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 right winger Maxim Masse. The 2006-born Canadian is ranked as high as 19th overall and as late as 57th. This draft stock realistically results in him falling to somewhere in the 30s, a definite possibility for the Calgary Flames’ second first-round pick they acquired from the Vancouver Canucks.
Here’s what you need to know about the possible first round pick.
| PLAYER | POSITION | HANDEDNESS | HEIGHT | WEIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxim Masse | RW | R | 6’1″ | 181lbs |
Current Team(s): Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL), Team Canada U18
Date/Location of Birth: April 7, 2006, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
Expected Draft Position: Late first round-early second round.
Masse’s on-ice production
| YEAR | DRAFT RELATIVE | LEAGUE | TEAM | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | D-4 | LHPS M15 Majeur | Ecole du Mistral M15 Maj | 24 | 30 | 22 | 52 |
| 2020–21 | D-3 | LHPS M15 Elite | Ecole du Mistral M15 Elite | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | D-2 | QM18AAA | College Notre-Dame Albatros | 40 | 26 | 17 | 43 |
| 2022–23 | D-1 | QMJHL | Chicoutimi Sagueneens | 65 | 29 | 33 | 62 |
| 2023–24 | D+0 | QMJHL | Chicoutimi Sagueneens | 67 | 36 | 39 | 75 |
2023–24 AVG TOI: 17:18
The start of Masse’s QMJHL career saw him selected third overall in that league’s 2022 entry draft. Masse would justify that selection as he enjoyed significant success in 2022–23. Highlights include winning QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year, QMJHL Rookie of the Year, and CHL Rookie of the Year while being named to the CHL all-rookie team in his 16-year-old season.
It’s safe to say that the Rimouski product has entered his second campaign in the QMJHL this season with lofty expectations. He has not disappointed either, improving his point production and adding some hardware to his trophy case with a Hlinka-Gretzky Cup Gold medal.
In addition, he had the honour of being named the best professional prospect in the entire QMJHL this season, with him securing the Mike Bossy trophy at league awards night. The accolades do not end there, as earlier this month, Masse donned the maple leaf for Team Canada, averaging around seven to eight minutes a night in a bottom-six shut-down role for the Canadians. Everything considered, the young Quebecois is likely to be the first player from the QMJHL selected in this upcoming draft.
Masse is a new-age playmaker who thrives in the offensive zone, setting up zone plays and peppering the opposing goalie with shots.
Masse’s strengths
Puck skills
The highlights of Masse’s game include his puck skills, shooting, and board play. In all three zones, the right winger displays is top-notch passing ability. He has high-quality vision that blends flawlessly with his silky smooth passes both in breakout and o-zone play.
Particularly off the rush, the Chicoutimi Sagueneens forward loves seam passes to fool defenders. In-zone, the young winger shows he’s capable of being a secondary facilitator, as his short passes seem to be magnetic straight to the tapes of his teammates in set plays.
In addition, the 18-year-old’s passing ability, mixed with good passing option identification, really allows his in-zone chance generation to shine. Regularly serving as a left bumper on the powerplay and occasional net-front at 5v5, Masse has displayed excellent hand-eye coordination that makes him a significant offensive threat on tipped shots and one-timers.
His puck skills are not linear, either. They have elements of deception—like his frequent changes of pace, dropbacks, and pass fakes—which force opponents out of position and open up shooting/passing lanes.
Other noticeable elements include capable puck protection, control, and hustle.
Shot
Boy does Masse absolutely love to shoot the puck, and he does it A LOT. This love is really complemented by his show power. This power is also combined with a good release point on his wrist shot, which makes it quite quick and a tad bit deceptive. He has a noticeable trend to drag and release in transitional play that is all around solid.
On special teams, Masse has a deadly one-timer that is accurate and slightly deceptive, making him an obvious threat to opposing teams whenever his team gains the zone. As the season has progressed, the Quebec product has been taking a lot more shots. Although his shot selection is below average at points, he has been proven to be a consistent goal scorer for his team, finding the back of the net 36 times this past season.
Forecheck
Lastly, Masse has recently shown some growth when it comes to the elements of a good forecheck. He can exert clear defensive pressure on the opposing team and can be a play disruptor in defensive transition quite well.
Although Masse can struggle to get to the carrier at times, when he does, there is a good chance that a scoring opportunity can be found off of a forced turnover. The use of more board play in the winger’s game could be beneficial. He displays great puck protection, and with his forecheck efforts, Masse shows some play-support instincts that not all players have.
Masse’s areas of improvement
Skating
The young Sagueneens forward does have good lateral acceleration, but his maximum speed is less than stellar, often significantly limiting breakaways, rush tactics, and transitional play. In addition, skating-wise, Masse struggles with edgework, agility, and generating stride power.
These limitations are most obvious on breakaways—where he can’t really separate himself from opponents—upon zone entry—where defenders are able to close gaps and force him into an unsavoury play—and on breakouts—where he often allows a teammate to lead.
Now, all of these issues surrounding skating can be resolved with further skating coaches, increasing muscle mass, and working on his edges. However, this is no guarantee that they will be fixed.
Hockey sense
The second area where there are evident struggles—and the more concerning one—is around Masse’s hockey sense. Masse shows a lack of play anticipation at points, as he often cheats in defensive zone coverage with mixed success. Furthermore, in transitional play, he shows a concerning level of risk assessment and poor decision-making, which can result in him forcing plays that are simply not there, bringing into question his hockey IQ at times.
This is especially evident when defenders have closed the gap, often resulting in the young forward producing giveaways or taking a low-quality shot, leading in part to a 57% shot accuracy. He occasionally shows good pre-emptive instincts like o-zone stick raises and net crashing, but this needs to be more consistent.
Last but not least, for his size, reach, and stature, he has an uncommon lack of physicality that really could elevate his game to the next level and possibly open up a penalty-kill role for him in the future.
Risk: 3/5
Teams who are interested in Masse more or less know what to expect from the right winger. Masse has upside, and ultimately, it all depends on how much an organization is willing to grow with the player. There is a notable lack of intensity with Masse, which does come across in his nonchalant defensive coverage. With his pedigree and statistical results, a team will take a chance with the QMJHL standout.
Reward: 2.5/5
Despite his limitations, Masse could realistically be a solid secondary scorer on an NHL team in the future. With more consistency in skating, senses, and compete level, Masse could really take a step forward in his development. There are always a couple of players every draft who really surprise scouts and fans alike, and the former U18 Team Canada member could be one of those players.
Projection: Bottom six forward with potential to be top nine
Skating: 3/5
Senses: 3/5
Compete Level: 3/5
Puck Skills: 4/5
Shooting: 3.5/5
Comparables: Tyler Johnson (with size)
Fit with the Flames
With the Flames, Masse could serve as a solid bottom-six option who brings a scoring threat while complementing some of their other depth pieces.
With all of this being said, would you want to see the Calgary Flames draft Maxim Masse come draft day? Let us know in the comments.
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
