Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - In the days leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, WGR will provide profiles on some players that could be available for the Sabres with the 27th overall pick in the first round.
Maddox Dagenais climbed the ranks throughout the season in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) thanks to a strong year with the Quebec Remparts. So much so that he could potentially find himself coming off the board in the later portion of the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
After producing just 26 points (12+14) in 43 games with the Remparts in his first QMJHL season, Dagenais became a top-six presence in his second season in Quebec, producing at a point per-game rate with 62 points (30+32) in 62 games played. He also managed to score three more goals and add another three assists for six points in 11 playoff games in his draft year.
Dagenais is certainly not afraid to throw pucks on goal, finishing fourth in the QMJHL this season with 273 shots on goal. While not every shot may have been a quality one, he does possess a strong, quick release off the stick that helped him produce his 30 goals.
At 6-foot-4 and 193 pounds, Dagenais has good strength to his frame to get into his shots and power pucks to the net. He is also quite strong on the puck, controlling and protecting it well with that strength and good positioning. He can also utilize that strong frame to win battles along the boards and in front of the net for positioning.
Dagenais is also deceptive with the puck on his stick, as he can leave defenders second guessing whether or not he's going to fire a puck to the goal, or suddenly feed it off to his linemate with nice touch to create a scoring chance.
While Dagenais is listed by many as a center, he did play most of the season on the right wing. However, Dagenais did win a good amount of faceoffs he did take (51.3%), showcasing his ability to play either down the middle or shifting to the wing, if necessary.
Defensively, Dagenais is quite good with his stick on the forecheck, utilizing his long reach to create nightmares for opposing players trying to carry the puck up ice, or set things up on the offensive zone.
Where Dagenais will need to sharpen his game is his speed and footwork. While he does display some good burst and acceleration, especially when transitioning into the offensive zone, Dagenais doesn't flash all that well with his North-to-South speed to get up-and-down the ice, and doesn't keep his feet engaged and moving enough to really help him be an even more dangerous offensive threat. He does have moments where he can turn on the jets and take pucks hard to the net, which if he did that more often, it may have shot him up the draft rankings even higher.
The good news is with the way Dagenais blossomed in his draft year, it shows there is still plenty of room for growth in his overall game. Some improvements to his footwork and skating will do him plenty good, and if he can clean up and round out his two-way game, it'll make him a nice depth addition to any lineup at the top level.
It'll be interesting to see what development path Dagenais takes following his draft year, whether he stays at the junior level and tries to dominate, or makes the jump to the collegiate level and builds on his strong profile.
