Caleb Desnoyers is coming off a season that propelled him up NHL Draft rankings. The youngest member of the Moncton Wildcats, Desnoyers led his team with 84 points (35 goals, 49 assists) in 54 regular season games.
The centreman followed that up with 30 points in 19 post-season contests, leading his team to their first QMJHL title in a decade and earning the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoffs MVP before a run at the Memorial Cup that ended in the semifinal.
Oh, and Desnoyers accomplished all of that while battling a pair of injured wrists for most of the season. Seriously, as he told reporters at the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month, that’s why he didn’t participate in fitness testing there. Desnoyers noted he was still waiting for scan results on both wrists.
Meanwhile, the hockey world is waiting to hear where top prospects like Desnoyers will land in the 2025 NHL Draft. Here’s a closer look at one of the best draft-eligible centremen whose name will be called on Friday in Los Angeles.
Team: Moncton Wildcats
Position: Centre
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.
Age: 18 (April 11, 2007)
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 173 pounds
What scouts are saying
One of the biggest assets Desnoyers brings to the ice is an incredibly high hockey IQ, among the best in this draft class. “Desnoyers thinks the game at an elite level,” as veteran scout Jason Bukala observed in his top prospect rankings for Sportsnet. “He’s calculating off the rush and displays an ability to attack with speed or pull up, take stock of his options and distribute. It’s nearly impossible to teach forwards to play the game the way Desnoyers does.”
That’s high praise, and while Desnoyers is obviously offensively gifted, he also played on Moncton’s penalty kill, and Bukala points to the centre’s ability to play in all situations, including in the defensive end. “Desnoyers is the kind of player who can be thrust into a variety of roles. He takes pride in competing and providing positive results in all three zones.”
Who needs healthy wrists?
That Desnoyers competed for most of this season with two banged up wrists begs some questions, the biggest one being: How would he have fared if he wasn’t injured? He still managed to raise his draft stock, lead the QMJHL in faceoff percentage (63.7 per cent), rank 5th overall in league scoring, lead his team to the QMJHL championship and become the league’s first draft-eligible player to win playoff MVP since Jonathan Drouin did it back in 2013.
One of the knocks on Desnoyers is that his shot isn’t as heavy or quick off the stick as other elite scorers. Certainly a pair of healthy wrists would help No. 18 improve that aspect of his game. But back to his high Hockey IQ, His shooting percentage was 19.9 per cent during the regular season, so certainly Desnoyers knows how to pick his spots. He also led the QMJHL in game-winning goals, with 11. Of course the question is how his shot and aim and clutch abilities look at the top level, but certainly he’s showing promising signs.
Captain Caleb
At a Wildcats team celebration earlier this month, Desnoyers was named captain for next season. In a press release, he called it “an incredible honour” and added: “I take a lot of pride in wearing this jersey, and I’m committed to leading by example on and off the ice. I’m excited for the season ahead and ready to help our team chase and build something very special.”
The thing is, Desnoyers — like every prospect — wants to crack the NHL as soon as possible, and he also now has the option to go play in the NCAA since junior players are permitted to make the jump once they’re college age.
Only time will tell what route Desnoyers takes, and whether he’ll don the ‘C’ in Moncton next season. What’s certain is that on Friday, he’ll find out what NHL team has decided to draft him — and he shouldn’t have to wait long to hear his name called.
