The Flyers pick sixth overall in the 2025 draft, and by that point, the true superstars like Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa will likely be long gone. But sometimes the best picks aren’t the most obvious ones, and sometimes the most valuable players are the ones who make everyone around them better rather than trying to be the star themselves.
Enter Caleb Desnoyers, the 6’2″ center from Moncton who just won QMJHL playoff MVP honors while leading his team to a championship. If you’re looking for highlight-reel dangles or end-to-end rushes, you might be disappointed. But if you want a player who sees the game three steps ahead and consistently makes the right play in every situation, then you’ve found your guy.
As TSN’s Craig Button put it: “I see Caleb as a second-line center, but someone I want on my team. He might be more than that. I know Caleb really likes to pattern his game after Jonathan Toews, and we know what type of player he was — Jonathan Toews is an elite Hall of Famer.”
Power Play Mastery: Versatility That Translates
Let’s start with what makes Desnoyers special on the man advantage, because this is where his hockey IQ really shines. He operates primarily on that left flank but has shown success down low on the goal line as well. Watch how he processes the power play – he’s not locked into one position or one type of play.
On his power play goal, you see him get the puck up high, come down the ice with space, and he’s looking both pass and shot the entire time. What I love about this goal is how natural the shot looks. He’s beaten goalies consistently at the junior level, and while the competition will obviously be tougher in the NHL, the release and the decision-making are already there.
This goal chart from his 48-goal season tells the story perfectly. Look at the concentration of goals in the high-danger areas – net front, slot, and around the crease. These aren’t perimeter goals from a player padding stats against weak competition. Desnoyers understands where NHL goals are scored, and he consistently gets to those areas. The variety of scoring locations also shows his versatility – power play goals from the flanks, even-strength goals from in tight, and opportunistic finishes from all over the offensive zone.
The versatility is what really stands out. Down on the goal line, as soon as he receives the pass, he’s looking to make a play. This season he’s shown the ability to shoot from the goal line on the right side as a lefty shot, which keeps defenders honest. On another power play sequence, watch how he skates all the way down below the goal line, drawing defenders toward him, patiently waiting for the seam to open up before hitting the guy in front for an easy goal. This is hockey IQ in action – understanding how your movement affects the entire defensive structure.
Addressing the Speed Question: Effective vs. Elite
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: Desnoyers’ skating. It’s often talked about that his speed isn’t elite – he’s definitely not McDavid, Barzal, or MacKinnon. But here’s what I noticed watching the tape: when he’s skating, he looks very poised at all times. He doesn’t look like he’s moving overly fast, but he’s clearly fast enough.
On this rush goal, you can see throughout the shift that he’s looking to take off offensively. As soon as he forces the turnover, he’s off to the races, and while three defenders can’t catch up to him on this rush, what impresses me is how composed he looks doing it. On the stretch pass breakaway, he clearly has his feet moving to receive the pass, beats the defender, makes a move that the goalie stops initially, but stays with it to score on the rebound.
Even more impressive is the sequence where he gets hooked and tripped on another breakaway but still scores off the move from his knees while moving with speed. A lot of his goals come from in tight, but it’s encouraging to see him fight through pressure rather than just getting empty tap-ins. And honestly, there’s nothing wrong with being in the right place at the right time – that’s hockey IQ, not luck.
The Complete Game: Why the Toews Comparison Works
This is where Desnoyers really separates himself from other prospects, and why scouts compare him to players like Sean Couturier, Jonathan Toews, and Ryan O’Reilly. He’s just so patient with the puck, even in high-pressure situations.
The highlight-reel power play goal shows pure junior hockey magic – he comes in with speed, uses his hands to make two guys miss, gets the goalie to bite incredibly hard out of panic, and dishes it back door for an empty net. This is the play you see people online saying “someone hit him” or “that won’t work in the NHL,” and sometimes they’re right. But here’s the thing: top-end skill guys all have highlight-reel goals like this in juniors – Marner, Konecny, Kane, Tkachuk. What they all have in common is they adapted their game at the next level because of their hockey IQ.
The patience sequence really showcases his processing ability. His teammate gets robbed right in front, all alone. When he goes to chase the puck, Desnoyers gets open very slowly – he isn’t sprinting after it. As soon as it comes to him, most guys in close like this would panic and try to get a shot off before the defender has time to react. Instead, he patiently holds onto it, uses his peripherals, and finds the guy streaking into the slot for a one-timer.
What really excites me is his defensive awareness and how he creates offense from defense. On the defensive strip play, Desnoyers chases the puck carrier from behind the net, strips the puck away cleanly, and immediately finds the open man who scores from the slot. It’s plays like this where he shows he’s incredibly calculated – he doesn’t just defend, he defends with purpose and immediately transitions to offense.
Areas for Improvement: The Memorial Cup Reality Check
Now, let’s be honest about what needs work, because every prospect has flaws, and Desnoyers is no exception. The competition in Canadian junior hockey isn’t all that good when you’re a top player, and it can create bad habits defensively, especially when you’re on a top team that’s routinely blowing teams out.
On one defensive lapse, while originally not his assignment, he skates over and gives a half-effort, being part of the problem in what turned out to be a 2-on-5 situation. Effort like that in the NHL won’t fly with the right coach.
More concerning was Moncton’s Memorial Cup performance against London, where Desnoyers was a -4. While they dominated Q league competition, they struggled against the eventual Memorial Cup winners. One goal against shows him forgetting his assignment – he had the eventual goal scorer but began to puck-watch and got over-committed during an extended shift. His defenseman didn’t switch over, and it led to an easy goal with Desnoyers all over the place.
These clips are important because they show that even elite junior players have areas to work on, especially when the competition gets better.
The Flyers Fit: Learning from the Best
All in all, I think Desnoyers would be a great NHL player, and having the ability to learn from Sean Couturier and Noah Cates (who’s becoming Couturier lite) would be a tremendous opportunity. I really love his upside – he has a super high floor as a second-line center, and I agree with Craig Button that he has a 10-15% chance of becoming a top-line center.
He may not have a top-end shot or elite skating, but he has great vision and hockey IQ in the offensive zone. Playing against better competition on a nightly basis will only help his defensive game develop further.
His goal is to make the NHL next season, but if he doesn’t, there are rumors of him going to Boston College, which I think would be great for his development. He’s clearly too good for juniors at this point.
The Bottom Line: Chess vs. Checkers
Where superstars like Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa will be gone by pick six, Desnoyers represents something valuable: a player who makes everyone around him better. He’s not going to be the guy who puts up 100 points, but he might be the guy who helps your other skilled players reach their potential while playing solid defense and winning faceoffs.
The Flyers need centers, they need hockey IQ, and they need players who understand how to win. Desnoyers checks all those boxes. In a rebuild focused on developing the right way rather than rushing to compete, he’s exactly the type of prospect you want to add to the pipeline.
Sometimes the best pick isn’t the most exciting one. Sometimes it’s the one who plays chess while everyone else is playing checkers.