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‘He’s terrifying’: 2026 NHL Draft’s Maddox Dagenais is a goal-scoring wrecking ball

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis(sellishockey)
Apr 24, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 23, 2026, 16:17 EDT
‘He’s terrifying’: 2026 NHL Draft’s Maddox Dagenais is a goal-scoring wrecking ball
Credit: Steven Ellis

Reverse hits are kind of Maddox Dagenais’ thing.

He introduced himself to the IIHF U-18 Men’s World Championship in style on Wednesday, landing a huge blow midway through Canada’s opening game against Slovakia. It was as perfectly executed as you’ll find from a 17-year-old – and at the same time, not surprising if you’ve ever watched him play.

“It’s kind of his thing,” one scout said. “He’s terrifying.”

Dagenais is still chasing after his first at the U-18s, but he has been one of Canada’s better players. Besides the physicality, he also has 10 shots through two games to become one of Canada’s top shot-generators.

Dagenais’ blend of physicality and hockey sense has pushed him firmly into the first-round conversation for the 2026 NHL Draft. At 6-foot-4, he absolutely commands your attention physically. But he’s no slouch with the puck, either, scoring 30 goals and 62 points during the QMJHL regular season with the Quebec Remparts this year.

Scouts love guys who come from a hockey pedigree. His father, Pierre, played five seasons in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils. Interestingly enough, the Devils drafted him not once but twice – in 1996 and 1998. He was a big dude himself, standing at 6-foot-4 and north of 200 pounds. But Maddox is a bit more skilled and definitely has the power to launch opponents into orbit. Pierre was more of a bottom-six forward who could chip in 20 points in a year. Maddox, though, has legit top-six potential.

After he was Taken first overall by the Remparts in 2024, expectations were high for Dagenais. He was one of the most dominant players in U-16 AAA hockey in his draft year, and while he only had 26 points as a rookie, you could still see the raw potential. Dagenais also took home silver at the U-17 World Challenge.

Surprisingly, Dagenais was among the final cuts ahead of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August despite many scouts expecting him to play a significant bottom-six role. But Dagenais used that disappointment to his advantage. Quebec was more of a midpack team, but Dagenais quickly found himself challenging for the scoring lead alongside Philadelphia Flyers prospect Nathan Quinn. The multi-point efforts quickly started adding up, and Dagenais was suddenly looking like one of the most rounded offensive threats in the QMJHL.

“He clearly had something to prove,” one scout said. “It was like that Hlinka cut motivated him.”

From early February to mid-March, Dagenais was one of the most productive forwards in the draft class. He had 22 points during a 16-game stretch, which helped him boost his draft profile. Dagenais also hit just about everyone in sight, as is his mantra.

A lot of Dagenais’ power-forward tendencies come from his bigger frame. But he’s far more than that. He’s a quick skater who battles so hard to win every individual puck battle. He’s like an 18-wheeler coming at you on the highway, going into every corner like he doesn’t care if he comes out alive.

Dagenais won’t give Connor McDavid a run for his money, speed-wise, but Dagenais is definitely above average for a 6-foot-4 mammoth. Dagenais also loves to keep the puck on his stick. Thanks to his pure muscle, Dagenais is a possession machine, rarely giving the puck up on the rush. Dagenais has a good shot release but tends to choose less-than-ideal locations to fire it off. At times, he’s able to dominate the puck better than most other big forwards in this draft class.

One of the biggest cliches in hockey is that you can’t teach size. And we know teams love guys with NHL bloodlines. Dagenais has both of those in spades. The biggest knocks against him are his shot selection and lack of high-end skill. The former is something NHL coaches will work with him on. The latter is fine, as long as he gets himself into scoring areas and can convert on passes. There’s plenty of runway for Dagenais to develop the skills needed to become more dangerous in tight, 1-on-1 situations.

So, that’s a solid foundation to build upon. There’s still room for Dagenais to dominate in the Q, especially as he continues to grow his two-way game. But the amount of progression over the past year is impressive, and it definitely excites scouts to make him a first-round pick this June.

Oh, and keep your head up when he’s on the ice.

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