C Mavrik Bourque (2020, 30th, DAL)

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I know most people don’t focus beyond the current draft year, but could you provide your top-40? I know you watch/otherwise pay attention to a lot of prospects and I’d like to see how close or far my opinion on rankings of guys is to yours.

I like to make a list after the WHC17, and then I make one right after the upcoming draft. I've started compiling a list of names, but I'm going to hold off on making another list for another few months.

Here was the list I made in November. I forgot about Barron, so add him somewhere after Raymond and before Guhle. I'd also make some changes to this list now, but I'll make those changes in June.

Here's my initial top 62 from this draft. The players listed below I have yet to see play.

Have not seen play: Niederbach, Lapierre, Stutzle

1. Alexis Lafreniere-W
2. Quinton Byfield-C
3. Jamie Drysdale-D
4. Anton Lundell-C
5. Lucas Raymond-W
6. Jan Mysak-C
7. Jean-Luc Foudy-C
8. Alexander Holtz-W
9. Jeremie Poirier-D
10. Kaiden Guhle-D
11. Cole Perfetti-C
12. Thomas Bordeleau-C
13. Ryan O'Rourke-D
14. Tyler Kleven-D
15. Noel Gunler-W
16. Yaroslav Askarov-G
17. Martin Chromiak-C
18. Will Cuylle-W
18. Marco Rossi-C
19. Ryder Rolston-W
20. Vasili Ponomaryov-C
21. Daniil Gushchin-W
22. Ruben Rafkin-D
23. Dylan Holloway-W
24. Kasper Simontaival-W
25. Antonio Stranges-W
26. Ty Smilanic-C
27. Yan Kuznetsov-D
28. Evan Vierling-C
29. Zion Nybeck-W
30. Jake Sanderson-D
31. Connor McClennon-W

32. Marat Khusnutdinov-C
33. Dawson Mercer-W
34. Braden Schneider
35. Rodion Amirov-W
36. Jake Neighbours-W
37. William Villeneuve-D
38. Jacob Perreault-C
39. Eamon Powell-D
40. Roni Hirvonen-C
41. Connor Zary-C
42. Luke Tuch-W
43. Brock Faber-D
44. Samuel Knazko-D
45. Christopher Sedoff-D
46. Simon Knak-W
47. Anton Johannesson-D
48. Jan Bednar-G
49. Mitchell Miller-D
50. Stephen Halliday-W
51. Pavel Novak-W
52. Veeti Miettinen-W
53. Elliot Desnoyers-C
54. Dylan Garand-G
55. Noah Delemont-D
56. Simon Kubicek-D
57. Helge Grans-D
58. Lukas Cormier-D
59. Mavrik Bourque-C
60. Landon Slaggert-C
61. Pavel Tyutnev-W
62. Dylan Peterson-W

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

Bourque just had a 5 min natural hat-trick. First period just ended, 3-1 Shawinigan.

He's pretty consistently ranked as a late 1st round pick so far, and his good start to the season may help him rise. 7 goals and 3 assists in 6 games + 20 min, on a weak offensive team.

 

[MatchesMalone]

20 is a lot. I think its possible more than half of the first rounders in 2020 could be CHL'ers, but 20 might be a few too many.

I've got 16 in my top 31 right now. 20 might be pushing it. Lots of good talent all over the world.

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

Bumping this after his 5-point night. Now at 29 pts in 19 games, 10 pts ahead of his next teammate. Smart, hard-working player who does everything well, and is leading his mediocre team offensively. Still feel like he's flying under the radar. Being neither huge or very fast will likely prevent him from ever going top 15, but most rankings barely have him in the 1st round, which feels low to me.

 

[Dread Clawz]

So many good centers in this draft.

 

[rt]

So many good centers in this draft.

Is he actually playing center?

 

[rt]

How does he compare/contrast with Dawson Mercer. From a stat watcher’s perspective, they seem similar. Can anyone expand on these two?

 

[Dread Clawz]

How does he compare/contrast with Dawson Mercer. From a stat watcher’s perspective, they seem similar. Can anyone expand on these two?

Mercer is more of a pf with a mean streak with lots of skill. Bourque is smaller, not that fast, but has a very high iq level and vision. Has very good hands, and he is constantly improving all his skills. He doesn't have the physicsl tools some of the top prospects in this draft do but despite this i think he will be a very successful nhl player. His head for the game seems more advanced than most of his peers.

 

[Alex Taxman]

Mid-season report on Bourque out now:

https://www.futurescopehockey.com/post/prospect-report-mavrik-bourque

 

[Artorius Horus T]

60 points (26 goals) (1.36 ppg) in 44 games so far this season.
(already outscored his rookie season by 6 points (21 games less played)

Shawinigan top 5 in points:

1. (F) Bourque (2020, 17) 60 points
2. (F) Bourgault (2021, 16) 43 points
3. (F) Ponomayrov (2020, 17) 35 points
4. (F) Beaudoin (2020, 17) 30 points
5. (F) Cormier (2020, 18) 26 points

 

[TheYardMachine]

2G 5A tonight so far for 7 points on 7 goals of his team!

 

[Dominance]

2G 5A tonight so far for 7 points on 7 goals of his team!

Making that pretty stat line even juicier! The numbers this guy is putting up as the top offensive threat on his team are incredible, especially considering he’s still being ranked between 20-30. Some outrageous skill on him - anyone see that spinorama today?

Imagine being able to pick up a guy like this at the end of the first round (although I doubt he gets anywhere near that) and still not believing that this draft is something special.

 

[Goose of Reason]

Making that pretty stat line even juicier! The numbers this guy is putting up as the top offensive threat on his team are incredible, especially considering he’s still being ranked between 20-30. Some outrageous skill on him - anyone see that spinorama today?

Imagine being able to pick up a guy like this at the end of the first round (although I doubt he gets anywhere near that) and still not believing that this draft is something special.

That spinning goal was sweet. I was so impressed with his passing, his vision, patience and ability to get the puck through seams is high end. He's awesome.

 

[Goldenhands]

Xavier Bourgault is another name to remember, 2021 draft eligible, got 6 pts in this game and everytime I watched the Cats this year, he was a standout, for the good reasons...

 

[TheYardMachine]

Another 3 points game for Bourque tonight against a Q powerhouse!

He is now sitting at 4th place in Q scoring leader with 70 points in 48 games.
10 points in his last 2 games!

 

[foggyvisor]

I think he goes top 10.

 

[Dominance]

I think he goes top 10.

Who does he bump out, though?

It’s not right that a team who just missed or even made the playoffs may be getting a guy who has put up a largely one-man show like this, who checks all of the skating, creativity, and centreman boxes and who isn’t physically limited.

 

[LastWordArmy]

The third overall pick in the 2018 QMJHL Draft, Mavrik Bourque has been an important part of the Shawinigan Cataractes over the last two years. Last season, he scored 25 goals and 54 points in 64 games as a QMJHL rookie. He also played for Canada White at the 2018 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, scoring three points in five tournament games. His strong rookie season earned him a spot on Team Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Bourque scored one point in five games. He helped the Canadian squad to a silver medal in the tournament.

Bourque has been even better in his second season in the league, putting up 29 goals and 42 assists for 71 points in just 49 games for the Cataractes. He also played two games for Team QMJHL in the Canada-Russia Super Series. Bourque’s season was ended in early-February due to a wrist injury but is expected back for the 2021-22 campaign.

Mavrik Bourque Scouting Report: 2020 NHL Draft #28

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I don't know why he gets so little talk. I think he might have the most upside of players projected to go outside of the top-10.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don't know why he gets so little talk. I think he might have the most upside of players projected to go outside of the top-10.

I like Mavrik. I had him ranked 32 prior to the season, but he's been right around that late first range all season, and moving up my last few lists. He had a very good season, and is a good player. But he's smaller and not a great skater. He might move off center. I still think he could be a pretty good top six winger. And if he sticks at center, maybe you get Claude Giroux. I would not be surprised, at all, if he ends up a top 15 player from this draft.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I like Mavrik. I had him ranked 32 prior to the season, but he's been right around that late first range all season, and moving up my last few lists. He had a very good season, and is a good player. But he's smaller and not a great skater. He might move off center. I still think he could be a pretty good top six winger. And if he sticks at center, maybe you get Claude Giroux. I would not be surprised, at all, if he ends up a top 15 player from this draft.

Yeah, his skating makes him a more risky pick than someone like Mercer or Zary, but I love his upside if he manages to work on that.

Bourque's playing style, especially the way he slows down play in the offensive zone, reminds me a lot of Leon Draisaitl. Obviously he lacks Draisaitl's size and puck protecting ability and it's highly unlikely he gets to the same level, but I just wanted to throw that comparison out there.

 

[Dan10900]

He's a stud, I was watching Drozg last year in Shawinigan, and couldn't help but notice Bourque, I had him ranked extremely high (top 15) going into the year, he's dropped since then, his defensive play isn't the best but he's amazing offensively, he's still in my top 25

 

[Nabrules]

How does Bourque compare to someone like Jacob Pelletier from last years draft?

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

How does Bourque compare to someone like Jacob Pelletier from last years draft?

They're entirely different players. Pelletier is quick and feisty while Bourque is an average skater and can be lackadaisical at times. Pelletier plays at a fast pace and gets a lot of his offense from the rush, and Bourque likes to have the puck on his stick and slow the game down. His poise, vision, and natural talent set him apart from Pelletier in my opinion, but Pelletier is better without the puck.

Pelletier strikes me as more of a complimentary winger, whereas I think Bourque has the potential to lead a line and play at center.

 

[CambieKev]

This might be of interest. Here's footage from Mavrik Bourque's performance against the Moncton Wildcats on January 31, 2020, one week before his season-ending injury.