Jeremie Blain

History

2007-08: Chosen in the second round (27th overall) by the Victoriaville Tigres in the 2008 QMJHL Draft.

2008-09: In his QMJHL rookie season, Blain played for two clubs, the Victoriaville Tigres and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.  In 49 total games, he scored 1 goal and added 6 assists for 7 points.  In 5 playoff games for the Titan, Blain picked up 2 assists.

2009-10: It was a breakout year for Blain, who finished as the top-scoring defenseman for Acadie-Bathurst.  He scored  4 goals and added 34 assists for 38 points in 64 games.  He added 72 penatly minutes to his offensive totals.  In 5 playoff games, Blain scored 2 goals and chipped in 2 assists for 4 points.

2010-11: Blain suffered a broken foot early in the season, missing 28 games, but was a key part of the attack for Acadie-Bathurst upon his return. In his third season in the QMJHL, Blain led all Titan defensemen with 37 assists and was +17 with 2 goals and 48 PMs as the club finished second behind Memorial Cup champion Saint John in the Maritimes Division. In the four-game playoff series with Victoriaville he scored 2 goals with 2 assists and was -5 with 4 PMs.
 

Talent Analysis

Blain's calling cards are his physicality, his effort level, and a nice set of offensive tools. He has good size and uses it well, and is a leader on his junior team. There are areas to improve upon, mostly when it comes to mobility and defensive awareness and positioning, however he has a lot of nice tools to work with.

Future

Blain has much of the skill set of a tough, top four, offensive minded blueliner. He already delivers on both the power play and even strength from a scoring standpoint, is a willing combatant, and loves getting his nose dirty. If he's able to pick his skating and defensive play up by a couple notches, he could well be a quality 2nd pairing rearguard who can contribute with the man advantage. Failing that and he may not be more than a depth defenseman when all is said and done.