act. The confidence and championship pedigree that Cape Breton has added should make the Eagles a more credible threat to do some damage this season.
Yegor Rybkin, G, Moncton Wildcats (LAK)
Rybkin is set to make his North American debut after the Los Angeles Kings selected him in the third round last season. The 6-foot-6 Russian netminder casts an imposing figure in the net and should help the Wildcats offset the departure of last year’s starter Rudy Guimet.
Rybkin is a bit of an enigma coming into the season simply because he appeared in just 11 games last year in Russia. Los Angeles still felt confident enough to pick him 89th overall on a small sample, largely because the tools he brings to the table can’t be ignored. He is one of the most intriguing players to enter the QMJHL this season.
Danai Shaiikov, G, Gatineau Olympiques (NYR)
Continuity in net can be a luxury and Gatineau is returning a player that appeared in 50 regular-season games and seven postseason contests for them. Shaiikov is also entering this season as a third-round pick of the New York Rangers.
Now with a year of North American hockey experience under his belt after playing all his life previously in Russia, Shaiikov should have the experience and the improved team around him to take a step forward this season after going 18-26-2 with a .903 save percentage. He could be a real X factor for his team this season.
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