[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Feb.8th: I think RW/C Thomas Rousseau (rated "C" by Central Scouting in their Preliminary Rankings) is better than his stats this season- so far, he's only managed 39 points in 46 games with a mediocre Sherbrooke (QMJHL) squad as their 2nd-leading-scorer, but his production in 2024-25 (40 points in 58 games, 8 points in 9 playoff games) offered more promise. In the last 35 years, only 70 U-17 players have scored more points than Rousseau did in his D-minus-1 year. The Phoenix were sellers leading up to the trade deadline in January, dealing two of their top-six scorers in C Mavrik Lachance, and RW Robin Benoit, but they haven't lost any ground in the standings- they were 6th in the Western Conference (13th-overall) at the beginning of January, and they are in the same position right now. The same can be said for Rousseau, to his credit- he has 8 points in his last 10. Sherbrooke wasn't much better in the 2024-25 season, sitting 5th in the West, and 10th-overall, with the same coach, and most of the same on-ice personnel- so I would've expected more points from Rousseau in the 2025-26 campaign. He has a bit of pedigree, being drafted 13th-overall by his current team in the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft, but Central Scouting has him as #97 for North American Skaters in their Mid-Term List.

Rousseau was measured at 5'10.25", and 174lbs by Central Scouting, but he plays like a pocket power-forward, with plenty of aggression and physical engagement, tenacity in puck-battles, and a high motor. He will need to add mass and strength for the next level if he plans on playing the same style, but he wins 50/50 contests against bigger junior opponents with his intensity and hard-work, shows proficiency in faceoffs (56.9% right now) and has no fear in wading into the greasy areas of the ice. Like a true power-forward, he can dish out big hits to shake pucks loose, or to set the tone for his teammates, and owns a gritty net-front game. Rousseau has a nose for the net, soft hands to beat goalies, keen hand-eye coordination to capitalize on tips, and a willingness to muck it up in front of the crease. With a robust shooting arsenal, a quick release, and good puck-placement, he locates open space in dangerous areas to unleash, and will take pucks to the net. Even still, I think there's room to improve the velocity of his shot. He is blessed with a high IQ, and plus-level playmaking vision; he skates with his head up to map out his surroundings, and reads the ice well to be a step ahead of would-be checkers. Rousseau is fairly dynamic, displaying smooth handling skills in-motion, with uncanny strength on the puck, and solid protection ability to drive play through the neutral zone. Helping him along is his quickness and maneuverability- although his explosiveness and top speed need a bit of work going forward. In addition, Rousseau is also an excellent defensive player with solid awareness and positioning who hounds puck-carriers relentlessly- although he needs better consistency of effort and engagement in this area. Given that there were a few players of Rousseau's general size and ilk who were left out of last year's draft, it isn't 100% certain that he will picked, but I think he's greater than his numbers, and more dynamic than those who were omitted in 2025- look for him in the later rounds.