Playoff hockey is back! The best hockey of the year is here and one round is in the books in the CHL. With three game sevens and three sweeps, we got a bit of everything in the Q this month.
But playoff time also gives us a glimpse not just into the teams competing for the ultimate prize, but a lot of these young players who have an opportunity to use the postseason as a springboard in their development to get extra eyes on special performances, but also to raise their stocks in the draft and within their organizations.
We had a few thrilling series that ended in seven games while others ended with lopsided results:
- Moncton Wildcats def. Saint John Sea Dogs (4-0)
- Chicoutimi Sagueneens def. Halifax Mooseheads (4-0)
- Newfoundland Regiment def. Cape Breton Eagles (4-2)
- Quebec Remparts def. Charlottetown Islanders (4-3)
- Rouyn-Noranda Huskies def. Gatineau Olympiques (4-3)
- Blainville-Boisbriand Armada def. Victoriaville Tigres (4-0)
- Val D’Or Foreurs def. Drummondville Voltigeurs (4-1)
- Shawinigan Cataractes def. Sherbrooke Phoenix (4-3)
And in round two, we have just one even series as we end the weekend:
- Moncton Wildcats lead Val D’Or Foreurs (2-0)
- Chicoutimi Sagueneens lead Quebec Remparts (2-0)
- Rouyn-Noranda Huskies lead Shawinigan Cataractes (2-0)
- Blainville-Boisbiand Armada tied with Newfoundland Regiment (1-1)
Today, there are three players we will zero in on who had tremendous round one performances, but ones who could go pro sooner than later who you can zero in on in your deeper fantasy leagues to give yourself an edge, notably in bangers formats.
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Ivan Ryabkin, C, Charlottetown Islanders (Carolina Hurricanes, 62nd Overall 2025)
Ryabkin made the jump to North America this year in his draft-plus-one season and has made an immediate impact at the junior level. He started the season with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, but after some struggles was sent back to the CHL, where he lit up the Q with the Charlottetown Islanders.
Ryabkin logged 13 goals in 20 games played, pacing 44 goals and 142 points in a full 68 game slate. This is top-tier production, even for players like Ryabkin who had the benefit of transitioning from the USHL, and more recently the AHL.
His painfully accurate shot from range is going to be a problem for lots of goaltenders:
In the postseason, he put up nine points across six appearances in the Isles’ seven game defeat to the Quebec Nordiques.
Ryabkin is a skater who stands to contribute in a lot of fantasy categories, and the most in his physicality. He is eligible for the AHL next season and looks to make a greater impact. Should he be able to produce offensively while shaking off the red flags of last season, he could be an incredible multi-category contributor as early as next season. His floor is that of a bottom-six banger stud with mid-range offensive contributions.
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Teddy Mutryn, RW, Moncton Wildcats (San Jose Sharks, 2025 95th Overall)
Mutryn is a player similar to Ryabkin but with a lower offensive ceiling. A player who has benefited from the grind of the playoffs.
Mutryn has seen a 1.33 percent increase in production since the season switched over to the playoffs. He was a major contributor in Moncton’s first round sweep of the Sea Dogs, and has so far contributed in the second round as they took a 2-0 series lead over the Val D’or Foreurs on Saturday night in Moncton.
He also has a bit of a clutch factor. He set a record this season for the most game winning goals by a rookie in franchise history while also setting the record for most points by a rookie in a single month.
Should he continue this ascension, Mutryn could see his ceiling rise a little bit from a bottom-six grinder type into a middle-six skater who can contribute more offence than once thought. An interesting stash in bangers leagues, but not much more.
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Lucas Beckman, G, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (Ottawa Senators, 2025, 97th Overall)
Goalies are widely viewed as difficult to understand and scout given their volatility and their ability to be statistical outliers. Beckman has all the traits you would want in a goalie who does not reach that exemplary height a lot of netminders possess today. First off, his vision and ability to track pucks through traffic have been exemplary, especially this postseason. He fights off pucks through screens and uses his athleticism as a last resort rather than a primary feature of his game.
Through six games to open Chicoutimi’s playoff runs, Beckman has allowed exactly one goal in each of those six contests and boasts a 0.953 save percentage. These are numbers similar to the great netminders of the past in the league such as Marc-Andre Fleury and Corey Crawford.
As a fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators, you could do a lot worse than Beckman to add to your goalie pipeline, especially in the fantasy realm, where goaltending can be a lot trickier to zero in on, especially from a futures standpoint.
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Thanks for reading April’s edition of the QMJHL report! Next month we reach the end of the line with the Memorial Cup scheduled, but we’ll be with you every step of the way in the CHL playoffs!
Sean Crocker