Jérémie Poirier

June 2023- Jérémie Poirier is looking like a huge steal for the Calgary Flames. Poirier was drafted inside the third round in 2020, in 2023 he was named to the AHL all-rookie team. What
was even more astonishing, he was the youngest player on that all-rookie team. Normally as a defenceman it takes longer to adjust to professional hockey, generally forwards have it easier. In Poirier’s case he has flourished with the ability to run a power play and still be a stable defenceman whether the Wranglers were leading or want to play a more shutdown role. The fact he is just twenty years old, is remarkable playing against grown men and veterans inside the AHL. He was an extremely important part to the
Wranglers in the regular season and playoffs where he was magnificent till the end. Carson Klein

March 2023 – Poirier is having a great year for his first year in professional hockey. It is unusual for a defenseman to come from junior and be this dominate on the scoresheet in their first year in professional hockey. Poirier has picked up where he left off in junior but this time in an older league in the AHL with better players, which is quite impressive for a twenty-year-old defenseman. He is currently fifth in the league in defense points, and has the most points of all rookie defensemen. His overall game could use some improvement as his defense is not the best, and more specifically his overall positing is holding him back defensively. Carson Klein

May 2022 – What a season for Poirier as he continues to climb up the Flames rankings. This year, he broke Thomas Chabot’s all time scoring record for defenseman with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. Drafted in the third round back in 2020, many expected Poirier to be a late first/early second round selection in that draft year but worries about his defensive game had him drop to 72nd overall where Calgary scooped him up. He was offered an entry level contract this season and he is expected to report to the American Hockey League for the 2022-2023 season. It is too early to tell if Poirier is going to project to a Thomas Chabot like player but the Flames have a very promising defenseman on the rise. If he can take his play from the Juniors and elevate it to the Flames farm club and beyond, this could be a huge addition to their pro roster in two to three years and solidify their top four. Chris Fekete

October 2020 – Poirier was drafted 72nd overall by the Flames. Poirier is expected to spend two more years in the QMJHL before turning pro.  Jokke Nevalainen

April 2020 – Jérémie Poirier is the ultimate risk-reward defender in the 2020 draft class. He has high-level puck skills and the ability to run a powerplay. For as much good that Poirier brings in the offensive zone, the bad that he brings to the ice in his own zone seemed to grow as the year wore on. His consistency in the defensive zone was suboptimal at best at times and that fact has caused him to fall on many draft boards. Once considered the second-best defender in this draft, his offensive upside still could make that a reality but the likelihood that he reaches those heights has diminished. He has the vision, playmaking ability, and offensive creativity to cement himself as a threat to create offense whenever he touches the ice. The issue is that because of his high-event playing style, to put it kindly, creates offense for both teams. Whichever team drafts Poirier is swinging for the fences and only the future will tell whether or not it was worth it. Tony Ferrari

July 2019 – Poirier was very good as a 16-year-old for his entire draft-1 season. He showed poise with the puck and the ability to make smart decisions in his own end. He was excellent at making the first pass out of the zone and didn’t shy away when the opportunity to skate the puck out presented itself. The Saint John’s Sea Dog blueliner was able to maneuver his way through the neutral zone in transition and make the appropriate plays once in the offensive zone. His defensive zone play improved throughout the year as he began to rely on his hockey sense, skating ability and edge work to ensure that he was in a position to make the play. Watch for Poirier to rise up draft boards and compete for one of the top spots among defenders. Tony Ferrari