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skyrrhawk · 09-24-2023, 06:31 PM

The S73 SMJHL Draft has concluded.
With that, let's take a look at the players drafted by the Quebec City Citadelles.

7: Frøya Solberg | C | 5-foot-7 | 154 lbs

Solberg, the first of twin sisters taken by QCC in this entry draft, is a small-in-stature center whose greatest strength is her on-ice stamina. The writer would like to note Solberg's doubt of her status in the draft; while most believed she would be taken in the first or second round, as both she and her sister ended up being, she herself seems to have believed that she would be a later pick.

Best Stats: Stamina, Offensive Read, Shooting Accuracy
Things to Work On: Screening, Positioning, Passing

15: Sonja Solberg | LW | 5-foot-7 | 155 lbs

The other Solberg twin is an equally small left wing playing her strong side. Most expected the Solbergs to be drafted by the same team, but Sonja could well have fallen to a different team in the picks between her sister's slot and where she was taken at the top of the second round. Quebec City will surely benefit from the sisters' years of experience playing together, with Sonja already well-established as a playmaker when on the ice with her sister.

Best Stats: Stamina, Passing, Puckhandling
Things to Work On: Getting Open, Agility

19: Johnny Patey V2 | LD | 5-foot-11 | 195 lbs

QCC's first defensive pick is the shot-facilitating strong-side D-man, Johnny Patey V2. Patey V2 is a great pickup for a team lacking in defensive players, with his offensive-minded playstyle likely to greatly benefit a team stacked with potential goalscorers and high hockey-IQ players.

Best Stats: Acceleration, Passing
Things to Work On: Defensive Read, Checking, Bravery

22: Shawn Pawn | LW | 6-foot-0 | 200 lbs

Quebec City's third offensive pickup is a much-needed benefit to the physical size of the team's forwards. At six feet even, Pawn provides a welcome offset to the much smaller Solberg twins, as well as being an off-wing player with a skillset that will certainly help facilitate puck movement and scoring opportunities.

Best Stats: Getting Open, Agility, Balance
Things to Work On: Stickchecking, Acceleration

33: Juan Tymer | RD | 6-foot-3 | 220 lbs

Tymer, a big Latvian defenseman, is a pick straight out of Valka's beer leagues. An unlikely pick for the third round, given his somewhat unproven abilities, but one that could certainly pan out in a beneficial way for QCC! He'll need some work, but Tymer could turn out to be a true diamond in the rough, especially if someone could convince him to use that giant frame of his to be the goon he (maybe) was always meant to be.

Best Stats: Positioning, Stickchecking, Passing
Things to Work On: Fighting, Shot Blocking, Hitting

47: Céleste Desjardins | LW | 5-foot-8 | 173 lbs

You would be forgiven for thinking Desjardins, 18, was a Quebec native going to their hometown team. But you would be wrong. The 5-8 left winger was raised in a French-speaking family in Lewiston, Maine, which is frankly about as close as you get to being a true Quebecer without being from Quebec itself, and they'll surely fit right in with the Citadelles. Playing the off-wing, Desjardins is a dedicated perimeter shot, with their game clearly influenced by a lifetime of splitting their time between the ice and a soccer pitch. At pick 47, Desjardins is almost certain to be one of the best steals in this entry draft.

Best Stats: Getting Open, Offensive Read, Agility
Things to Work On: Puckhandling, Positioning, Strength

61: Leo Roze | LD | 6-foot-6 | 240 lbs

Quebec has the opportunity for a fully Latvian rookie D-pair this season, with Roze and Tymer both drafted. Roze outsizes the majority of, if not all, the rest of Quebec's roster, once again adding much-needed size to offset the numerous small forwards drafted by the team this year. Unlike Tymer or Patey V2, Roze is a truly defensive-minded player, not bothering with the skills needed for taking shots on goal, but he could certainly still put up points off of assists.

Best Stats: Checking, Defensive Read, Hitting
Things to Work On: Bravery, Stickchecking, Passing

75: Tom Sperado | RW | 5-foot-10 | 173 lbs

Sperado, the only right wing taken by QCC in this year's entry draft, could be a good compliment to Desjardins and the Solberg sisters. Like most of Quebec City's other forward picks this year, Sperado seems heavily focused on creating opportunities and taking shots, but accuracy only goes so far if a player is unsuccessful at tricking the goalie.

Best Stats: Getting Open, Puckhandling, Shooting Accuracy
Things to Work On: Screening, Passing

89: Fergus Stewart | G | 6-foot-2 | 153 lbs

The Citadelles' lone goalie pick is 6-foot-2 Canadian Fergus Stewart. It's lucky that a goalie even fell this low; there were fewer goalies in this draft than there are teams in the SMJHL. Stewart is well set up for a 7th round pick, however, as he is poised to be the Citadelles' #2 behind Net Man (of the S71 Draft Class). Thankfully, that #2 position will also give Stewart enough time to work out some of the kinks in his game and the skills that he might be lacking.

Best Stats: Rebound, Blocker, Glove
Things to Work On: Goaltender Stamina, Mental Toughness, Reflexes, Recovery

Overall Assessment:

The Citadelles have drafted a rookie class of strong offensive players, all with plenty of upside and certainly with bright futures ahead of them. With a lineup like this to add to their existing core, they are almost certainly set to be competitors for the Four Star Cup this season.

[word count: 1327]

***Seany148*** · 09-24-2023, 06:38 PM

Go

!!!

*NaomiMannequeen* · 09-24-2023, 06:49 PM

Allez Allez Citadelles!

***ThePyroAlpaca*** · 09-24-2023, 07:14 PM

Amazing write up 10/10

***lore*** · 09-24-2023, 07:57 PM

This season is going to be a hoot Citadelles

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