Habs could shop locally in upcoming NHL draft

Kirkland native Louis Leblanc plans to study economics and continue his hockey development at Harvard University next fall. Before all that, though, he will take part in a rite of passage that many Canadian boys dream about; getting drafted by a National Hockey League team. In his case, it will be in his hometown with a throng of family and friends behind him as the Montreal Canadiens, eliminated in a four-game first-round playoff sweep by the Boston Bruins, host the entry draft at the Bell Centre in late June as part of their centennial celebrations.

The former Quebec Midget AAA League scoring sensation is ranked No. 13 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and should be a mid- to late first-round selection when European-based players are considered, E.J. McGuire, the NHL’s Director of Central Scouting, told The Chronicle last Wednesday while in Montreal for the Habs-Bruins playoff series. “It would be fun to see Montreal pick him since he’s from the area,” McGuire said of Leblanc, adding he’s not privy to the Canadiens’ plans.

As for the scouting report on Leblanc, McGuire likened the centre to Bruins’ star Marc Savard. “(Leblanc) is a very good skater who changes speed well. He sees the ice as well as Marc Savard. He probably skates better than Savard. He has that kind of potential.”

Although Leblanc, who stands six feet tall and weighs about 178 pounds, is not big by NHL standards, size is becoming less of a factor in today’s NHL, McGuire said. “He’s not huge but he’s big enough. He’s not saddled because of his size. The tables have turned 180 degrees. It’s the slow big defenceman that clutches and grabs (who is against the trend).”

Leblanc, 18, played for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) this past season, recording 59 points in 60 games. One of his teammates was Habs prospect Danny Kristo, a second-round pick in the 2008 NHL draft who registered 57 points in 50 games.

Leblanc said he grew up a “big Habs fan” and would be thrilled to be drafted by the Canadiens. “I don’t know what to expect,” Leblanc said, adding he moved up to 13 from 18 in the Central Scouting mid-term rankings. “I am looking forward to the draft. There’s lots of pressure but it’ll be fun.”

Leblanc, who graduated from Kuper Academy in Kirkland last year and took online courses while playing for the Lancers, said he decided on the USHL route this past season because he wanted to pursue university opportunities in the United States. He has committed to playing for Harvard next season but will consider going pro after that. “I want to play in the NHL as fast as I can,” he said, adding he wouldn’t be too upset to complete his four-year economics degree before going pro, either.

Leblanc said he wants to model himself after a “complete player” like Mike Richards, the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, who plays responsibly in the offensive, neutral and defensive zones. “I like to go hard every shift,” Leblanc said, adding he thinks his strengths as a player are his “skating, puck skills and work ethic.”

Lancers head coach Bliss Littler said he was impressed with Leblanc’s competitiveness level. “He competes hard all over then ice and he led us in scoring,” he said, adding Leblanc is a coach’s dream player. “As far I am concerned, he was zero maintenance: a high-end skilled player with a hard work ethic.”

Littler projects Leblanc will be a top six forward in the NHL one day. “I don’t know if he will be a tremendous goal scorer in the NHL or not, but there will definitely be a place for him,” he said. “For us, he played the power play, he was a penalty killer, blocked shots and took important faceoffs. “He’s not scared to get his nose dirty,” he added.

Leblanc’s former coach in the Quebec Midget AAA League also thinks he is a can’t-miss NHL prospect. “Louis is a mix of Darcy Tucker (of the Dallas Stars and a former Habs’ draft pick) and Tim Connolly (Buffalo Sabres); great grit and great speed,” said Lac St. Louis Lions head coach Danny Dupont, adding Leblanc compares well to Canadiens rookie Max Pacioretty, a late 2007 NHL draft first round pick. Leblanc scored 28 goals in the USHL this year while Pacioretty, an American, had 21 goals with Sioux City in the 2006-2007 USHL season. “He is the real thing,” Dupont concluded of Leblanc.