CHL Storylines: Top prospects to watch during CHL Playoffs
Published
The Canadian Hockey League regular season has ended with teams now preparing to earn the right to represent one of Canada’s three major junior leagues at the Memorial Cup tournament.
The playoffs also represent one of the last opportunities for NHL draft prospects to strut their stuff in front of scouts ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles on June 27.
With analysis from TSN Direct of Scouting Craig Button, here is a look at the top prospects to keep an eye on during the CHL Playoffs.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
Caleb Desnoyers, Moncton Wildcats
Caleb Desnoyers Moncton Wildcats
Moncton Wildcats forward Caleb Desnoyers has been one of the most highly sought-after prospects from the QMJHL all season, sitting near the top 10 in most prognosticator’s lists.
Desnoyers did not disappoint, finishing tied for fifth in QMJHL in scoring with 35 goals and 84 points in 56 games this season. He helped lead the league-best Wildcats to a 53-9-2 record, which was 12 points better than Memorial Cup host Rimouski Oceanic.
The St-Hyacinthe, Que., native was ranked No. 7 on Button’s most recent draft list entering the playoffs.
“He’s been a difference maker everywhere he’s played and does whatever it takes to help his team win a game,” said Button. “While he’s not [Chicago Blackhawks legend] Jonathan Toews, he has qualities like him that are greatly valued and are instrumental in teams having success.”
The 6-foot-2 centre is already a proven winner on the international stage, taking home a gold medal at the 2023 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and scoring the game-winner for Canada at the 2024 Under-18 World Championship.
He also recorded a goal and five points to help Canada win gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last August.
Desnoyers and the Wildcats will take on the Quebec Remparts in the first round of the playoffs as he hopes to add a Gille-Courteau Trophy and eventually a Memorial Cup title to his ever-growing trophy case.
Justin Carbonneau, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
Justin Carbonneau Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada forward Justin Carbonneau has had a meteoric rise on NHL draft boards this season.
Carbonneau began the season not ranked on Button’s draft list and now finds himself within the top half at No. 16.
A big reason for his rise has been his offensive output, finishing second in QMJHL scoring with 46 goals and 89 points in 62 games.
Carbonneau also joined Desnoyers as the only two players from the QMJHL to represent Team CHL at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge in November. He recorded two assists in the two-game series sweep over the United States’ Under-18 Team.
While Carbonneau’s numbers draw attention, it’s his style of play that attracts scouts to the 6-foot-1 winger.
“We’re talking about a player that plays the game in a manner where he can be a first-line winger [in the NHL],” said Button. “Young players have to continue to learn and grow and find a way to make their skills more impactful. As they move up levels, opponents are trying to figure out ways to stop them, so they have to continue to find ways to use those skills.
“Some players can’t find a way to do it like they did in the lower levels and other players continue to move up. What I see from Carbonneau is him using his skill set as something to use to impact a game. He knows he can be a difference maker in every game that he plays.”
Carbonneau led the Armada to a 34-21-9 record, which was good for fourth place in the Western Conference. They will be taking on the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the first round, who finished five points behind them.
Bill Zonnon, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Bill Zonnon Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies forward Bill Zonnon was a key factor in his team taking top spot in the West Division with a 37-19-8 record.
Zonnon finished the season tied for seventh in league scoring with 28 goals and 83 points to help lead the Huskies as the second seed in the Western Conference.
Like Carbonneau, Zonnon has also done a good job rising on prognosticator’s draft boards. He began the season missing on Button’s list but now sits at No. 18.
“The biggest thing about him is his consistency,” said Button. “To be a good player at any level you have to be consistent, and the coach has to know exactly what you’re bringing each and every shift.
“There’s not a flash and dash to Zonnon but there’s a functional and substantial ability to make a difference in a game.”
The Huskies will take on the Gatineau Olympiques in the first round as they look to go as far as they can in a competitive Western Conference.
Ontario Hockey League
Michael Misa, Saginaw Spirit
Michael Misa Saginaw Spirit
Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa is running out of areas to conquer in the OHL.
The 6-foot-1 centre was drafted first overall by the Spirit in the 2022 OHL Draft after he became the eighth player in league history to gain exceptional status to join the OHL early.
He helped the Spirit win its first ever Memorial Cup last season in a dramatic final game that saw the Spirit take the lead with 22 seconds remaining in the third period.
Misa took his game to new heights this season, finishing as the OHL’s scoring leader with 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games. His 134 points was the most by a draft-eligible player since Patrick Kane during the 2006-07 campaign and tied with John Tavares for the fourth-most since the turn of the century.
Misa’s 62 goals are also the third most of any draft-eligible player in OHL history.
“There’s only one word to describe his season: spectacular,” said Button. “He does everything well. He’s highly motivated, highly skilled, superb hockey sense, and he shows it in different ways.
“I think one of the greater abilities Misa has is his inner confidence. He has a [Toronto Maple Leafs forward] John Tavares-type quality to him where you’re going to get the same thing from him every single game.”
The Oakville, Ont., native is listed at No. 2 on Button’s March draft list behind Erie Otters defenceman Matthew Schaefer.
Misa’s Spirit finished this season as the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a 38-27-3 record and will face the Otters in the first round as they look to defend their Memorial Cup title.
Porter Martone, Brampton Steelheads
Porter Martone
Like Misa, Brampton Steelheads forward Porter Martone has been highly rated since the start of the season and has only added to those expectations.
The 6-foot-3 winger finished tied for seventh in league scoring with 37 goals and 98 points in 57 games this season and led his team to a 36-22-10 record.
Martone’s leadership was recognized earlier this season when he was named captain of Team CHL at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge and led the team to a two-game sweep of the Americans.
He is ranked No. 3 on Button’s draft list, but where he’s actually selected could depend on team need.
“The biggest thing about Martone is his gamesmanship, he knows how to work the game to his team’s advantage,” said Button. “His game is like Brady and Matthew Tkachuk or Corey Perry’s game. He’s massively competitive and wants to be a difference maker. He knows who he is, what his game is, and he’s in it to win it.”
On the international stage, Martone won silver for Canada at the 2022 U-17 World Hockey Challenge and represented his country twice at the U-18 World Championship in 2023 and 2024, taking home bronze and gold, respectively.
The Peterborough, Ont., native was also one of four undrafted players to make Team Canada at the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa and had a goal in three games en route to a fifth-place finish.
Brampton has a tough matchup in the first round, taking on the Oshawa Generals, who made it all the way to the OHL Championship Series last season.
Jake O'Brien, Brantford Bulldogs
Jake O'Brien Brantford Bulldogs
Brantford Bulldogs forward Jake O’Brien helped lead his team in a late-season surge to claim top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 44-19-5 record.
O’Brien had been unstoppable offensively since the calendar flipped to January, recording 12 and 50 points in the final 31 games of the season while being held off the scoresheet only four times during that span.
The 6-foot-2 centre finished tied for seventh in league scoring with Martone after he put up 32 goals and 98 points in 66 games.
While O’Brien’s offensive prowess is notable, it’s his 200-foot play is what gets scouts excited about prospect of drafting him.
“O’Brien has always demonstrated great hockey sense, but the biggest thing he’s done this year is balance it out by also trusting his instincts,” said Button. “He’s been more assertive because of this and has become a No. 1 centre that can play in every situation.
“He’s a No. 1 centre that’s a strong two-way player and the expectation is he’s going to make a difference against the other team’s best players – no matter what situation he’s in.”
O’Brien has been slowly rising on Button’s draft list and now sits at No.10.
The Bulldogs begin their playoff run with a collision course with the Owen Sound Attack as they look to prove that they are the class of the East.
Western Hockey League
Roger McQueen, Brandon Wheat Kings
Roger McQueen
The biggest wildcard in the 2025 NHL Draft is Roger McQueen of the Brandon Wheat Kings.
McQueen began to assert his dominance at the WHL level last season, recording 21 goals and 51 points in 53 games, which had scouts excited to see what he could do this season.
The 6-foot-5 centre started the year strong with eight goals and 11 points in the first eight games but proceeded to miss the next four and a half months of his draft season due to a back injury.
McQueen returned to the Wheat Kings at the beginning of March and recorded two goals and nine points in the final nine games of the season as the team prepares to take on the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs.
“He’s not at 100 per cent and there’s no way he can be at 100 per cent,” said Button. “He’ll have his moments, for sure, but there will be a little bit of rust. You have to come in with the expectation that they layoff is going to be felt. Coming back for the last month of the season will help him and it was really important.”
Despite missing the majority of the season, McQueen remains high on Button’s draft board, listing him at No. 5.
McQueen furthered his resume prior to the season, recording four goals and seven points at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup to win gold. He also appeared in two games for Canada at the 2024 U-18 World Championship before also going down with an injury.
Scouts will be paying close attention to McQueen to see how he responds to playoff hockey both on the ice and off.
“The big challenge for McQueen is the medical report,” said Button. “Scouts have to take the work that they’ve done over the last three years watching him and work on the projection part of things. He’s a very gifted centreman that can do things offensively that scream No. 1 centreman. I believe he could go anywhere within the top five of the draft.”
Cole Reschny, Victoria Royals
Cole Reschny Victoria Royals
The building blocks for Cole Reschny’s climb on the draft boards has been a slow burn over the last two seasons.
After scoring three goals and eight points at the 2023 World Hockey Challenge for Canada, Reschny burst onto the WHL scene putting up 21 goals and 59 points in 61 games during his rookie season with the Victoria Royals last year.
Prior to this season, he put his skills on display again on the international stage, recording three goals and seven points to help Canada win the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
His accolades led him to be selected to represent the CHL at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge in November and he displayed his ability to be clutch by scoring the game-winner with 1:12 remaining in the third period to cap a two-game sweep of the Americans.
“The expectation for Cole is that he plays the game well every time he’s on the ice,” said Button. “He’s not a flash and dash player but just really effective. When you watch where the important plays are happening on the ice, he is the type of player who is always going to be in the middle of them.”
Reschny proceeded finish tied for ninth in WHL scoring this season with 26 goals and 92 points as he led the Royals to a B.C. Division victory with a 40-17-11 record.
The 5-foot-10 centre was ranked No. 11 on Button’s draft list and Button believes whichever team takes him will be acquiring a solid No. 1 centre.
“When you have a No. 1 centre that can impact the game in every situation, there’s no challenge too great for him,” said Button. “You’re not going to get highlights from Reschny, but it’s not about highlights, it’s about who helps you win.”
Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars
Joshua Ravensbergen Prince George Cougars
Prince George Cougars goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen is the only goalie in Button’s top 32, coming in at No. 19.
The 6-foot-5 netminder took the WHL by storm in his rookie season last year, going 26-4-2 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .907 save percentage to help lead Prince George to the top of the Western Conference.
This season, Ravensbergen picked up where he left off by going 33-13-4 with a 3.00 GAA and .901 save percentage as the Cougars finished fourth in the West with a 41-21-6 record. They will take on the Portland Winterhawks in the first round of the playoffs.
“Nobody wanted to play Prince George in the playoffs,” said Button. “First of all, they have firepower, but they also have Ravensbergen in net who can win a series by himself.
“Bottom line for Ravensbergen is that he has the skillset, physical attributes, technical acumen, calm poise, and intelligence. Those are things you need to be a good NHL goaltender, and he has it all.”
Projecting goaltenders has historically been a hard task for scouts, with only a handful of them being selected early in drafts in recent years. Button believes that the position is similar to pitching in baseball where teams need to be patient while the player grows into the position.
“A player can be big in the net, but they need to have the acumen in order to be successful,” said Button. “I think the ability to read and anticipate the play are essential for a goalie because you can’t be guessing in the net. They have to be sharp and follow the play.”