It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft rankings and draft profiles! Using our very own consolidated rankings, we will be taking a look at the top 50 prospects for this year’s draft. The 2025 NHL Draft will take place on June 27 and 28 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. The NHL is testing a decentralized draft this summer.
Next up is Caleb Desnoyers, a 6’2″ centre hailing from St-Hyacinthe, Quebec. He played the last two seasons with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats, where he put up 140 points in 116 games. Considered one of the best defensive forwards in the draft, Desnoyers has been a tough player for many scouts to rank. The French-Canadian forward can be found ranked as high as fifth on some boards and as low as 12th on others.
Who is Caleb Desnoyers?
| Player | Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Desnoyers | C | Left | 6’2″ | 172 lbs |
Desnoyers’ on-ice production
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | D-3 | QM15AAA E | École Fadette Vert et Noir M15 AAA E | 26 | 19 | 27 | 46 |
| QM17E | Richelieu Gaulois M17 Espoir | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 2022–23 | D-2 | QM18AAA | Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois | 42 | 23 | 30 | 53 |
| 2023–24 | D-1 | QMJHL | Moncton Wildcats | 60 | 20 | 36 | 56 |
WHC-17 | Canada White U17 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
| WJC-18 | Canada U18 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 2024–25 | D+0 | QMJHL | Moncton Wildcats | 56 | 35 | 49 | 84 |
Desnoyers’ strengths
Caleb Desnoyers is a very impressive skater with a noticeably strong stride. He can get from zero to 60 faster than most, which, alongside his frame, should help him transition to the pro level quickly. His speed isn’t something he only uses with the puck on his stick either, as his work ethic and athleticism while forechecking and on defence are very noticeable and make him a very menacing opponent down the middle.
Recognized as a very balanced player, he finds success as both a playmaker and scorer. His athleticism isn’t the only thing that makes him dangerous, either. Scouts rave about his hockey IQ. Desnoyers always appears to be two steps ahead of everyone on the ice. He plays the game like he sees everything in slow motion and isn’t afraid to be patient with the puck on his stick. As a nice cherry on top as well, he had a very impressive 69% face-off win rate this season in the QMJHL.
Desnoyers’ areas for improvement
While Caleb Desnoyers’ strengths outnumber his weaknesses nearly tenfold, he does have one noticeable flaw. While he showed some improvement this season, many scouts think his release isn’t pro-ready yet and may take some time to improve. Despite that criticism, he still managed to score 35 goals on 176 shots this season for a shooting percentage of 19.8%. Certainly not bad by any means.
Summary
Caleb Desnoyers has more than proven himself as a potential top 10 pick in this year’s NHL Draft. One of the most balanced players in the draft, his potential at the NHL level is sure to have many NHL general managers praying that they get the chance to take him come June 27.
Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2025 NHL Draft prospects:
Matthew Schaefer | Michael Misa | James Hagens | Porter Martone | Anton Frondell | Victor Eklund | Roger McQueen | Caleb Desnoyers | Jackson Smith | Jake O’Brien | Carter Bear | Radim Mrtka | Lynden Lakovic | Brady Martin | Justin Carbonneau | Malcolm Spence | Cameron Reid | Logan Hensler | Cameron Schmidt | Ben Kindel | Kashawn Aitcheson | Cullen Potter | Braeden Cootes | Ivan Ryabkin | Blake Fiddler | Cole Reschny | Joshua Ravensbergen | Bill Zonnon | William Moore | Jack Nesbitt | Jack Murtagh | Milton Gastrin | Sascha Boumedienne | Henry Brzustewicz | Adam Benak | Shane Vansaghi | Cole McKinney | Jakob Ihs-Wozniak | Ryker Lee | Ben Kevan | Michal Svrcek | Arvid Drott | Conrad Fondrk | Charlie Trethewey | Luca Romano
