Although he is in his third season of draft eligibility, Miguel Tourigny might just get the chance this season. It’d be fitting as, arguably, the best offensive blueliner coming out of the QMJHL this season. He’s certainly the most mature. He’s a fluid skater who can advance the puck up ice and join the attack or even lead the rush at times. With the puck on his stick, he is slick and can make clever moves to prolong possession and access quality shooting and passing locations. He can push the pace over distance and show great quickness in small bursts to close in on opponents or win puck races. As an undersized defender his physical play is going to be questioned, but he eagerly gets involved in battles and can be a focused physical player when the situation calls for it. Defensively is where he has some issues, unsurprisingly. His gap control was rather loose and typically allowed for uncontested zone entries and room for opponents to activate their offense. He has trouble taking away passing lanes or filling shot lanes. His net-front coverage and defense away from the puck were both characterized by a lacklustre attention to detail and little effectiveness. He’s not scared to get involved in physical battles, but his focus and intensity in his own zone is subpar. Overall, defending was simply something he had to do to fill his time between offensive attacks. If you’re a team that drafts him then you’re doing so for his offensive contributions, not to lock it down defensively. A development plan to address and lessen the impact of his defensive faults could lead to the trust needed to give him an opportunity. Offensively, he is an NHL talent but defensively the jury is still out and future improvements will determine the outcome.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide