Carbonneau scouting reports

[the miracle]

From Bleacher Report:

Strengths: Playmaking, vision, precise shot

Weaknesses: Does too much sometimes

B/R Rank: 12

Pick Grade: A

Analysis: The St. Louis Blues snagging Justin Carbonneau at 19th is a solid get. All aspects of his offense are valuable—his shot is great, his instincts and vision are high-end, and he can use that vision to set up teammates. The way he approaches the game will make him a great addition to the Blues' prospect pool.

There are a lot of players in this year's first round who have high potential when it comes to creative playmaking and dynamic offense, and the No. 1 thing we want to see from them moving forward is maturity concerning decision-making.

Carbonneau is one of those players. He's a threat in every area of the ice, with the puck and without it. His combination of vision and playmaking abilities, alongside his quick release, makes him dangerous offensively. His skating speed and the way he uses it to chase loose pucks or burn opponents make him dangerous defensively.

The problem—again, a common one—is that he can try to do it all himself. And this is so often where mistakes happen. When you're only relying on yourself, you miss opportunities. You turn the puck over. You get intercepted by an opponent who may not have been an issue if you'd made a pass moments before.

If Carbonneau can rein in his desire to do it by himself and utilize his playmaking abilities and vision more to find teammates and set them up, he'll have no trouble in the NHL.

[the miracle]

Pronman:

November 25, 2006 | 6′ 1″ | 192 pounds

Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player

Player comparable: Dylan Holloway

Analysis: Carbonneau has been a top player in the QMJHL. He’s a very strong skater and puck handler who can beat defenders one-on-one at full flight. He’s a physically developed winger who plays hard and can win puck battles fairly often. His style of play is highly translatable to the NHL game with the pace and effort in his shifts. He has a great shot and is often a threat to score from the faceoff dots with his one-timer. The one issue with Carbonneau is his decision-making at times is questionable, and I wouldn’t call him a natural playmaker. He projects as a top-six winger.

Thoughts on the pick: Carbonneau is a highly skilled, hard-to-play against winger who projects as a top-six forward. He’s the last skater remaining of my top group of players, as the draft drops off a bit at this point, and the Blues get a valuable piece for the future.

[the miracle]

Hockey Writers:

A player who can do anything on the ice, Justin Carbonneau is a force on the ice in any zone. His game begins with his explosive skill set and speed. In the defensive zone, he constantly scans the zone to pick up an opponent and support his defensemen from his center position. While he shows signs of being a solid defensive presence, this is one area of his game that could use further development and improvement, as he occasionally struggles with coverage and positioning. Once he gets the puck on his stick, that scanning of the ice continues. He is either looking for a passing lane to a teammate or open ice to get moving up the ice with his speed and stick handling.

His game excels in transition thanks to his speed and vision. He uses his shiftiness to work through the neutral zone and gain steam to get set up in the offensive game. He also shows some power forward elements in his game, having the capability of protecting the puck well and working himself into high-danger areas. Carbonneau has the skill to be a shooting threat or a setup guy. When given the time and space to get a shot off, he has the ability to shoot from any position and spot in the offensive zone, thanks to a great release with his shot. But when he does not have a shooting lane himself, he is constantly looking for a spot to make a play and pass to a teammate.

His passing ability is strong, and he has all the makings of being an offensive force at the next level. The biggest downfall to his offensive game seems to be that even though he plays with good pace and has the speed to make great plays, he tends to play too quickly and tries to do too much himself from time to time. Improvements in this aspect of his game will come from maturation and slowing down his game.

Carbonneau’s game and skill make him a threat to play in any situation, whether it’s special teams, a checking role, goal scoring, or a playmaker. He is certainly a player that an NHL organization would love to have in their system, and he should be a top-20 pick in June’s draft.

Carbonneau has the potential to be a top-six forward who can score. His shooting skills and offensive instincts make him a valuable asset on the power play. At the same time, his physicality and strong skating enable him to excel in transition and along the boards. Outside of Porter Martone and, for some, Cameron Schmidt, Carbonneau is one of the best right wing draft-eligible players this year, and he is likely to be drafted in the 10-20 range

Carbonneau is a skilled winger with the potential to excel professionally. His scoring ability and offensive instincts are already at an NHL-caliber level. With improvements to his physical game and decision-making, his style of play draws strong comparisons to Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks. A right-shot winger, he possesses a powerful shot, deceptive puck-handling skills, and the ability to make a significant offensive impact in a top-six role..

[a smell of green grass]

I was hoping for a young Cam Fowler, but I'm very very happy to have a young Holloway. He was BPA, and that is the way to win this game.

[sdaltons]

Great pick and Glaser announcing it was the icing on the cake!

[jwstlsan]

Not unhappy with any of those reports, thanks for posting.

I think it’s easier to teach him how to use his teammates more, than to teach him the skills he already possesses.

Thought they would go D, but I like the pick!

[Bluesfan1978]

Sounds like a player that in the playoffs will make things happen

[Red7]

THIS was EXACTLY the type of pick I wanted at 19. I didn’t care if he was a wing, C, or defenseman or even cared that much about his stats: I wanted the biggest guy and best skater available. I didn’t even care about his skills. But, this kid sounds like the complete package. If his biggest negative is that he tries to do too much, that’s better than someone who doesn’t try to do enough! That usually comes from always being the best player on the team.

This is a kid that needs to be in the AHL next year, not back in juniors. Too bad that’s not a possibility.

[John Cocktoastin]

Don't think we have a prospect like him in our system. Power freakin' forward. Football player on skates who, by the way, scores.

Freaking awesome.

"I used to play football with my brother, so we're both ex-football players," said Carbonneau, who had to step away from the game to focus solely on hockey when he started high school. "I think I was pretty good. ... I love to play football and those hits and all that. I was linebacker on defense and running back on offense."

The 18-year-old power forward plays with a football mentality, blending physical play with a high-end skill set that helped him finish second in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with 89 points and tie for second with 46 goals in 62 games with Blainville-Boisbriand this season.

"I'm a big power forward who likes to hit, to skate," Carbonneau (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) said. "I have good vision, but I'm mostly a shooter, power forward."

Link

[seattleblue]

Good job Blues

[theograce]

Even hearing a Perron comp excites me.

God I loved a 30 year old Perron

[STL fan in MN]

THIS was EXACTLY the type of pick I wanted at 19. I didn’t care if he was a wing, C, or defenseman or even cared that much about his stats: I wanted the biggest guy and best skater available. I didn’t even care about his skills. But, this kid sounds like the complete package. If his biggest negative is that he tries to do too much, that’s better than someone who doesn’t try to do enough! That usually comes from always being the best player on the team.

This is a kid that needs to be in the AHL next year, not back in juniors. Too bad that’s not a possibility.

Not ready for the AHL yet. It’s not official yet but it’s been reported for a while now he’s likely heading to Boston College. Maybe play on Hagens’ wing there.

[John Cocktoastin]

Probably the most complete scouting report I've seen.

Link

[TBone]

Don't think we have a prospect like him in our system. Power freakin' forward. Football player on skates who, by the way, scores.

Freaking awesome.

"I used to play football with my brother, so we're both ex-football players," said Carbonneau, who had to step away from the game to focus solely on hockey when he started high school. "I think I was pretty good. ... I love to play football and those hits and all that. I was linebacker on defense and running back on offense."

The 18-year-old power forward plays with a football mentality, blending physical play with a high-end skill set that helped him finish second in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with 89 points and tie for second with 46 goals in 62 games with Blainville-Boisbriand this season.

"I'm a big power forward who likes to hit, to skate," Carbonneau (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) said. "I have good vision, but I'm mostly a shooter, power forward."

Link

[theograce]

Another Canadian to be excited about.

Everyone loves them

[HighStick]

I don't know anything about these kids. I'm glad Carbonneau already has some weight on him. The Islanders had 2 picks at 16 and 17 and I got to wonder if either of those guys will make it. They were small 165 lbs and 171 lbs kids. Im glad the guy the Blues picked looked like he could open a pickle jar if he had to.
Hopefully he pans out in 3 years.