The World Juniors have come and gone and the junior trade window is now closed, so teams have a good idea where they stand heading into the second half of the season. 

With the field narrowing and contenders pulling away from the rebuilders and pretenders, three teams in particular stand out as teams to watch as we hit the stretch run:

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Contenders

Chicoutimi Sagueneens

The Chicoutimi Sagueneens are stacked. There’s no other way to put it. With studs and top-end talent among the likes of Maxim Masse, Emile Guite, Alex Huang, and having the best statistical netminder in the league in Raphael Precourt, the Sags somehow got even better at the deadline, acquiring Tomas Lavoie from the Cape Breton Eagles for a boatload of futures. 

The Sags have been in and around the league’s best for the last few seasons, and had a stockpile of assets to deal from. There’s no better time than the present to make a run. Chicoutimi has to be considered the favourite heading into the back half of the season. 

They spent two first round picks (one from Quebec Remparts) to acquire Lavoie and Mavrik Lachance. This team is set to make a run, and with Masse aging out after this season, this team is all-in. 

Incoming: LHD Tomas Lavoie, RW Liam Lefebvre, C Mavrik Lachance. 

How they win: Defence wins championships. With Precourt backstopping the way, he should attract some NHL interest on the biggest stage. But the key is going to be supporting aroudn him, because the fresher he is come playoff time, the better. 

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Moncton Wildcats

The Wildcats were quiet at the deadline due to a lack of the same draft capital the Sagueneens had at their disposal. The Wildcats were two wins away from the Memorial Cup last season, and that was the price they paid. But, with plenty of returning players, the Wildcats have looked like a juggernaut since Desnoyers came back late in the fall, and his presence has been felt. 

Netminder Rudy Guimond continues to shine, posting a 24-4 record to go with his 2.30 goals-against-average. With plenty of returning players from last year’s team, this team was not in need of major surgery to contend. And their place as second in the East and first in the Maritimes is enough to justify that. 

Incoming: G Justin Robinson, LHD Max Vilen, G Oliver Bacon

Key in the second half: A healthy Caleb Desnoyers. Desnoyers has been the lynch pin for this team for more than a year now. He is an absolute stud 200-foot player whose presence will be as important for Moncton as anyone else is for any other playoff team. 

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Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

It always feels like the Armada are in the mix, and this year they’ve maintained their status among the league’s elite. This team, like Chicoutimi, did not have to do much at the deadline to keep themselves as established contenders, but they did anyway acquiring hulking defenceman Jan Golicic, who should be an absolute unit on the back end. 

With Spencer Gill having a great season in his own right and high end draft talent like Xavier Villeneuve on the back end, this team will be in the mix. They have the talent to win it all, but it remains to be seen how they will last in a seven game cage match with Moncton or Chicoutimi.

Incoming: G Zachary Pelletier, RW Jacob Beaulieu, RHD Mathieu Taillefer, LHD Jan Golicic, C Elliott Dube.

Key to the second half: Continued internal growth. They have the pieces to contend, and it will be a matter of putting the pieces to the puzzle altogether. 

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Thanks for reading this edition of the QMJHL Report on Dobber Prospects! Next month, we will assess the impact of some of these deadline additions, playoff x-factors, and potential late round gems on draft rankings who fantasy managers should keep an eye out for. Until next time!

Sean Crocker