It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft Rankings and Draft Profiles! The 2024 NHL Draft will be held on June 28 and 29 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Next up is Cole Beaudoin, the 35th-ranked prospect in our consolidated rankings. Beaudoin ranks anywhere from late in the first round to somewhere in the second round. Both TSN’s Bob McKenzie and SportsNet.ca have him ranked the highest at 30th among all prospects, while other rankings have him in the late-30s to mid-40s, even as low as 56. Let’s take a look!
Who is Cole Beaudoin?
| PLAYER | POSITION | HANDEDNESS | HEIGHT | WEIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Beaudoin | C | L | 6’2″ | 201 lbs |
Beaudoin is a Canadian forward, born in Kanata, Ontario, who has played the entirety of his youth hockey in Ontario. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, the 18-year-old already has NHL-ready size.
Beaudoin’s on-ice production
| YEAR | DRAFT RELATIVE | LEAGUE | TEAM | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | D-5 | HEO U14 | Ottawa Myers Automotive U14 AAA | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019–20 | D-4 | HEO U14 | Ottawa Myers Automotive U14 AAA | 30 | 13 | 27 | 40 |
HEO U15 | Ottawa Myers Automotive U15 AAA | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | D-3 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2021–22 | D-2 | HEO U18 | Nepean Raiders U18 AAA | 32 | 24 | 53 | 77 |
| CCHL | Nepean Raiders | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2022–23 | D-1 | OHL | Barrie Colts | 63 | 8 | 12 | 20 |
| WHC-17 | Canada Black U17 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 2023–24 | D+0 | OHL | Barrie Colts | 67 | 28 | 34 | 62 |
| WJC-18 | Canada U18 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Beaudoin got his feet wet in triple-A hockey in his D-5 season in 2018–19, playing a couple of games for Hockey Eastern Ontario’s U14 Ottawa Myers Automotive and registering one assist. The following season, Beaudoin played 30 games and scored 13 goals and 40 points. His point total was second only to fellow 2024 draft-eligible prospect Henry Mews. He also played three games in HEO’s U15 AAA that season, scoring two goals.
Beaudoin’s D-3 season in 2020–2021 was entirely wiped out due to the pandemic. Following that, he played one more season of AAA hockey for HEO’s U18 Nepean Raiders in 2021–22. In 32 games, he scored 24 goals and 77 points—both second on his team. He also played four games of Junior A hockey in the Central Canada Hockey League that year. He suited up in four games for the Nepean Raiders and recorded one assist.
The Barrie Colts selected Beaudoin 10th overall at the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, and he committed to the Colts shortly after. In his OHL rookie season in 2022–23, Beaudoin scored eight goals and 20 points in 63 games while adding a pair of assists through 13 playoff games. He also participated in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, registering three goals and five points in seven games.
This season, Beaudoin’s OHL production hit another level. Through 67 games, he finished third on the Colts in goals with 28 and tied for second in points with 62. He added five points in six playoff games as well, good for third on the team. Beaudoin also participated in the World Juniors this season, scoring a pair of goals and four points in seven games.
Overall, Beaudoin’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but it’s nice to see the continuing improvement.
Beaudoin’s strengths
Vision/Playmaking
Beaudoin’s vision is debatably one of the best aspects of his game. He’s an incredibly smart player who sees the ice exceptionally well and can make plays that many others can’t. Just looking at his production, you can see he’s got a mind for passing, considering he’s always got more assists than goals. Here’s a play from the 2024 WJC that highlights his incredible vision:
Shot
Beaudoin’s shot might be even better than his playmaking. The numbers may show he’s more of a playmaker than a scorer, but make no mistakes, he can put the puck in the net. As other areas of his game have improved, so too has his ability to score goals. Here’s an example where Beaudoin showcases his improved skating ability and his puck protection skills before sniping one:
Size/Strength
Listed at 6-foot-2 and over 200 pounds at age 18, Beaudoin already has the size to hold his own in the NHL, and he’s not afraid to use it. As he gets older, he’ll naturally get bigger and stronger as well, which will only make him tougher to play against at the NHL level. At such a young age, he’s already very good at using his body to protect the puck.
Beaudoin’s areas of improvement
Skating
Beaudoin’s skating is a weaker area of his game, but it is something he’s worked at improving, and the improvements have been paying off. He’s looked better on his edges this season, but his stride is still short. Skating is definitely an area of his game that needs more improvement if he’s to become a difference-maker in the NHL.
Speed
Players of Beaudoin’s size are not typically known for their speed and skating ability, and Beaudoin doesn’t break the mould in that regard. Again, it’s something he’s been working on—and you can see the improvement—but it still has a ways to go. He definitely has the power, but he needs to work on the mechanics more to improve his acceleration and top speed.
Effort
Beaudoin sometimes looks like he’s coasting on the ice, so he’ll have to make sure the motor is always running. He forechecks hard and is good at backchecking, but more consistency in all areas of the game will go a long way for him.
Beaudoin’s comparables
Beaudoin reminds me a bit of a smaller Kirby Dach. Dach was arguably a better, quicker skater at age 18, but both can be categorized as big playmaking centres with elite vision and excellent puck skills. Both use their big bodies to protect the puck, and neither has a problem scoring goals. If Beaudoin can develop into a similar player, that’s an easy win for any team drafting him as a late-first or early-second-round selection.
Fit with the Flames
The Calgary Flames’ system lacks depth at centre, and Beaudoin would easily be a top-two centre prospect in the organization immediately, behind Connor Zary. Given his size and lack of dynamic ability, he also feels like the type of player the Flames love to draft. He’s a low-ceiling, high-floor type of project, but one that could be well worth the wait.
That said, I’d much rather see the Flames use their two picks in the first round to target high-ceiling dynamic players. If Beaudoin’s available by the time their first pick in the second round rolls around—and the rankings indicate that he might be—then I’d be happy to see them select him at that time.
Summary
Beaudoin is a solid two-way centre with NHL-ready size, a great shot, and high-end vision. He projects as a middle-six forward at the moment, responsible defensively but also capable of chipping in offensively, given his shot and vision. His speed and skating have seen a lot of improvement over the last year, but they still need a lot of work if he is to become a difference-maker in the NHL.
I think he’ll provide good value anywhere in the second round, but there’s also a slim possibility he’s taken late in the first round. Either way, he’s a project who will take a few years of development before he’s ready to make his mark on the NHL.
Risk: 2/5
Reward: 3/5
Projection: middle-six two-way forward
Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2024 NHL Draft prospects:
Macklin Celebrini | Ivan Demidov | Artyom Levshunov | Sam Dickinson | Cayden Lindstrom | Berkly Catton | Cole Eiserman | Zeev Buium | Konsta Helenius | Zayne Parekh | Carter Yakemchuk | Anton Silayev | Tij Iginla | Adam Jiricek | Michael Brandsegg-Nygard | Liam Greentree | Igor Chernyshov | Trevor Connelly | Aron Kiviharju | Michael Hage | Ryder Ritchie | Sacha Boisvert | Nikita Artamonov | Maxim Masse | Cole Hutson | Beckett Sennecke | Dominik Badinka | Emil Hemming | Henry Mews | Terik Parascak | Alfons Freij | Charlie Elick | EJ Emery | John Mustard | Luka Misa | Tanner Howe | Lucas Pettersson | Matvei Gridin | Dean Letourneau | Leo Sahlin Wallenius | Jesse Pulkkinen | Cole Beaudoin | Kamil Bednarik | Jett Luchanko | Andrew Basha | Stian Solberg | Adam Jecho | Matvei Shuravin | Veeti Vaisanen
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