Gabriel Gagne

History

2011-12: Gabriel Gagne played three games for the Saint-Eustache Vikings in Quebec midget AAA hockey, spending most of the season with the Nord Selects Espoir AA team. He had no points nor penalties in his brief stint with the Vikings. Gagne was selected by Moncton in the second round (26th overall) in the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft.  

2012-13: Gagne made his QMJHL debut late in the season after being acquired by Victoriaville from Moncton as part of the package for Blackhawks’ prospect Phillip Danault in January 2013; spending most of the season with Saint-Eustache in the Quebec midget AAA league. He had three shots on goal but no points nor penalties in a March game against Quebec in the regular season for the Tigres and played briefly in one playoff game against Baie-Comeau. Gagne played 41 regular season games and 4 playoff contests for Saint-Eustache, scoring 16 goals with 13 assists and 42 penalty minutes. The Vikings lost to Trois-Rivieres in a preliminary round series.   

2013-14: Gagne was the third-leading scorer for Victoriaville as a rookie. In 67 regular season games he scored 16 goals with 21 assists and was +12 with 14 penalty minutes. The Tigres finished fourth in the East Division, falling to Drummondville in a first-round series. Gagne had 2 assists and was +3 with 4 penalty minutes in five playoff games. 

2014-15: Gagne scored 35 goals in the regular season in his second season with Victoriaville, three behind team-leader Angelo Miceli. He was +2 with 24 assists and 39 penalty minutes, skating in 67 of 68 regular season games. The Tigres reached the playoffs despite finishing last in the East Division, before being swept by Memorial Cup-bound Rimouski in a first-round series. Gagne scored 2 goals with 1 assist and was -3 with 4 penalty minutes in four playoff games. He was ranked 36th amongst North American skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings and was selected by Ottawa in the second round (36th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft. 

Talent Analysis

Gabriel Gagne is an offensive specialist who has yet to learn how to use his 6-foot-5 frame to his advantage. He has a great wrist shot and deceptively soft hands for a big man, but his lack of strength makes him a long-term project. He is an inconsistent fore-checker, and despite being a good skater, needs to improve his acceleration and top-speed. If he can put the work in and gain strength, passion and a mean streak, he could be a top-line right winger in the NHL.

Future

Gagne will spend the 2015-16 season with the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres. The Senators have a good stock of prospects who are more NHL-ready than Gagne, so he will likely play out his major junior eligibility before he graduates to Binghamton in 2017.