Justin Carbonneau is a dynamic option for the 2025 draft
Justin Carbonneau has been lighting it up in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
It’s pushing his stock up 2025 NHL Draft boards as a result.
Carbonneau, an elite offensive winger, has pushed himself into consideration to be a consensus top pick to come off the board in the first round with the tools he has to be a scorer at the next level.
“Carbonneau has always put on display his offensive prowess as early as last season, registering almost a point per game,” FCHockey scout Joey Fortin Boulay said. “But it’s really this season that he evolved from an intriguing offensive prospect to a junior superstar. Last year, it was hard to grasp what would be his draft year outlook, but he now looks like a bonafide top-15 pick with clear top-six potential at the pro level.”
Here’s a look as to why.
Who is Justin Carbonneau?
Carbonneau is a native of Lévis, QC. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound speedy, right-shooting winger is no. 15 in FCHockey’s Winter ranking for the 2025 draft and was no. 13 amongst North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm ranking. He currently leads the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in points and is among the top-10 scorers in the QMJHL.
Justin Carbonneau’s path so far
Carbonneau played the 2021-22 season as a 15-year-old with the U18 AAA Lévis Chevaliers, registering 40 points (eight goals, 32 assists). After that season, he was drafted by Rouyn-Noranda with the 20th pick in the second round of the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft.
Carbonneau began the 2022–23 campaign with the Chevaliers, registering 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 23 games before Rouyn-Noranda came calling. He put up a pair of assists in two games before a trade sent him to Blainville-Boisbriand. Carbonneau netted 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 30 games after the deal, and added another two points, both assists, in four playoff games in his rookie season.
Carbonneau, who also represented Canada White at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2022, returned to Blainville-Boisbriand for his first full QMJHL season in 2023-24 and potted 59 points (31 goals, 28 assists) in 68 games to finish second in team scoring. He added another six points (three goals, three assists) in seven playoff games.
Carbonneau has already surpassed his 2023-24 point totals in the 2024-25 season with 61 points (31 goals, 30 assists) in 44 games.
Carbonneau was recognized for his efforts in 2024-25, garnering a spot on the Canadian Hockey League roster for the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November. He registered a secondary assist on Canada’s final goal in their opening 6-1 win, and fed Cole Reschny the puck before screening Team USA goalie Harrison Boettiger on the game-winning goal as Team CHL took the game 3-2 to finish the two-game set with two points, both helpers.
Strengths of Justin Carbonneau
Creating offense is at the core of Carbonneau’s game. With a full toolkit of skills, he’s more than capable of becoming a dominant presence in the offensive zone.
“Carbonneau is a multifaceted offensive force who makes an impact every time he steps on the ice,” Fortin Boulay said. “He skates hard through the middle ice and doesn’t mind engaging physically when carrying the puck. He displays advanced puck skills and cuts through defenses with regularity. His vision stands out as well, as he feathers precise, crisp cross-ice feeds. He’s also a natural shooter from distance and exploits nifty hands around the net.”
Carbonneau also has good size to go with those skills that should help him be a very effective offensive player at the next level.
He has continually built on previous seasons to be more productive in the next season as he moved from minor hockey to major junior. The next step will be taking his game and production to the pro level.
Areas of Improvement for Justin Carbonneau
Despite shining and being able to make a consistent impact offensively, Carbonneau needs to work on his play in his own end. The 18-year-old can turn himself into more than just an offensively dynamic winger if he can add a more consistent effort at both ends of the ice.
“As much as he dominates offensively, I would like to see him work on his defensive zone coverage and positioning,” Fortin Boulay said. “He plays with more intention in the offensive end than in his own.”
The other area of Carbonneau’s game that will need some tweaking is his skating. While Fortin Boulay said he’s got average-to-decent footspeed, Carbonneau’s skating could use some polishing.
Justin Carbonneau’s outlook
Carbonneau’s already well-developed offensive game makes him a pretty good bet to be able to blossom into an NHL top-six weapon. He’s already a consensus first-round pick by scouts and draft analysts. If he can add another gear defensively to go with his offensive talents, Carbonneau won’t have to wait long in the crowd at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, CA in June at the 2025 draft.
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