Dallas Stars draft prospect report: Maxime Comtois

Numbers can skew the perceived value and role of an NHL prospect.

That’s the case for Victoriaville Tigres left winger Maxime Comtois, who could be an option for the Dallas Stars late in the first round when the pick 29th (or even at 39 in the second round if he’s still available).

Comtois had a breakout rookie year in the QMJHL offensively as a 16-year-old during the 2015-16 season (he turned 17 in January of that season) when he had 60 points (26 goals, 34 assists) in 62 games. That set high offensive expectations for the winger and at first glance it looks like a disappointment when his point totals didn’t take a step forward and dropped slightly (51 points in 64 games) this past season.

The numbers don’t tell the full story. In his rookie season in the QMJHL he was able to fly under the radar a bit (even though he was the third pick the QMJHL draft) and he’s more of a right-place, right-time goal scorer. This season he was thrust into a larger role and with that came more difficult defensive assignments and more responsibility in all three zones.

And that’s where Comtois made strides this past season. He’s a detail-oriented player and it shows in the game film. He’s in the right spot positionally, blocks shots, and has potential to be an elite penalty killer in the NHL some day — in the QMJHL and at World Under-18s he seemed like a consistent threat to score shorthanded.

Comtois also has a physical edge and he’s still figuring out how to properly toe the line (he had 88 penalty minutes this season, which is on the higher-end for players in that first and second-round range).

He’s smart in the offensive zone and isn’t going to dazzle on a nightly basis, but can occasionally make a move that will pull fans out of their seats.

There is room for improvement, but Comtois is a good strong skater that can fight through checks with his 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame. Whichever team drafts him may want to work a bit on his wide skating stride, and a more a precise motion could help his overall quickness.

Comtois has a quick wrist shot and he’s able to create space to use it thanks to his hockey sense. He goes hard to the net and works well with his line mates to create chances.

Longterm Comtois isn’t going to be the scoring winger you build a team around. He’s going to be that two-way forward given the difficult defensive assignments and comes up with big plays at big moments.

I wouldn’t call Comtois a long-term project. It’s more of a patient pick and whichever team drafts him will have to give him the winger a bit of time to improve his skating and add some muscle to his frame. However his attention to detail and hockey sense are tremendous and he seems like he’d thrive under a coach like Ken Hitchcock (if Hitch is still the Stars coach in three or four years).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb_wmcepy_g