There’s a crafty, draft-eligible, 40-goal scorer in the QMJHL that has seemingly flown under the radar.

His name is Phillipe Veilleux, and he’s someone the Calgary Flames should have circled and highlighted on their draft board given their needs.

Veilleux is one of the most intriguing players in the 2025 NHL Draft class. While playing for the Val d’Or Foreurs, he finished his draft year with the third most points in all of the QMJHL, a major developmental league, yet he’s projected by draft pundits to be taken in the third or fourth round.

This tricky prospect has been ranked as high as 45th by TSN’s Craig Button and as low as 86th by The Hockey Writers’ Peter Barracchini

Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala ranked Veilleux as the 56th best draft prospect in his March list and gave a short note on his game.

Veilleux’s tape shows that he possesses good offensive awareness and the ability to drift into open ice and finish with a strong one-timer. Even if his shot lacks velocity, he has a quick release capable of fooling goaltenders. He also has good puck-handling and playmaking ability in addition to his scoring touch. Although the Quebec native doesn’t provide any physical presence, he has shown an ability to evade contact with ease.

Veilleux had a standout season offensively in 2024-25, potting 40 goals to go along with 47 assists for 87 points in 64 games, the kind of numbers that are generally attributed to a first-round talent.

It’s no mystery why the left winger’s draft stock hasn’t soared, he’s listed at 5’9″, 165 pounds and is not very impactful defensively. That said, his offensive production is undeniable, he garnered more goals and points than Caleb Desnoyers who played in the same league and is ranked seventh by central scouting amongst North American skaters.

Veilleux was a late bloomer in this year’s draft rankings, he came in at 172 in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings for North American skaters, but by season’s end, he’d jumped 81 spots to number 91. It seems that even scouts don’t know where he fits into this year’s draft landscape, the only certain thing is he will be an incredible value on the offensive side of the puck if he slips out of the first three rounds in June, as he’s forecasted to.

Adding to the perplexity of this particular prospect is the strength of the field in which he’s coming from. This is one of the stronger QMJHL draft classes in recent memory, and there’s no question it’s played a factor in Veilleux being swept under the rug and becoming a hidden gem of sorts.

His deficiencies physically and in turn defensively are somewhat glaring, and that is sure to scare teams off. Still, if he’s available anywhere after round three, the Flames should seriously consider him, given their need for offence at the pro level and all the way down to the prospect pool.

The fit is pretty straightforward with this player, Calgary needs more goal scorers in their lineup. Although Veilleux is years away from cracking an NHL roster he would be a great addition to this system, especially at a bargain price of a middle-round pick.

Veilleux has a chance to become a reliable middle-six scoring winger and potentially a power-play specialist. Even if he can only provide depth scoring down the line, that’s an asset the Flames will covet considering their offensive woes in recent seasons.