Welcome back to The Journey, where we track the players who are turning their development curves into real fantasy relevance. The QMJHL continues to produce exciting breakout candidates, with several draft plus one and draft plus two players taking meaningful steps forward. Many of these prospects are already reshaping their long-term fantasy outlooks.
Below are six of the most impressive early QMJHL risers, each carving out a trajectory that dynasty managers should be paying close attention to.
Nobert has been one of the most dynamic offensive engines in the QMJHL this season. While his playmaking has long been a calling card, the biggest leap in his draft-plus-one campaign has come in his pace and decisiveness. He is attacking with far more confidence, consistently challenging defenders off the rush and using small-area deception to generate clean zone entries. His improved processing speed shows up in how he manipulates coverage and strings together multi-touch sequences that lead to dangerous chances.
What makes Nobert’s rise particularly compelling is how well-rounded his game has become. He supports the puck low in the zone, competes effectively on retrievals, and disrupts plays in transition with an active stick. With a 1.4 points-per-game pace driven primarily by even-strength production rather than inflated power-play usage, his profile is trending in the right direction. If this level of play holds, Nobert is shaping up as a legitimate middle-six NHL candidate with strong, assist-heavy fantasy appeal.
Huang has quietly emerged as one of the more efficient play drivers in the QMJHL this season. His hockey IQ stands out immediately, as he reads defenders well, anticipates pressure, and finds soft pockets of space with timing beyond his age. His distribution is smart and economical, consistently elevating linemates through touch passes, redirections, and quick bump plays that extend possession and sustain offensive-zone time.
At nearly a point per game, Huang is outperforming his draft slot in convincing fashion, and his underlying numbers support the surge, with his pNHLe climbing all the way to 71 this season. His defensive involvement has also improved, showing more commitment in his backcheck routes and greater engagement in contested puck battles. While he lacks elite physical tools, Huang’s intelligence, pace, and adaptability give him a realistic path to becoming a long-term sleeper, with stylistic comparables such as Andrew Ference or Dennis Wideman feeling reasonable, while a Mike Green outcome represents a more optimistic, stretch scenario.
Carbonneau has been great to start his draft plus one season, and he is flashing the exact blend of speed, creativity, and competitiveness that made him a first-round pick. His transition game is excellent as Carbonneau regularly beats forecheck pressure on exits and slices through the neutral zone with acceleration that forces defenders on their heels. In the offensive zone, he combines quick hands with deceptive delays to open seams and feed dangerous passes.
At 1.3 points per game, much of Carbonneau’s production is driven by primary involvement, a key sign that the scoring is sustainable. He is also showing growth in his two-way detail, particularly in supporting the puck low and applying intelligent pressure on the backcheck. Carbonneau projects as a potential top-six NHL forward with strong offensive upside, and his dynasty stock is rising accordingly.
Massé was already a known fantasy target entering the year, but he has taken another meaningful step forward. His shot remains his calling card, heavy, accurate, and dangerous from multiple release points, but his overall game has rounded out considerably. He is attacking the interior more frequently, winning net-front battles, and using improved strength to hold possession against larger defenders. His north-south efficiency has tightened, and he is supporting plays earlier rather than hovering high for transition looks.
Now up to 1.5 points per game, Massé has emerged as one of the league’s most consistent finishers, and it has been especially encouraging to see the production spike after missing time last season due to injury. His Fantasy Hockey Life skater card also highlights strong transition play, loose puck recoveries, and net expected goal numbers, reinforcing that his improved output is backed by process rather than just finishing. Taken together, Massé projects as a future middle-six scorer with strong multi-category fantasy value, particularly in goal-weighted formats.
Murtyn has quickly made a name for himself as one of the more aggressive forecheckers and momentum drivers in the QMJHL, making for a smooth and encouraging transition from the USHL. His north-south game is relentless, creating chaos through pressure, retrievals, and strong second-effort plays, while his offensive breakout to 1.1 points per game is supported by improved puck skill and a better finishing touch, particularly around the crease. His hands have begun to catch up to his motor, allowing him to make plays in tight and help sustain zone time.
Defensively, Murtyn is also trending upward, showing more consistent tracking routes and improved stick discipline. While Hockey Prospecting still assigns him a 3 percent chance of becoming a star, continued development could push his overall NHLer probability beyond the current 33 percent range. At a minimum, he profiles as a potential bottom-six NHL winger with clear banger-league fantasy relevance, but the offensive growth suggests there may be more ceiling here than originally expected.
Desnoyers entered the season with significant expectations as a top-five pick, and he has largely delivered. His all-situations usage speaks volumes, he is trusted on both special teams, deployed late in close games, and regularly matched against opposing top lines. Improvements in his skating mechanics, particularly his first-step explosiveness, have made him more dangerous in transition and more effective at generating controlled entries and east-west plays.
After returning from a wrist injury early in the season, Desnoyers needed some time to regain his rhythm with the Moncton Wildcats, but he has since found his game and is trending toward another strong campaign. His limited role at the U20 World Juniors should not be held against him, as he was used primarily in a depth capacity. Producing at roughly a point-per-game pace, he has been efficient while still showing room for growth.
While his pNHLe has dipped slightly, the long-term projection remains highly appealing. Desnoyers shows the foundation of a future NHL center with legitimate top-six upside, offering a scoring ceiling comparable to Trevor Zegras, but with far more value in peripheral categories like shots, hits, and blocks. For dynasty managers, patience remains key, and if any have cooled on him, this is a profile worth targeting.
The QMJHL does not consistently produce star-level prospects at the same rate as the WHL or OHL, but it still offers meaningful fantasy relevance. This season has surfaced several intriguing names worth tracking closely. Nobert and Carbonneau are emerging as legitimate offensive drivers, Massé is flashing his scoring touch again, and players like Huang and Murtyn are building well-rounded profiles that translate cleanly to professional hockey. Some managers may have cooled on Desnoyers, creating a potential buy-low window. For dynasty managers, success often comes from identifying sustainable growth before it becomes consensus, and this year’s Q class provides several opportunities to do just that.
Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more fantasy hockey analysis, or if there’s a prospect, topic, or theme you’d like me to cover, follow and message me on X: https://x.com/VictorNuno12
