Dagenais: NHL's Next Power Forward

0:00On April 5th, Maddox Dagonace is turning heads as a top prospect for the 2026 NHL draft. This 6 foot 4196 pound center for Montreal plays left shot for the Quebec rim parts in the QMJHL. Born March 27th, 2008, he jumped from 26 points in 43 games as a rookie to 62 points in 62 games this season. NHL Central scouting ranks him 18th among North American skaters, with others placing him around 30th overall. He got picked first overall in the 2024 QMJHL draft and started slow with just 25 points in his first four months. But he exploded in the second half, piling up 37 points and averaging a point per game from January to March. That face-off win rate of 51.3% shows he's got real two-way chops for a power forward. Scouts love his bow in a China shop style, ferocious energy, big hits, and speed that defies his size.

1:01He bullies boards, controls shifts, and shadows attackers on defense. Quilt from folks like McCain's Jure Tremblay highlight his smarter speed use and rush creation. He's won OMHA Player of the Year and is silver at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. His calling card is that lethal shot quick release picks corners 273 attempts this year. Playmaking solid too, but shot selection needs work, and he could drive middle more. Draft stocks rising fast off that late surge, pushing him into late first round talks. Dagonace projects as a middle sixth center with secondary scoring punch and power play threat. If he rounds out his game, that ceiling climbs higher teams crave big, fast, skilled pivots like him. Keep watching this Montreal kid light it up. This has been NHL News Today, powered by AI.