[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 22):

LW/RW Philippe Veilleux (5'9",165lbs)
Val D'Or (QMJHL): 64gp/ 40g/ 47a/ 87pts, -9, 16 PIM

Diminutive winger Philippe Veilleux (ranked # 172 NA Skaters, and #45 by Button) has really turned heads in the second-half. In his first 32 games this season with the Val D'Or Foreurs (who finished 13th, out of 18 teams, but 6th in goals-for) he put up 34 points, but exploded for 53 points in the last 32- finishing 3rd in league scoring, 7th in goals, and leading his team by 11 points. Veilleux is a dynamic offensive winger who plays with prodigious pace and high energy, but doesn't possess high-end quickness or the ability to consistently separate. His straight-ahead speed is perhaps slightly above-average, more quick than fast, but he is slippery and evasive on his edges, with the agility to make quick cuts, spin off of checks, sidestep pressure, and make opponents miss. He is primarily a set-up man, owning high-end vision and awareness to make quick reads and sound decisions, but he has obviously gained more confidence in his goal-scoring abilities. Veilleux is an offensive-generator, and creates chances at a high rate, always a step or two ahead of the play, and retrieves an inordinate amount of pucks in the offensive end to extend zone-time. This occurs due to his quick-thinking, his never giving up on plays, as well as his penchant for stealing pucks, and disrupting breakouts. Despite his stature, he is able to control the half-wall.

Veilleux has a talent for locating space, and is better than most junior-aged players at creating room to operate with his use of patient delays, cutbacks, and lateral pushes, but he can also move defenses back off the rush with his pace, opening spots for a drop-back to the trailer. He frequently baits defenders into attacking him in order to create space to pass into, and is quite proficient at making plays off the wall to high-danger areas. He wields excellent puck-skill, and has the confidence to use it, with clever use of deception, such as fakes, dekes, look-offs, shifts of weight, and inside-outside moves to weave through traffic while hardly getting touched. His handling is plus-level, and he constantly maintains possession for his team, with the puck seemingly glued to his blade. In transition, he pushes the play forward through clean exits and entries with precise passes in give-and-go sequences to stretch defenses and open space, but he can also skate dynamic routes with the puck through the neutral zone to find open lanes, and attack soft spots in coverage. Advanced passing-skill helps him to make quick and accurate feeds while in full-flight with just the right amount of force and weight to the tape of the recipient. His timing is uncanny, with the ability to snap a crisp feed cross-ice, or set up his man on the opposite side of the crease, and he can complete saucer passes over sticks, through layers of traffic. Veilleux has gained confidence in his finish, and gets good velocity on his shot that he can fire off the catch, but more deception is needed in his release as he suffers a high number of blocks- though it's hard to criticize someone with 40 goals. He can fire with precision from anywhere, but he's not afraid to cut to the slot for looks, and times his arrival to the net-front off-puck for second-chance opportunities. He's an inside-driven player, and will attack up the middle off the rush. Off-puck intelligence is a big part of his game, and he relocates off of passes to advantageous positions to be able to support the action in all three zones, and to be a constant playable option for teammates.

Veilleux has solid anticipatory skills, and an improving defensive game, but his details and physical involvement are lacking. He's not nearly as intense on the backcheck as he is in the other two-thirds of the ice, but is learning how to be more disruptive. He is exerting sound positioning to always be on the right side of the puck, he can intercept passes or pick pockets, and seems to be adept at denying entries when he gets the chance, but still has a ways to go in the defensive-third. Most of the time, he exhibits high energy and pace with a non-stop motor, but his intensity and involvement in all areas can wane- a more consistent level of effort is needed, especially for a smaller player with not much of a physical game. Veilleux is not one to throw hits, and it would be foolish to expect him to run opponents over, but he could be far more effective if he were able to initiate contact in order to make a bit more room for himself, and win inside position more frequently. He's not very effective in 50/50 contests, and doesn't win a whole lot of puck-battles, preferring to use his stick and positioning, rather than engaging physically. There's a willingness to take a hit in order to make a play, and he will lean into attackers to push them to the boards, but the lack of physicality is a detriment- and he will need to get bigger and significantly stronger. It's also imperative that he improves his skating speed. Veilleux has the talent and the brains to make it as a top-6 NHL player, but his game some big holes that will require time to fill. Look for him in the middle-rounds.