Nathan Légaré

January 2025 – Despite his quasi-nonexistent production in the AHL, Légaré got his first taste of the NHL with the New Jersey Devils this season, playing in three games before being sent back down to the minor leagues. He did his job well enough and displayed what has always been apparent in his game: energy. Légaré is a strong skater with powerful strides. Combined with a strong motor, he is a forechecking demon, and despite his fourth-line ceiling offensive toolkit, he can generate chances for himself and his teammates because of it. His hands are unimpressive, and he isn’t much of a threat when shooting and passing, but his nonstop activity makes him a positive in a cycle-style offense. The ceiling certainly isn’t there, but he should be a fringe NHLer who sees ice time as an injury substitute because of his liveliness and defensive solidity. JP Gambatese

June 2023 – Legare’s sophomore season in the AHL was very similar to his rookie season in production. Legare had 19 points in 68 games, playing a depth role in Wilkes-Barre Scranton. When Legare was drafted, he was seen as a more NHL-ready prospect than his peers with lower upside potential. Legare is a detail-oriented player who skates well. He has not broken through how many had hopped and will start to fall behind other prospects if he does not progress in the upcoming season. Legare could get some NHL time next year with a good stretch in the AHL, but they will likely stay in the AHL all season. A high-energy forward committed to defense always has a chance to make the NHL someday, but the upside with Legare is fading quickly. Tyler Ball

June 2022 – The 21-year-old endured a difficult transition to professional hockey in Wilkes-Barre, posting just seven goals and 16 points in 57 games. However, he only played around 13 minutes a night with a rotating cast of linemates. The team struggled to score, and Légaré was shooting 6%. The raw ability is still there: when he did score, it was often due to his work creating scoring chances out of nothing and using his NHL-calibre shot. He is still a work in progress, but he has slimmed down significantly from when they drafted him and has improved his foot speed. There is still middle-six, but there is a power play upside here, and he should take significant strides this year with a more consistent role in the minors. Another pedestrian season in the minors could see him moved, as he is one of the organization’s most valuable trade assets. Kyle Watson

August 2021 – The Penguins wanted Legare to work on his skating; it is evident that the 20-year-old has been doing just that. He found more space behind defenders this year, getting on to the end of passes and driving to the net with improved straight-line speed. He was dominant on Val d’Or’s playoff run, scoring an impressive 14 goals in just 15 games – including a four-goal outing to eliminate Chicoutimi in the Conference Finals. The 2019 third-round pick will likely spend a year or two in Wilkes-Barre to continue to work on playing with more pace. Kyle Watson

January 2021 – Legare has been assigned to Val D’or after being cut from training camp. He looked much better surrounded by quality players than on the struggling Baie-Comeau Drakkar this year. Kyle Watson

December 2020 – The Penguins’ third-round pick from 2019 was traded to the Val D’or Foreurs in exchange for Justin Sullivan and five draft picks. This should be a positive move in the winger’s development, as Baie-Comeau looks like a fringe playoff team again. In his final year of junior, Legare has started the season with five goals and 14 points in as many games. He should be able to produce at a much higher rate than the first-placed Foreurs. Kyle Watson

April 2020 –  Légaré had a bit of a setback season this year. Playing on a weaker team might have affected his play throughout the year. He was worst on the team in plus-minus with a minus-24 rating and was one of the top players in the QMJHL, leading in goals against. So, it is hard to determine if he was struggling defensively or just because he was on a weaker defensive team. On the upside, Légaré has proved he can work well on the powerplay, having scored 14 goals this season. He finished the year with 35 goals and 36 assists for 71 total points in 61 games played with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Clare McManus

February 2020 – The sniping winger has 27 goals and 30 assists in 51 games, better than a point per QMJHL game. It is, however, significantly behind his 2018-19 pace that resulted in 45 scores and 42 helpers in 68 outings. That could be explained by Baie-Comeau struggling at around .500 compared to Drakkar’s 49-15-2 record last season. More evidence? After finishing plus-37 in the team’s 102-point campaign, Légaré is minus-24 so far this time. Mark Allan

September 2019 – Who says pre-season games don’t count? Légaré signed a three-year, entry-level contract ($925,000 AAV) the day after scoring twice in 23 seconds in a 4-1 exhibition win over Columbus. The sniping RW leads Pittsburgh with three points in two “meaningless” outings so far. This is promising for the Penguins, who traded up to take him with the 74th-overall pick in this year’s entry draft. Légaré is renowned for his heavy shot, although concerns remain about his skating. The 18-year-old will work on that once he’s returned to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Mark Allan

June 2019 – Opting for quality over quantity with their draft picks, Pittsburgh traded up to choose Légaré in the third round. In exchange, the Penguins surrendered their fourth-round, fifth-round, and seventh-round picks in the 2019 draft to the Arizona Coyotes. The sturdy winger’s second-year production (45 goals, 42 helpers, and plus-37 in 68 games) was dramatically better than his rookie campaign with Baie-Comeau of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. His 87 points for the Drakkar were eighth in the league, and 52 penalty minutes underscored his physical willingness. Three scores, an assist in seven playoff games, and four goals in seven appearances in the under-18 world junior championship supported his growing reputation as a sniper. His variety of effective shots includes a howitzer and a superior wrister. The power forward hits to hurt, although his skating is deficient. His ability to address that will determine whether he plays in the NHL and on what line. Légaré plays hard, protects the puck, and keeps his feet moving. That’s important because his first few steps are decent, but his acceleration and top speed are mediocre. He’ll have time in junior and the minor pros to work on that. Mark Allan