Justin Carbonneau – 2025 NHL Entry Draft Prospect Profile – The Hockey Writers – NHL Prospects

Justin Carbonneau

2024-25 Team: Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League)
Date of Birth: Nov. 25, 2006
Place of Birth: Lévis, QC, CAN
Ht: 6-foot-1 Wt: 192 pounds
Shoots: R
Position: RW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2025 first-year eligible

Rankings

A player who can do anything on the ice, Justin Carbonneau is a force on the ice in any zone. His game begins with his explosive skill set and speed. In the defensive zone, he constantly scans the zone to pick up an opponent and support his defensemen from his center position. While he shows signs of being a solid defensive presence, this is one area of his game that could use further development and improvement, as he occasionally struggles with coverage and positioning. Once he gets the puck on his stick, that scanning of the ice continues. He is either looking for a passing lane to a teammate or open ice to get moving up the ice with his speed and stick handling. 

His game excels in transition thanks to his speed and vision. He uses his shiftiness to work through the neutral zone and gain steam to get set up in the offensive game. He also shows some power forward elements in his game, having the capability of protecting the puck well and working himself into high-danger areas. Carbonneau has the skill to be a shooting threat or a setup guy. When given the time and space to get a shot off, he has the ability to shoot from any position and spot in the offensive zone, thanks to a great release with his shot. But when he does not have a shooting lane himself, he is constantly looking for a spot to make a play and pass to a teammate.

Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide

His passing ability is strong, and he has all the makings of being an offensive force at the next level. The biggest downfall to his offensive game seems to be that even though he plays with good pace and has the speed to make great plays, he tends to play too quickly and tries to do too much himself from time to time. Improvements in this aspect of his game will come from maturation and slowing down his game. 

Carbonneau’s game and skill make him a threat to play in any situation, whether it’s special teams, a checking role, goal scoring, or a playmaker. He is certainly a player that an NHL organization would love to have in their system, and he should be a top-20 pick in June’s draft. 

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