RD Tomas Lavoie - Cape Breton, QMJHL (2024, 89th, UTA)

[MikeyS]

Points don't mean everything, especially for defensive backs. His role is to cover against the best opposing offensive lines.

Noah Warren was selected 40th with the same PPG.

He is above Gill in NHL scout reading. Kearsey is very far away. Boilard perhaps but I have serious doubts.

Lavoie has a much rarer profile.

He is the most physical right-handed shut down in the draft.

And Warren was a terrible pick at that spot and time has shown this lol

Spencer Gill offers much more than Lavoie. Almost double the offensive production, is the same size at 6’4” and has a ton of room for improvement because he is only 185lbs, once he fills out don’t be surprised if he is just as physical as Lavoie with the better offensive fundamentals. NHL teams think like this, they don’t care what they are today, they project what they will be in the future, Gill has a ton of room for improvement, Lavoie, not so much. Typical kid that peaked early and won’t amount to much in the NHL.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

It was difficult to predict that Warren would not develop his offensive game after the draft but the chances of entering the NHL will reveal themselves in the AHL.

Lavoie has never been a points defender. In QMAAA, he was already behind of several other defenders by far and he was still selected No. 1.

We'll see what the scouts think, but points in the CHL do not at all ensure the success of a defender and I know the scouts don't look at that. They project what the player can become in the NHL in his own profile.

Difficult to say that Lavoie is too weak to occupy the position of right-handed defenseman. In the draft, there are not many players with this profile (Badinka, Emery, Kleber...)

 

[Wintersun]

It was difficult to predict that Warren would not develop his offensive game after the draft but the chances of entering the NHL will reveal themselves in the AHL.

Lavoie has never been a points defender. In QMAAA, he was already behind of several other defenders by far and he was still selected No. 1.

We'll see what the scouts think, but points in the CHL do not at all ensure the success of a defender and I know the scouts don't look at that. They project what the player can become in the NHL in his own profile.

Difficult to say that Lavoie is too weak to occupy the position of right-handed defenseman. In the draft, there are not many players with this profile (Badinka, Emery, Kleber...)

It was quite easy to predict that Warren would not develop his offensive game. He wasn't particularly effective with the puck in Bantam or Midget either. At best neutral in terms of transition and play with the puck at those levels, for some a negative. It was always about being hard to play against with a skating that allows him to defend the rush against anybody.

Lavoie was viewed as a points defender in his Q draft, I can assure you of that as someone who scouted the Q draft. He had a very slow start to the year and was more of a 3rd-4th round candidate for the Q draft early on but was absolutely seen as that kid that produced at nearly a point per game with very quick progression as the season went along. He had that great point shot, was carrying the puck from one end to the other with ease. He was very much an offensive defenseman who could be taught defense given his physical tools. After all, he was a highly productive forward when he was younger too. Since his offense hasn't really continued to progress, he has been working on his defensive game a ton and being more physical, which is probably a good thing for his development.

He does have some NHL potential but I would say his progress has slowed massively since that massive burst in this Q draft season.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

It was quite easy to predict that Warren would not develop his offensive game. He wasn't particularly effective with the puck in Bantam or Midget either. At best neutral in terms of transition and play with the puck at those levels, for some a negative. It was always about being hard to play against with a skating that allows him to defend the rush against anybody.

Lavoie was viewed as a points defender in his Q draft, I can assure you of that as someone who scouted the Q draft. He had a very slow start to the year and was more of a 3rd-4th round candidate for the Q draft early on but was absolutely seen as that kid that produced at nearly a point per game with very quick progression as the season went along. He had that great point shot, was carrying the puck from one end to the other with ease. He was very much an offensive defenseman who could be taught defense given his physical tools. After all, he was a highly productive forward when he was younger too. Since his offense hasn't really continued to progress, he has been working on his defensive game a ton and being more physical, which is probably a good thing for his development.

He does have some NHL potential but I would say his progress has slowed massively since that massive burst in this Q draft season.

Midget stats :

Lavoie 21 points in 36 games
Lanthier 33 points in 40 games
Veilleux 32 points in 39 games
Fortier 23 points in 36 games
Gill 30 points in 30 games

He was not selected No. 1 for his stats and he is not expected in the 2nd round for his stats. He's a right-handed shut down weighing 102kg, franchises like this kind of profile, it's true every year.

Most defensemen who score points in the CHL fail to translate their production to the NHL circuit. On the other hand, the most physical guys remain the most physical guys.

 

[LeProspector]

Midget stats :

Lavoie 21 points in 36 games
Lanthier 33 points in 40 games
Veilleux 32 points in 39 games
Fortier 23 points in 36 games
Gill 30 points in 30 games

He was not selected No. 1 for his stats and he is not expected in the 2nd round for his stats. He's a right-handed shut down weighing 102kg, franchises like this kind of profile, it's true every year.

Most defensemen who score points in the CHL fail to translate their production to the NHL circuit. On the other hand, the most physical guys remain the most physical guys.

For a guy that loves watching stat sheet, it’s weird to see you ignore it here lol

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

For a guy that loves watching stat sheet, it’s weird to see you ignore it here lol

We all do it by looking at the stats. Evaluating players, particularly backs, solely based on the number of points, that's never what I did.

 

[Wintersun]

Midget stats :

Lavoie 21 points in 36 games
Lanthier 33 points in 40 games
Veilleux 32 points in 39 games
Fortier 23 points in 36 games
Gill 30 points in 30 games

He was not selected No. 1 for his stats and he is not expected in the 2nd round for his stats. He's a right-handed shut down weighing 102kg, franchises like this kind of profile, it's true every year.

Most defensemen who score points in the CHL fail to translate their production to the NHL circuit. On the other hand, the most physical guys remain the most physical guys.

Already explained he had a slow start and was pretty much PPG the second half of the season, and was indeed expected to have offensive contributions to a pretty high extent in the Q. I still think he'll get there and produce 20 goals and 60 points at 19.

 

[Nazzz]

what is his ceiling? Zadorov with better skill?
I wish the Hawks could draft a righty with size after pick 34

 

[rt]

what is his ceiling? Zadorov with better skill?
I wish the Hawks could draft a righty with size after pick 34

He’s big and mobile and physical. He’s good defensively, too. That’s not a terribly unique profile, where he stands out to me is how well he moves the puck, and how smooth and smart he is with it. I was impressed with him in the playoffs. I really like this prospect in the top 50.

 

[WeThreeKings]

what is his ceiling? Zadorov with better skill?
I wish the Hawks could draft a righty with size after pick 34

You'll get a righty with size at 2, so no worries there.

 

[Caser]

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Good pick. Utah definitely has a type.

 

[rt]

As an Utah fan I was hoping for Lavoie at 49th or 64th. Quite happy to have got him at 89th.

 

[KapG]

Nice start to his d+1 year

11 points in 6gp. Leading the team despite missing 3 games (I assume the first 3)

 

[Emerz]

Lavoie has had a very vertical developmental path this season - PPG has increased from around .3 to 1.00 all while munching 25+ minutes a night, playing physical & shutdown defense. Very rare for a 6’4 215+ pound dman to have the raw natural offensive instincts that Tommy Utah has.

I’ve seen plenty of special defenseman come out of the Q and Lavoie is right up there with all of them.

The sky’s the limit for his offensive potential, I think he’s a sure fire NHL top 4 regular in the future.

I would think he’s a big riser from the 2024 draft, Utah has a gem here and I guarantee if hockey Canada isn’t silly he’ll be on the top pair at the WJC team year.