QMJHL Stock Watch: Maddox Labre breaking out despite his environment

With multiple teams having usurped the established hierarchy, the QMJHL got weird in February.

There are some constants — most notably, the Victoriaville Tigres are still at the bottom of the standings. That hasn’t stopped draft-eligible defenceman Maddox Labre from standing out in incredibly impressive fashion, beating his environment to place himself in top-75 consideration for our next board.

On the other hand, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada haven’t lost a single game in regulation this past month and have pushed into first place in the Western Division, in great part thanks to Justin Carbonneau’s astounding performances. Philippe Veilleux is having a similar effect in Val-d’Or, as the Foreurs cling desperately to a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Chicoutimi Saguenéens have dug a trench between them and Baie-Comeau for the second spot in the Eastern division, mainly thanks to Maxim Massé locking in as of late. 

A couple draft-eligibles have struggled as of late, but we’ll get into the bad news later. For now, let’s start with the three that have seen their stocks soar in February.

Stock Rising 📈

Maddox Labre, LD, Victoriaville Tigres (2025 NHL Draft)

Watch the scoresheet, and you’ll miss Maddox Labre. The 6’2” left-shot defenceman has a meager tally of 16 points in 53 games — four of which have come in the last four games. Watch him play once, however, and you instantly start to see why our team is becoming increasingly bullish on his upside — especially with his performances as of late. EliteProspects Director of North American Scouting Mitch Brown’s most recent game report highlights this: 

“Labre isn't the usual low-scoring defenceman: He's dynamic, exciting, and skilled. [...] Even when he's not getting a chance, he's still creating some chaos and an advantage for a teammate. That same aggression extends on breakouts and retrievals. He fakes on receptions, deceives opponents in open ice, and uses cross-ice and middle-lane options [...] the pace could improve, but there's also a cost-of-business element here. Defensively, he's physical and keeps a very tight off-puck gap. [...] He looked like a top-75 prospect in this game. Tools and runway.”

Labre’s environment is having a clear negative effect on his production. He chains together his tools, habits and decisions in the offensive zone, sets up a cross-seam pass, and his teammates don’t capitalize. He fakes from the point, gives and goes, and doesn’t get a return pass. Put Labre in Moncton’s system, and he’d thrive — the raw skill is there, complemented by impressive sense and skating. He’ll likely slip to the fourth round at the very least and immediately pop off in a better environment. Buy low on Labre stock while you still can.

Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (2025 NHL Draft)

The most exciting offence-creator in the QMJHL just found another gear. Justin Carbonneau’s performances in February contributed directly to Blainville-Boisbriand’s 8-0-2-2 record, helping them go unbeaten in regulation by taking over games when they needed him most. He even mixed in the occasional defensive masterclass on some nights, helping his blue-liners defend the rush by setting up neutral-zone traps and forcing carriers to the outside.

Even while upping his defensive involvement, Carbonneau still excelled offensively. Six multi-point outings in his 11 games in February helped him accumulate 18 points in that span, most of which came at opportune moments. He increased his offensive involvement late in games, took control of creative responsibilities on his line, and attacked more directly when his team needed a goal. 

Carbonneau still displays the occasional play-selection warts — his desire to be the difference-maker leads to some magical moments, but can also lead to overhandling and high-risk passing. Still, he has overwhelming tools, and the warts are getting smaller. If a team is willing to live with the projection risks, there aren’t many more exciting players outside of the top-five than Carbonneau.

Philippe Veilleux, LW, Val-d’Or Foreurs (2025 NHL Draft)

Another draft-eligible whose recent performances have led to his team’s overall success, Philippe Veilleux’s 17 points in 10 games helped the previously middling Foreurs manage a 6-3-1-0 record in February. Building off of a tremendous final stretch in January, Veilleux has started using his skating in more efficient ways, often combining it with his ability to manipulate defenders to create — as Mitch Brown highlighted in a recent game report:

“A high-pace player, he constantly finds and creates openings in transition. He shifts one way before passing the other, spots teammates off the wall with quick passes, uses every inch of open ice, and knows when to cut back and use trailing options. He's lethal inside space, controlling his speed to find lanes and has become especially dangerous at the top of the zone. [...] An exciting prospect with lots of upside.”

An undersized forward at 5’9”, Veilleux could stand to improve his explosiveness. He’s more slippery and crafty than he is explosive and dynamic. That combination — the lack of size and speed — is what holds him back from being a top-64 candidate at this point. The skill, smarts and positional game might just be good enough in combination to circumvent his limitations, however, and the difference between early-season Veilleux and February’s version offers tons of promise.

Maxim Massé, LW, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (Anaheim Ducks)

With the Chicoutimi Saguenéens rocking an 8-1-0-1 record in February, it’s only natural that their best player is at the heart of it. Maxim Massé started off the month with a six-point outing against Acadie-Bathurst, and never looked back.

With 20 points in his last 10 games, Massé has taken control of Chicoutimi’s offence and made himself its focal point. A phenomenal cycle and retrieval forward, Massé seemingly wins every battle he enters, then attacks off the wall and drives the net. He recycles shots, pushes through checks into open ice, and makes great use of his heavy release.

The Anaheim Ducks’ 66th-overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft continues to dominate through strength and positioning — the layer of manipulation needed to navigate NHL structures and break them down isn’t there yet. The avenue to improve that is the sheer amount of puck touches he’s getting right now — his teammates seek him out, delegate to him, and feed off of his habits. Massé has an opportunity to leverage that into more direct manipulative skill, but he needs to grasp it soon. The more time he spends playing his current quick-touch, hard-skill style, the less likely he is to develop those tools.

Honourable mentions: Vincent Desjardins, Nathan Brisson, Matyáš Melovský

Stock Steady ↔️

Bill Zonnon, LW/C, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (2025 NHL Draft)

The Huskies have lost six of their last seven games, and Bill Zonnon’s lack of production is at the core of their recent struggles. With only four assists in that span, he came close to featuring in the “Stock Falling” segment. However, his constant energy and hard forechecking game have kept his stock steady, and offer a glimpse into what Zonnon will do in the NHL when the puck isn’t going in.

When scouts refer to a ‘B’ game, this is what they’re looking for. Zonnon’s ability to double down on forechecking intensity, puck-winning and cycle play when the bounces aren’t coming is a great sign — when he faces similar circumstances in the NHL, those same habits will keep him engaged, effective and reliable. He increased the tempo in this last stretch, trucking through defenders on the forecheck in classic Zonnon fashion while showcasing his ability to leverage his frame in translatable ways. 

Zonnon’s floor as a bottom-six role player is becoming clearer with every passing game, while his offensive upside continues to flow through playmaking skill. If he improves his skating and adds another polished offensive dimension over the next few years, he could thrive higher up the lineup and become a truly unique complementary second-liner.

Stock Falling 📉

Zachary Morin, LW, Saint John Sea Dogs (2025 NHL Draft)

Zachary Morin’s game has already been trending downwards for a while now — less effort and engagement than he showed early in his transfer to Saint John — but this last month has been especially disappointing. His four points in 11 games since the start of February are a testament to the Sea Dogs’ recent struggles, as the team lost all but one of those games.

The Sea Dogs’ offence mainly runs through Morin — he takes most of the creative workload, driving board passes into the middle in transition and orchestrating cycle plays. When he’s off his game, his team has to rely on its defenders to produce. This means more opportunities for counter-attacks, and when those happen, Morin’s engagement just isn’t good enough to cover for his blue-liners.

Morin’s skill level is well ahead of his off-puck habits — I highlighted this in a game report last month:

“He’s clearly playing below his skill level right now — would be much better-served in the NCAA, where these habits would go challenged and punished more often. A top-80 guy for sure, but he’s a project who will either thrive and develop at the next level, or fail to adjust and stagnate.”

Morin is set to join Boston University in 2026-27, but the sooner he makes the jump to college hockey, the more likely his development takes the right direction. He’d likely struggle at first, but the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term hit to his confidence.