The Penguins are now set to have back-to-back picks in the first round of the draft on Friday, slated to pick at No. 11 and 12 overall after receiving the Rangers' first-round pick on Tuesday.
For a team that's still in need of futures of any kind, if the Penguins walk away after the first round having used both of those picks as scheduled, that would still be a big win for the day. But if they want to come out of the first round with a higher-end talent, packaging some of their abundance of picks and moving up in the order would be a smart idea, too.
And if the Penguins want to get a high-end center, Caleb Desnoyers of the QMJHL Moncton Wildcats would be a good guy to target.
Desnoyers has been on Kyle Dubas' radar for awhile. Dubas went to Moncton, New Brunswick midseason for a scouting mission, back when Desnoyers seemed like a possibility to be around for pick No. 11. But toward the end of the year, Desnoyers has emerged as a potential candidate to go in the top-5, and someone the Penguins would now have to trade up to acquire.
Despite Desnoyers being projected to be a higher pick, the Penguins' interest hasn't waned. Desnoyers told me at the NHL's scouting combine in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this month that the Penguins "double-booked" him during the interview period in order to have an especially long meeting.
Desnoyers, 18, is a left-handed center listed at 6-foot-2 and 172 pounds, and he described himself to me at the combine as a "competitive centerman, versatile and makes the players around me better, and also a leader, pretty vocal on the ice."
One scout told the Elite Prospects Draft Guide in April that Desnoyers is "one of the smartest kids in this class. (He) doesn’t overwhelm with speed but maximizes his opportunities with changes of pace, great vision, and pro-level puck skills." A scout told the guide in May that Desnoyers is "one of the best players in the draft," and lauded his hockey sense above all else.
Desnoyers led the Wildcats in points (84) and ranked second in goals (35) in 56 games -- also good enough for fifth in the QMJHL in points and 12th in goals. He continued to be a factor in the postseason, with his 30 points through 19 games leading his team by a margin of eight points, and being one point shy of the entire league's lead. His nine goals ranked second on the team and was tied for third in the league's postseason scoring. He won playoff MVP for his efforts as Moncton won the QMJHL championship.
That'd be a great year for any player, especially one like Desnoyers, who was 17 years old for most of the year. It's all the more impressive after knowing that Desnoyers battled through two wrist injuries throughout most of the season.
"Pretty much anything that you can imagine that you need your hands for in hockey was was affected by it," Desnoyers said of his injury. He sat out of all the combine's fitness testing, and wasn't quite sure yet at the time whether surgery would be on the schedule for him this summer.
Desnoyers isn't 100% certain about where he'll be next season, either. Right now, the plan is to go back to the Wildcats, who have already named him captain for next season. But he called Moncton "an option," likely alluding to the possibility now opened up to him of going the NCAA route. Wherever he does go, he anticipates only being there for one season -- he doesn't think he's far off from pushing for an NHL job.
"My plan is, as young as I can, to play in the NHL," he said. "Not force anything, but when I'll be ready, I'll be at the place where I'll be able to play in the NHL the year after that."
Desnoyers, still so early into his career, has made a habit of winning. He has a U18 World Championship gold, a gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and now a QMJHL championship. Asked what has allowed him to find that level of success so regularly, he said, "I'm starving, every start of the year."
"I play the game to win," he said. "I'm willing to do everything, everything to win, all those little details that you need in your game. I just love the game so much that every time I step on the ice, I'm competitive and want to win."
Desnoyers has good height, has a great attitude, is one of the better playmakers in this draft and just managed to put together a monster season through injury. He'd certainly be worth a look if he's still on the board and the Penguins are able to trade up in the draft.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
8:34 pm - 06.24.2025Buffalo, N.Y.Draft profiles: Desnoyers worth trading up for
The Penguins are now set to have back-to-back picks in the first round of the draft on Friday, slated to pick at No. 11 and 12 overall after receiving the Rangers' first-round pick on Tuesday.
For a team that's still in need of futures of any kind, if the Penguins walk away after the first round having used both of those picks as scheduled, that would still be a big win for the day. But if they want to come out of the first round with a higher-end talent, packaging some of their abundance of picks and moving up in the order would be a smart idea, too.
And if the Penguins want to get a high-end center, Caleb Desnoyers of the QMJHL Moncton Wildcats would be a good guy to target.
Desnoyers has been on Kyle Dubas' radar for awhile. Dubas went to Moncton, New Brunswick midseason for a scouting mission, back when Desnoyers seemed like a possibility to be around for pick No. 11. But toward the end of the year, Desnoyers has emerged as a potential candidate to go in the top-5, and someone the Penguins would now have to trade up to acquire.
Despite Desnoyers being projected to be a higher pick, the Penguins' interest hasn't waned. Desnoyers told me at the NHL's scouting combine in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this month that the Penguins "double-booked" him during the interview period in order to have an especially long meeting.
Desnoyers, 18, is a left-handed center listed at 6-foot-2 and 172 pounds, and he described himself to me at the combine as a "competitive centerman, versatile and makes the players around me better, and also a leader, pretty vocal on the ice."
One scout told the Elite Prospects Draft Guide in April that Desnoyers is "one of the smartest kids in this class. (He) doesn’t overwhelm with speed but maximizes his opportunities with changes of pace, great vision, and pro-level puck skills." A scout told the guide in May that Desnoyers is "one of the best players in the draft," and lauded his hockey sense above all else.
Desnoyers led the Wildcats in points (84) and ranked second in goals (35) in 56 games -- also good enough for fifth in the QMJHL in points and 12th in goals. He continued to be a factor in the postseason, with his 30 points through 19 games leading his team by a margin of eight points, and being one point shy of the entire league's lead. His nine goals ranked second on the team and was tied for third in the league's postseason scoring. He won playoff MVP for his efforts as Moncton won the QMJHL championship.
That'd be a great year for any player, especially one like Desnoyers, who was 17 years old for most of the year. It's all the more impressive after knowing that Desnoyers battled through two wrist injuries throughout most of the season.
"Pretty much anything that you can imagine that you need your hands for in hockey was was affected by it," Desnoyers said of his injury. He sat out of all the combine's fitness testing, and wasn't quite sure yet at the time whether surgery would be on the schedule for him this summer.
Desnoyers isn't 100% certain about where he'll be next season, either. Right now, the plan is to go back to the Wildcats, who have already named him captain for next season. But he called Moncton "an option," likely alluding to the possibility now opened up to him of going the NCAA route. Wherever he does go, he anticipates only being there for one season -- he doesn't think he's far off from pushing for an NHL job.
"My plan is, as young as I can, to play in the NHL," he said. "Not force anything, but when I'll be ready, I'll be at the place where I'll be able to play in the NHL the year after that."
Desnoyers, still so early into his career, has made a habit of winning. He has a U18 World Championship gold, a gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and now a QMJHL championship. Asked what has allowed him to find that level of success so regularly, he said, "I'm starving, every start of the year."
"I play the game to win," he said. "I'm willing to do everything, everything to win, all those little details that you need in your game. I just love the game so much that every time I step on the ice, I'm competitive and want to win."
Desnoyers has good height, has a great attitude, is one of the better playmakers in this draft and just managed to put together a monster season through injury. He'd certainly be worth a look if he's still on the board and the Penguins are able to trade up in the draft.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
We’d love to have you!