Mavrik Bourque

September 2022 – The first of Dallas’ big-three prospects (himself, Logan Stankoven, and Wyatt Johnston) to turn 20, Bourque will make his jump to the pros this season. Only playing 31 games in the QMJHL this season, Bourque scored 20 goals and added 48 assists. This put him at a ridiculous pace of 2.19 points per game. His defensive game has grown significantly since his draft year, and he has proven himself as a legitimate defensive threat at the junior level. While the possibility of Bourque spending a bulk of the season in the AHL is realistic, a strong training camp could give him the edge over less exciting bottom-six players. Aaron Itovitch

June 2022 – One game away from sweeping the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL, Bourque has been fantastic. His 16 points in 11 playoff games are not nearly representative of his game-breaking skill, as he put up 2.19 points per game in the regular season. Bourque’s positioning and situational awareness are putting him firmly among the most exciting prospects around. His IQ allows him to make highly skilled passes that leave defenders frozen on the ice, and his slippery hands allow him to fake out almost anybody in a 1-on-1 situation. With these skills, Bourque is elite at creating rush chances and breakaways. His speed is not necessarily a worry, and he can generally keep up with the rush, but he is sometimes a little sluggish. Bourque’s face-off percentage (while improving) is a little worrying based on the weaker center competition in the QMJHL, and it is likely that, at least in his first few seasons in the NHL, he will play on the wing. Two years removed from being the 30th Overall Pick in the 2020 Draft, Bourque is proving that he could be among the best in the class. If his development continues at this pace, I could see him in the NHL as soon as next season, although I think a test-run with top-six minutes in the AHL is more likely. Aaron Itovitch

April 2021 – Captaining the Shawinigan Cataractes, Bourque has 43 points in 28 games. Bourque is second in scoring behind Olivier Nadeau by two points despite playing six fewer games. Bourque has also taken on the role of captain for the Cataractes this season, which won’t earn you any fantasy points, but it shows he stands out among his peers, and being a likeable person and a leader is always a good feature to note. Bourque has now tallied 168 points through his 141 career games in the QMJHL for a 1.19 PPG. Bourque seems to be showing why he very well could have been on Canada’s loaded World Junior roster this past year. Mike Kosciesza