NHL teams are always mining for talent outside of the first two rounds, as it becomes less common to find a hit on day two of the draft. The same can be said for fantasy managers who are looking to gain an edge, especially in deeper dynasty formats that reward finding these talents that do not require premium capital to acquire. 

The QMJHL has long been a league with undervalued talent, especially from undersized scorers that never find their way in the professional game. This makes the league the perfect place to scout talent and acquire players for pennies on the dollar, especially when they are already drafted. 

Today we will look into four players who are currently making a huge impact with their Q teams and who could find themselves on a fast track to NHL minutes in the next one to three seasons. 

If you can hit on players of these prototypes, you could be looking at superior depth to give yourself an edge to an extended window of contention in leagues that reward minor benches and mining these kinds of talents. 

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Raoul Boilard, C, Cape Breton Eagles (119 Overall, 2024, New York Rangers)

Boilard was one of the bigger names to be moved at the trade deadline, and it was a curious case moving to the Cape Breton Eagles, a team who was near the bottom of the standings and in need of a jolt. 

Cape Breton struggled shortly after the deadline, but have found their groove in no small part because of Boilard. His seven points in 14 appearances with the Eagles has helped them go 5-2-3 in their last ten, which has vaulted them into the top ten in the league standings, despite them trading away their franchise defenceman in Tomas Lavoie. 

Boilard will be an interesting player in the future. He has a higher floor than most in the league given his awareness in each zone, which allows him to be a factor in each facet of the game. With the struggling Rangers looking to pivot, which typically leads to a youth movement, Boilard could get a shot, especially if he ascends as a reliable low-risk option. 

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Gabe Smith, C, Moncton Wildcats (103 Overall, 2024, Utah Mammoth)

Smith leads the league in powerplay goals while also being a superb penalty killer. Staying on pace for close to 90 points, Smith has been a large reason the Wildcats stayed relevant in the league while the captain Desnoyers was absent at the start of the season. 

He has a goal per game in his last seven games, and should be a player of interest for fantasy managers in deep formats that could reward a player who feeds off stars. He plays as the exact prototype that can rack up goals with minimal effort. With a large 6-4 frame and a dominating net front presence, Smith could be the type of player who can fit as a spark plug in an NHL middle-six and a team’s top powerplay as a net front presence. That being said, temper your expectations. He won’t be a world beater, but he could definitely contribute at the NHL level sooner than later given these factors. 

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Alex Huang, LHD, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (122 Overall, 2025, Nashville Predators)

Huang is a player who, heading into the 2025 NHL Draft year, was regarded as a potential first-round talent on some draft lists, based on his offensive prowess alone. Though, the lack of dynamism and diversity in his style contributed to his fall down the draft board into the late part of the fourth round. 

Let’s focus on what makes Huang a special player. His puck moving ability, not just in a breakout sense, is valuable on its own. He is a fantastic puck carrier who has a sustainable high success rate in controlling the puck on his zone entries. 

He is maybe one of the fastest straight line defenders in the league, and he uses this to his advantage. His agility could use some work, but as a static powerplay quarterback, you can see the fantasy appeal just by watching him with the man advantage. 

The lack of diversity in his game could hold him back, as you could see a drop off in his effectiveness after a dominant December cooled off for him. But when he is on, he has been the best powerplay quarterback in the league, and could ascend to fantasy relevance in a depth role with Nashville, especially with their mainstay QB Roman Josi aging and no heir apparent to the role. He has a ways to go, but could seize the opportunity should it arise. A fun stash and see option. 

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Cole Chandler, C, Shawinigan Cataractes (133 Overall, 2025, Boston Bruins)

Chandler is the type of player that fans, management and coaches alike love to watch. He is relentless on the puck and follows through on his forechecks. To go with this, he has fantastic vision that allows him to sift pucks through seams and traffic which generate plenty of offence. 

Chandler has found another level of offensive potency at every level he has played. From his U15 and U18 days, he has always taken a bit of time to work up to it, and the same can be expected at the next level. He is enjoying a season where he is close to a point-per-game with Shawinigan. He is committed to Northeastern University next season, where he could experience growing pains as the style is vastly different. But, as an older player, he could get a bigger spotlight and be discovered by other fantasy managers before you get to the punch. The upside is there at a very low cost right now. 

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Playoff time is right around the corner in the CHL. Next month, we’ll preview some of the playoff races and match-ups that start to take shape and which players could see increased minutes, while making our predictions for what could transpire over the course of the postseason. 

Thanks for reading February’s QMJHL update! Until next time. 

Sean Crocker