Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day our LWOS Prospects Writers will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow Ben Kerr, and Frederik Frandsen on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! Today we bring you our Sacha Boisvert Scouting Report.
Sacha Boisvert is next in our rankings as we look towards the 2024 NHL Entry Draft day. A player who could easily see his name be called on day one, and who is as pure a goal-scorer there is. Boisvert scores goals and this season he proved that in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. In 61 games he had 36 goals and 32 assists for a total of 68 points. A strong season that highlights the impact a goalscoring threat can have and which has seen Boisvert with a legitimate chance at a first-round selection. The season also earned him a spot at the University of North Dakota next season, where he can develop within the NCAA.
Sacha Boisvert 2024 NHL Draft Scouting Report
Centre — Shoots Left
Born March 17th, 2006 — Trois-Riviéres, QC, CAN
Height 6’2″ — Weight 183 lbs [188 cm / 83 kg]
Skating
Sacha Boisvert’s skating is a bit of strange case. On one hand, he has great edges and a decent speed, but on the other, it’s ineffective and only just okay. Off the puck, he moves well to get open for passes. This is especially useful in transition, as he often drives the offensive rush. The skating is good enough to make that work well as he often enters the zone with speed.
However, that is kind of where it stops being just roses for Boisvert. His mechanics are stiff and he never seems to get as much power into his strides as he should. His acceleration is quite slow, and it limits his potential a lot as a player. This will need to be worked on while he plays at North Dakota.
Offensive Game
Goals are Sacha Boisvert’s bread and butter and what makes him such a unique and entertaining player. His shot is wicked and NHL-ready. In some ways, it’s probably better than most of the NHL. The shot is quick, and deceptive and can come off his blade in a variety of ways, both off the rush and off one-timers. It’s ridiculous and his puckhandling makes him super creative as well, since he can create space for the shot while under pressure. His toe drag for instance is immaculate and is often used before ripping it top shelf.
However with as much of an offensive talent as Boisvert is, there are holes in his game. Particularly in his hockey IQ, which isn’t at the level it needs to be. His decisions with the puck are incredibly one-dimensional. Almost every time he has the puck, his first instinct is to shoot the puck from anywhere. This can be fine, but he does it so often, that he will overlook passes to wide-open teammates for a shot near the goal line. That type of player is fun to watch in the juniors but it has to change for him to translate that success to the pro ranks.
Sacha Boisvert’s Scouting Report on his Defensive game
Boisvert is an offensive player first and foremost. He is a player you rely on to score goals rather than keep pucks out of the net. This shows in how he plays defence, which is a shame. The size is there for him to be a power forward with a great motor, but this just isn’t the case. Often he looks lost defensively and at times disinterested in covering his man.
He has a decent physical game and has an active and effective stick on the backcheck. He also works hard in the backcheck to get the puck back. However, as soon as the opponents establish zone time he tends to switch off. As a centre you want him to be the last forward out of the zone, but often he is the first. These decisions are a red flag. Both offensively but especially defensively, and there is a lot to refine before he is ready for the NHL.
Projection and Comparison
Sacha Boisvert can go in so many ways. In the best-case scenario, he becomes a superstar in the league with so much swagger. A player who can score goals for fun and can be one of the most electric players the NHL has ever seen. His offensive tools are incredible and the shot is unstoppable at times. Here he will develop into a Tage Thompson kind of power forward with a deadly wrister.
In the worst-case scenario, he will flop as soon as he turns pro. His weak decision-making, average skating, and one-dimensional style will make it difficult for him to become an impact player in the NHL. Time will tell which version it will be. His development at the University of North Dakota will be critical, to see if he will be a steal or bust
Main photo credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
