Quentin Musty – 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Quentin Musty

2022-23 Team: Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Date of Birth: July 6, 2005
Place of Birth: Hamburg, NY, USA
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 190 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Left-Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2023 first-year eligible

Rankings

Quentin Musty is used to being under pressure. That comes with the territory when you are the first overall pick of a major junior hockey league.

Quentin Musty Sudbury Wolves
Quentin Musty, Sudbury Wolves (Robert Lefebvre/OHL Images)

Musty’s path to becoming the first-overall pick of the 2021 OHL Draft was a different one. The pride of Hamburg, NY, he played youth hockey for his hometown Buffalo Jr. Sabres. Then he move to New Jersey and played for the North Jersey Avalanche before making the jump to the OHL. He had many different options available to him but ultimately chose the OHL. He wanted to the challenge of playing against older competition from the start.

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So far in his time with the Wolves, Musty has had to overcome some challenges. Most notably, injury and a coaching change. Musty missed 12 games in January and into February. This knocked him out of the CHL/NHL Top Prospect’s Game.

The Wolves relieved head coach Craig Duncanson of his duties at the end of October after a 3-7-1 start to the season. Then 10 days later, the team brought on Derek MacKenzie to be their head coach. They went 27-20-7 under MacKenzie but it was good enough to finish fifth in the OHL’s Eastern Conference. However the Wolves would be swept out of the playoffs by the Peterborough Petes.

Musty was still able to put together a productive season anyway scoring 26 goals and 78 points in his 53 games. The coaching change did seem to spark him. After going 4-6-10 in the first 11 games, Musty finished 22-46-68 in his final 42 games. He also added four points in the four playoff games against the Petes.

Related: 2023 NHL Draft Guide

The first thing you see on tape with Musty is how creative a playmaker he can be. He’s good at not only creating space for himself, but also finding the right place on the ice to go for his shot, which has improved in his second season. Once he gets his power stride up to speed, he is a dangerous threat who can recognize the right play to make. On this goal, he accepts the pass from David Goyette and finishes in tight.

Scouts seem to be split on Musty when it comes to play away from the puck and overall consistency with some even questioning his effort at times. The biggest thing I’ve seen is he can use his size and frame more to his advantage. He can be an imposing threat when he wants to be. If he can consistently put that to good use, a long NHL future as a modern-day power forward awaits him.

Other THW Draft Profiles

Quentin Musty – NHL Draft Projection

The consensus does seem to agree that Musty will be picked in the first round. Where in the first round he goes depends on how the draft unfolds. A team who has a need for a power forward will take a long look at him. Teams with a second first-round pick will also strongly consider him. If he falls out of the first round, it’ll be because teams question what his upside is and if he can be consistent enough. However the 20-32 range feels like a safe bet ultimately. He will have every opportunity to outperform where he is drafted.

Quotables

“Powerful, physically gifted winger with a heavy release. Needs to improve his processing speed and overall awareness on the ice but could grow into an impactful NHL forward with proper development.” –Dobber Prospects

“Musty has an excellent shot from range, distributes quite well off of the rush and does a great job of creating space for himself. His ability to create consistently at 5v5 is a credit to how well he handles pressure.” –Josh Tessler, Smaht Scouting

Latest News & Highlights

“Musty is a dual-threat offensive winger who has the chance to create a scoring chance every time he steps on the ice. Normally his playmaking stands out when you watch him play, but he made his impact as a shooting option in this game.” –Austin Broad, Future Considerations

 “Musty has grown to become one of the most divisive and polarizing prospects eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft. There is absolutely no denying his high-end skill level and significant NHL upside. However, concerns over the consistency of his off puck play and overall engagement level have led him to be ranked inconsistently by scouting organizations. In a lot of ways, Musty’s draft profile is starting to resemble that of former Hamilton Bulldog and current Los Angeles Kings’ forward Arthur Kaliyev.” –Brock Otten, McKeen’s Hockey

“Scouts are split on Musty right now, but I’m a fan. Musty is thinking offense all the time and his compete level is near the top of the class. It bothers him when he gets stopped on a chance and he tries even harder the next time. Musty has a good release, and skates well enough, but I’d like to see him use his strength more to his advantage to dominate shifts like he used to at the U-16 level.” –Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

Strengths

  • Creative playmaker
  • Improved shot
  • Can drive his own line
  • Knows where to go in offensive zone
  • Straight ahead skating

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

  • Need to be more physical for his size.
  • Engagement level/consistency

NHL Potential

Musty’s NHL potential is that of an impactful top-six winger who can dominate games with his size and playmaking ability. Once he fills out, he has the potential to be one of the more imposing players on the ice. Ultimately his upside will be determined by him and how much work he puts into improving his game.

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk- 4/5, Reward 5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 8.5/10, Defense 7/10

Awards/ Achievements

Musty was named to the OHL’s Second All-Rookie Team in 2021-22. He was named an alternate captain for the Wolves this season.

Quentin Musty Stats

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