Nashville Predators Potential 2024 Draft Pick Profiles: Sacha Boisvert
We are less than a month out from the NHL draft. With the 22nd pick in the 1st round, the Nashville Predators aren't the buzz of the war room right now, but this draft has depth at many positions and you should expect that they walk out of night one of the drafts with a high-quality prospect.
We assume that the Predators will stay where they are in the draft. The 22nd pick right now could be an asset that allows the Predators to make a deal, hopefully for a big time talent. However, if the Predators decided to make the pick, they have some pretty good options. One is Sacha Boisvert.
Who is Sacha Boisvert?
He's a 6'2" , 180-pound forward bound for the University of North Dakota in the fall. He's spent the last two seasons with Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL. The USHL is one of the best junior leagues in the world and it is getting closer and closer to being on par with the major junior leagues (OHL, QMJHL, WHL) in Canada. Boisvert is from Trois Rivieres, Quebec, Canada. He's currently ranked #16 overall for North American skaters by Central Scouting, and #22 in Bob MacKenzie's
He's spent two seasons in the league, with his most recent season being his most impressive to date. After an opening salvo as a 16-year-old where he scored 45 points, he followed it up with a sophomore campaign where he played 61 games, amassing 36 goals and 32 assists for 68 points. That put him 5th in the league in goals, and 11th overall in points. He also fought 6 times this year, 4 in the regular season and twice in playoffs.
The Predators as we've mentioned weren't the most effective when it came to fights, despite being amongst the most prolific. They finished the year with 33 (good for 2nd in the league) and will probably continue to be a tough team. A player like Boisvert who can mix toughness with his skill would help enhance that.
The NY Times put out an extensive scouting report on Boisvert courtesy of Scott Wheeler.
Scouts have also noted that Boisvert isn't a selfish fighter who puts his team at a loss. To quote his father, describing a conversation with a scout “The way I heard a scout talk to him about it, they still love that because he takes very few minor penalties, he’s still disciplined, but when it’s time to defend his teammate he’s there. That’s the way that leaders act in a team.”
As a player, Boisvert has also been compared to two longtime effective NHL centermen Anze Kopitar and Evgeni Malkin. Even if his talent doesn't match theirs in the long run, getting close still puts him squarely in the upper echelon of NHL players.
Jim McGroaty, the Lumberjacks general manager has been especially complementary of Boisvert ahead of the draft process. In addition to complimenting his maturity, he also remarked on Boisvert's work ethic. A prolific shooter, Boisvert will have to work on pushing himself to shoot more and take more opportunities. He has been criticized in the past for trying to pass or set up teammates when pressing the issue himself would be the best play.
In addition to that, Boisvert has pointed out where he believes he could improve. “I’m a two-way, skilled power forward who can shoot the puck. I need to work on my faceoffs. I want to be a center in the NHL, and that’s a big part of it. And then my first three steps when I skate, I’ve worked on a lot. And then just putting weight on in my body,”
If you want to see for yourself, check out this lengthly highlight.
Now, he might not end up being a center in the NHL, but with size, strength, and shooting ability, Sacha Boisvert will be on an NHL roster somewhere. He is an intriguing prospect who could fit in offensively with what the Predators like to do.