Draft Prospect Profile: Benoit-Olivier Groulx

  

Each day over the next month leading up to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, held on June 22 in Dallas, we will be taking a look at the top 31 prospects available, starting with the 31st and leading up to number one.

Next in the series of prospect profiles is our 29th-ranked prospect, center Benoit-Olivier Groulx.

Benoit-Olivier Groulx
2017–18 Team: Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
Date of Birth: February 6, 2000
Place of Birth: Gatineau, QC
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 195 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: C

NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 20
NHL Central Scouting Midterm Ranking: 18

NHL Comparable: Phillip Danault

Benoit-Olivier Groulx is one of the best two-way centers in this year’s draft class. The former first overall selection in the QMJHL Entry Draft has spent the last two seasons playing for the Halifax Mooseheads, a program known for churning out high-end NHL talent in recent years, including Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, Nico Hischier and Filip Zadina, one of this year’s top prospects.

Defense is the cornerstone of Groulx’s game. Groulx uses his hockey sense and sound positioning to read plays and break up the opposition’s offense. He thinks the game well and is able to predict the opponent’s next step, often causing turnovers. Groulx is also strong at the faceoff dot.

Offensively, Groulx is able to get to the areas he needs to because of his work ethic. He is not the largest player on the ice, but he regularly uses his toughness to gain the positioning he desires. Groulx is not afraid to throw his body around to generate offensive opportunities for his team.

Groulx possesses one of the best wrist shots in the draft class and has the ability to score close to the net thanks to his good hands. He has a heavy slap shot, but rarely chooses to deploy it.

While offense is not the focus of his game, Groulx managed to record 28 goals and 27 assists this season in 68 games for the Mooseheads, a respectable total for a two-way center.

Overall, Groulx plays a very smart, safe and consistent game. His defensive ability, intelligence and attention to detail are easily his most desirable traits, with his offensive ability an added bonus.

Implications for the Blackhawks
This is the Hawks’ chance to recoup “the one that got away” in Phillip Danault. Danault, the 26th pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, never set the world on fire offensively, but has developed into a solid middle-six center for the Montreal Canadiens since departing Chicago in the infamous Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann trade in 2016. Groulx appears to be the second coming of Danault, and would be a solid pick to lock down the third line center position for the foreseeable future upon developing. With the Blackhawks currently lacking a long-term solution for the third line center role, Groulx could prove to be an excellent pick if he is still available when the Hawks pick at 27th.

Timeline
Groulx will likely require at least two or three more years before making the jump to the NHL. He will need to quicken his first step and get faster before donning an NHL sweater. If he plays one more season in Halifax and one year in the American Hockey League, Groulx would not see NHL action until 2020–21 at the earliest.

Projection
Like Danault, Groulx should slot in as a third line center in the NHL, with the ability to play second line minutes if he can improve his speed to better generate offense. He also draws comparisons to Ryan Kesler, though Groulx does not play as heavy a style as Kesler and will never reach the offensive level Kesler achieved at his prime. Groulx will never compete for a scoring title, but will be a valuable player for whoever selects him come June. He appears to be an ideal third line center who shuts down the opposition with enough offensive pop to become a staple on an NHL roster for years to come.

What others are saying
The first pick in the 2016 QMJHL draft is a big solid wing (who is) not afraid to get gritty. Tall and fundamentally solid in all areas. Strong skater with a nice stride with strength, but truly lacks a quick first step. Understands team play and plays well no matter what line he is on, and can get the job done. Scores mostly from inside the dots and in front. He likes to bull his way there and take the shot. Isn’t a high end attacker at this juncture or speedster. Plays mostly in a defensive role. Longer term developmental guy who teams will hope builds a stronger offensive game to go along with his defensive presence.”
Bill Placzek/DraftSite

Groulx is a pure sniper. He has the soft hands to finish plays in tight to the net. He can get the puck up quickly on both his forehand and backhand. His slap shot is an absolute bomb, but he does not use it that often. The wrist shot is so strong and has such a quick release that it has become Groulx’s weapon of choice. It is legitimately one of the best wrist shots in the draft. Groulx gets to the tough areas of the ice, and battles for position when there. He can also score with deflections. … One area where Groulx excels is on the defensive side of the game. His positioning is outstanding, and this helps to hide his skating flaws in the defensive end. He is also extremely smart, as he often seems to be a step ahead of the opponent, anticipating and breaking up plays. Groulx is not afraid to support the defence in the cycle and uses his size to contain opponents.”
Ben Kerr/Last Word on Hockey

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Center Ice Forums Draft Prospect Profile: Benoit-Olivier Groulx

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  • #7182
    Eric Andrews
    Moderator

    Each day over the next month leading up to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, held on June 22 in Dallas, we will be taking a look at the top 31 prospects avail
    [To continue reading full article, click here: Draft Prospect Profile: Benoit-Olivier Groulx]

    #7184

    Very interesting how diverse my opinion is from the others!

    This is a draft where teams are HOPING they can confidently predict who can be selected and be a C2, and I see NHL scouts looking in a different direction than Benoit-Olivier Groulx if they are looking for a second line centre. There are ten other prospects I would look towards before seeing him as the answer there, because they all have smarter sticks feet and head. I have him as a mid second rounder as a centre, and playing with Filip Zadina may have pumped him up in the eye of these other guys, but I don’t see it.

    Now I could see some team taking him because they figure he projects as a left wing if NHL 3rd line centre doesn’t work out. He just isn’t the best skater. And most centres, whether gazelles or not HAVE to have better feet. He is got lots of nasty and engagement activity, and is good in the dot, but even in this weak centre class is he a top centre prospect.

    And the only comparison with Danault is that Danault was a junior centre who projected as a pro wing. Phillip Danault could separate himself from his checks, and was much bigger parts of his junior Victoriaville Tigres PK and PP. If Groulx HAD played that role in Halifax, I might see him in a brighter light.

    With the plethora of defenders and skilled scoring forwards sitting above him in the rankings, in my opinion, he is a safe pick in terms of all around bottom end of the line-up type toolbox.

    In the second round.

    #7185

    I once again, re-arranged my mock draft, and the biggest issue is me ranking the entire list of 500 plus prospects in the BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE, the Islanders end ups taking BOTH Joe Veleno and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (if the hawks surprise don’t roll the dice on either), and no defenseman.

    I just think these two guys and Barrett Hayton are the best players on the board and that the next defenders would be slight reaches.

    And all three may also never come close to top line centres, though the all look like fine candidates to play some forward position and be very successful as NHLers.

    I will say it again: The hawks are in a very good spot to get a really good prospect at slot 8, and even at #27.

     

    #7186
    Jeff Osborn
    Keymaster

    awesome insight, Wiz.

    #7189
    Under Qs moustache
    Participant

    He may project as a 3rd line center, but the lack of speed will haunt his effectiveness in keeping up with the opponent’s 1st line. Look at what LV has done to the way the game is played now versus ten years ago. The league is headed in that direction. The Hawks are loaded with bottom 6 wingers and Kamph as either a 3rd or 4th line center depending on who makes the roster. Grouix replaces Kamph, which is a waste of a late first round pick. Again the tossing of Dannault haunts the Hawks as he is exactly what the Hawks are missing to fill either 2C or 3C and is NHL ready NOW! Not 3 or 4 years from now. Bowman should be bonus-ing the scout that found them Kamph, or they’d look like a first line that can’t score and 9 other players that have to play without a center that has speed and can win a draw. How that reduces the effectiveness of a “possession” team when playing from behind resulted in their stellar 6th place finish. Put Buff and Dannault back on this team and you can only imagine how that changes their draft needs.

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