Thomas Desruisseaux
2023-24 Team: Chicoutimi Sagueneens – Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Date of Birth: Mar. 10, 2006
Place of Birth: Levis, Quebec, Canada
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 154 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2024 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 96th (among NA skaters)
- Peter Baracchini’s Final June Rankings: 117th
- Logan Horn’s June Rankings: 121st
- The Hockey News (Ryan Kennedy): 118th
When you look at an NHL Draft Class, there are always players who find their way into the league despite their draft rankings. You have to be a certain level of great to hear your name called, after all, whether you’re the first overall selection or the last. In the case of Chicoutimi Sagueneens Centerman Thomas Desruisseaux, this feat will likely happen in the middle of this class, but there’s potential for so much more.
When you analyze his toolkit, Desruisseaux has a lot of the pieces you look for in a breakout selection. His offensive instincts are top-notch, as he knows how to feed his scoring wingers for big scoring chances, leading to 44 assists in 68 regular-season games throughout the 2023-24 season. On his own, he even has a pretty solid shot that he’s used to score 14 times as well. He also is a strong skater, who can reach his top speed in a relatively quick fashion.
Really, when looking at his projectables, I come back to his size being the biggest knock against him. He’s a bit easy to knock off the puck and it’s hard to imagine his current frame reaching the NHL, which means he would need to improve his overall strength to take the next step to professional hockey. This makes you wonder where his potential draft range could be if he were 6-foot-2, but that’s not the situation we are in.
Overall, there’s a lot to like about Desruisseaux as a prospect. His instincts alone should be enough for a potential draft selection, and the sky could be the limit should he start to unlock his full toolkit.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Thomas Desruisseaux – NHL Draft Projection
As mentioned earlier, if Desruisseaux had a bit more size, he could be a second or third-round pick by a franchise looking to take a high-risk, high-reward swing. As it stands, he’s likely more of a mid-round selection, who could slide a bit should teams not see his skillset translating to the NHL level.
With all of this in mind, I see Desruisseaux falling a bit on draft day, but I still think he will be selected this year. I could see him moving to the fifth round, somewhere in the 135th-150th range. There’s no shame in being selected at that part of the draft, of course, as a lot of productive NHL’ers hear their names called in this range.
Quotables
“The first thing you’ll notice when watching Thomas Desruisseaux play is how smart he is with the puck. The Chicoutimi Sagueneens forward has a natural offensive ability, allowing him to be one of the team’s top offensive threats.” Steven Ellis, dailyfaceoff.com
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Guide
“He was one of the faster players on the ice and was able to be the first player on loose pucks. His playmaking ability helped him find his elite winger for plenty of scoring opportunities… He held onto the puck for too long at times, which then led to unsuccessful passes and giveaways going the other way. These abilities will serve Desruisseaux well going forward if he can cut the bad passes out of his game.” Nathanial Duffet (From Thomas Desruisseaux Game Report, FCHockey, Jan. 12th, 2024)
Strengths
- Fast, smooth skater
- Great offensive instincts
- High-end hockey IQ
Under Construction- Improvements to Make
- Undersized by modern NHL standards
- Easy to push around/needs to build strength
- Errant passing at times
NHL Potential
It’s not fair to compare a player like Desruisseaux to other undersized and underrated forwards who heard their name called later in the draft but eventually worked their way into the league. Players like this take time to develop, but the potential is there.
First, he will need to cut his teeth at the professional level in the AHL or even ECHL. This means any team that drafts him will expect him to take years to develop his toolkit, but there’s potential for a 40 to 50-point player.
Should Desruisseaux reach the NHL, he could become a perfect third-line buzzer who provides energy to his line with a non-stop motor while chipping in a timely goal or two in the playoffs. It won’t be easy to get there, but there’s certainly a pathway for him to move forward on, should he take those next steps in his career.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk- 4/5, Reward 3.5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense- 6/10, Defense 5/10