NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Jean-Christophe Beaudin

Get to Know Jean-Christophe Beaudin

Date of Birth: 3-25-97
Place of Birth: Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, QC, CAN
Ht: 6’1” Wt: 181 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Center
Team: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)

Jean-Christophe Beaduin saw his first real high-level hockey action in the 2014-15 season. He came to juniors through Collège Antoine-Girouard Gaulois of the QMAA, where he was a strong offensive presence for the school.

His time with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies started slowly, but by the completion of the season, he had become the first rookie to reach 40 points in almost a decade. He’s admired by his coaches and teammates for his dedication, spending time after practice working on his skills. His efforts paid off last season as his responsibilities increased dramatically through the season, becoming a regular fixture in power play, penalty kill, and even strength ice time, as well as the team’s top center.

Statistics

What Scouts See

Future Considerations

Jean-Christophe Beaudin of Rouyn Noranda was a Quebec league rookie this season who started a little slowly before turning it on halfway through the year when put on the top line for the Huskies: a role where he proved to not just be a passenger. He is a defensively responsible winger with decent size and smarts who knows where to go on the ice and can make an impact at both ends. He sees the ice well and makes a strong pass, but needs to learn to hurry up his pace as the league looked a little fast for him some nights. He is rated higher on some other lists but in our views there was still plenty of work to be done in his game and that is why he is not in our top 210 even though he has some intriguing potential moving forward.

What BSN Avalanche sees

Beaudin has some development ahead of him, but he has the basic talent to become a reliable player in the professional ranks. One thing that can’t be taught he has in spades: intelligence. Beaudin sees the ice well and can anticipate where a play will develop. Because of this, he has exceptional defensive awareness and can be trusted with important assignments. He has a crisp and accurate pass, as well as a nose for the net. He doesn’t back down from physical play, and his core strength makes him difficult to push off the puck.

Beaudin needs to improve his skating, though, if he wants to be part of the NHL. While he doesn’t have a bad stride, he has only average speed, which can leave him out of the play on a rush. His draft season was his first in the Q, though, so he has time and room to grow.

NHL Potential

All NHL teams can use reliable bottom-six, two-way players. With some more time marinating in juniors, Beaudin can develop into that guy who produces on a checking line while giving the top lines a rest. He could also pitch in on the second penalty kill unit, relying on his defensive acumen to support the team.

Expected Draft Position

Beaudin is ranked all over the board, with Future Considerations putting him out of their top 210 and Central Scouting ranking him at 64th. Realistically, he’s a 4th-round pick. He’s too young to think he isn’t worth the chance as his skill set is so well rounded, he can only get better from here. His rookie season may have started slowly, but he worked his way up to the top line by the mid-mark and showed no signs of slowing.

How Jean-Christophe Beaudin Fits in Avalanche Organization

Beaudin would be an interesting late-round selection for the Avalanche. While the team has a number of bottom-six guys in the organization, Beaudin’s defensive instincts will be valuable, especially for a team that gives up so many shots against. His high hockey IQ and dedication to improvement will certainly be coveted by the front office.