QMJHL Stock Watch: Ethan Gauthier ready to shine at the World Juniors

We’re already almost halfway through the QMJHL regular season, and the scoring race is getting no clearer. Justin Poirier continues to make his case through his high-end goal-scoring tools — his 24 goals and 43 points are both top-five marks among all Q prospects — but only three points separate the first and sixth-place scorers in the league.

Among those six, you’ll find two draft eligibles: Bill Zonnon and Justin Carbonneau. Another likely top-15 pick in the upcoming draft, Caleb Desnoyers, sits ahead of the two in points per game as well, despite having been sidelined for a bit with an injury.

Speaking of strong performers temporarily held back by injuries, Ethan Gauthier got the call to join Canada for their World Juniors camp, and will look to build off of repeated strong performances for Drummondville. We start this month’s Stock Watch with him.

Stock Rising 📈

Ethan Gauthier, RW/C, Drummondville Voltigeurs (Tampa Bay Lightning)

A versatile and energetic game is what helped Ethan Gauthier earn a call to Canada’s World Juniors selection camp. The Tampa Bay Lightning’s 37th-overall pick in 2023 will look to represent his nation for the first and only time since he led Canada in goals on their way to a gold medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Piggybacking off of his skating and shooting improvements, Gauthier has continued to show the signs of progression he displayed last month through off-the-wall attacks, strong inside drives off the rush, and in-stride wrist shots. As a result, Gauthier has become the clear cornerstone of Drummondville’s play-driving attempts.

Evidently, Gauthier will need to fill a different role than his current one if he makes the cut at Canada’s selection camp — his support game, forechecking savvy, connective passing skill, and two-way tactical impact will resurface in a bottom-six matchup role. If Dave Cameron is looking for grit, smarts, pace and three-zone details, Gauthier brings exactly that.

Bill Zonnon, LW/C, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (2025 NHL Draft)

Last month, Bill Zonnon’s stock held steady despite playing an unfamiliar position. It took some time, but since being moved to centre on Rouyn-Noranda’s top line, the 6-foot-2 forward has found his game and is now driving his unit with Antonin Verreault and Lars Steiner. He currently sits third in league scoring with 44 points — 15 goals and 29 assists — in 29 games.

Though Zonnon’s skating still limits him — his knees barely flex, which limits his acceleration and evasion skills — the high-end sense and passing skill he brings to the equation continue to flourish as he adapts to playing as a pivot. He supports low, connects his defenders to his wingers, and then drives relentlessly at opposing formations off the puck. On the forecheck, he has somehow found another gear of effectiveness, as he drives harder at defenders, engages early, pushes through their hands and muscles pucks to the point for his blue-liners to intercept.

Though Zonnon might not be a centre at the NHL level, Zonnon is dominating his opposition night in, night out as a pivot in the QMJHL. Regardless of where he plays, teams will appreciate his combination of size, relentlessness and high-end playmaking skill. He landed in our first round this week for those same reasons.

Justin Poirier, RW, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (Carolina Hurricanes)

Justin Poirier can’t stop scoring goals even if he wanted to. Putting the puck in the back of the net is second nature to him. In-stride snap shots, powerful wristers off either leg, half-wall one-timers, savvy breakaway reads… name a type of goal, and he’s scored it.

However, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar’s top goal-scorer has started exploring with his passing game in ways that continue to impress. He and Matyas Melovsky have continued to build off of each other, finding various ways to beat structures and get shots on net. Occasionally, we see Poirier’s violent forechecking game turn into cycle passes, quick moves off the wall, and even cross-seam feeds. He draws a defender, baits him into a poke check, then slips a hook pass under his stick to find an open teammate in the high slot. 

Expanding upon that playmaking skill will be essential to Poirier’s pro translatability, and becoming a high-end manipulator will further compensate for his lack of size and high-end foot speed. Poirier already has the habits — deception, off-puck timing, quick on-puck decisions and pre-catch hip placement — but now, his development as an NHL-level offensive creator lies in his ability to add a layer of reads and awareness to those habits.

Mateo Nobert, C, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (2025 NHL Draft)

Hiding in the shadow of fellow draft-eligible Armada forward Justin Carbonneau, Mateo Nobert has continued to add layer after layer to his toolkit since the start of the year. 

Initially a relatively limited physical battler who relied heavily on his quick and accurate passing game, Nobert seemed to be more of a “pass to evade contact” playmaker rather than a “pass to create” one. As the season has gone on, however, Nobert gradually but noticeably improved his ability to engage early, absorb hits, and make plays inside of that contact. Now, the 6-foot centre has made himself a key physical contributor in Blainville’s top six.

Oscillating between pivoting the first and second lines, Nobert continues to expand his playmaking game by combining it with newfound elements. His battle skills now serve to extend plays via cycle passes, his growing rush offence involvement allows him to create off of entries, and frequently playing as Carbonneau’s pivot has allowed him to improve his support and net-front games. 

Nobert looks more and more like a late second-rounder with each passing game, and if he keeps showing the ability to expand upon his strengths, he could make himself a staple in that range.

Honourable mentions: Mathieu Cataford (Tampa Bay Lightning), Lars Steiner (2026 NHL Draft), Étienne Morin (Calgary Flames), Cam Squires (New Jersey Devils)

Stock Steady ↔️

Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (2025 NHL Draft)

Justin Carbonneau continues to flourish in Blainville, as evidenced by his 20-goal, 43-point tally so far on the season. Despite the impressive tally, however, Carbonneau has mainly been doing the same things he did last month — driving hard at opposing structures, picking them apart with his high-end handling skill, flashing some phenomenal playmaking ideas, and taking a bunch of shots in stride. 

His dynamic tools continue to drive his game, and his hockey sense seems to improve daily. The issue with his decision-making, however, is still there. Carbonneau frequently gets tunnel vision and repeatedly attempts the same high-risk plays, occasionally putting his team in trouble with recurrent turnovers.

When a prospect shows the ability to come up with high-end ideas and anticipate his teammates’ routes, but fails to choose the right time and place to deke, drive, or shoot, that prospect is often exhibiting more of a play selection issue than a lack of hockey sense. That’s good news — it isn’t abnormal for an uber-skilled 18-year-old to be a bit immature in their approach to the game. If Carbonneau’s mindset improves, so will his output. The phenomenal tools he possesses will only shine brighter with better play selection and composure.

Stock Falling 📉

Émile Guité, LW, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (2025 NHL Draft)

Émile Guité’s freefall unfortunately continues. Once a first-round contender, the Chicoutimi Saguenéens winger hasn’t shown anywhere near the level of off-puck engagement he showed last year, nor the high-end offensive refinement he displayed this past summer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Since last month’s article, where he also featured on the Stock Falling list, Guité has only managed three points — two goals and an assist — in 11 games. The winger’s ice time has been wildly inconsistent in that span, playing anywhere between 10 and 19 minutes depending on how his night is going.

Inconsistency is also the main issue in Guité’s game itself. One game, he shows the drive and will to win battles that usually gets players out of slumps, and the next, he drags his feet and avoids engaging in battles altogether. Offensively, the same issue arises — one game, he is shooting from everywhere, and the next, he is playing a distributor role. 

Despite boasting a phenomenal release and some solid off-puck offensive reads, Guité seems hesitant to build his identity around a scoring role. It isn’t bad puck luck, either — he has been averaging around two shots on goal a game. With a 6-foot-2 frame and the scoring tools he possesses, Guité should be finding many more opportunities to shoot than he currently does. The solution to his woes likely lies there.