We are very, very early in thinking about the 2027 NHL draft, but if Canada's summer U-17 camp is any indicator, center Alexis Joseph is gonna be a problem for opponents from here on out.
Simply put, he's the kid that everyone has been talking about: scouts, agents and Hockey Canada folks have all been raving about him.
The first overall pick in the QMJHL draft this year, Joseph is gearing up to play for the Saint John Sea Dogs, where the youngster has the chance to put his name on the map like franchise alums such as Jonathan Huberdeau and Thomas Chabot.
Currently dominating at Canada's camp in Oakville, Ont., Joseph is looking forward to getting to Saint John, where his only experience to date was at development camp.
"I was just there for three days, but it's a great city," he said. "I want to learn more about the city, and I will in the next few months and years."
You don't need to be a high-level scout to see why Joseph has serious NHL potential in the future. The teen is already 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, and along with some nice offensive vision, he can also move. Funny enough, power and speed are areas he still wants to improve in.
"I've worked on it this summer and last summer, and I'll continue to work on it," Joseph said. "It's a bit of weakness, my feet. I'm a big guy, and I'm young, so sometimes I'm not that fast. My power and speed is something I try to work on all year long."
You could have fooled me. Joseph's powerful game seems pretty advanced, and while he might not think he's fast, his size means he gets places just as quickly as smaller players – two of his strides can equal three of someone else's, after all. His power game looks great and is reminiscent of a certain NHL superstar that the teen already looks up to.
"The one guy I focus on is Nathan MacKinnon," Joseph said. "He's pretty good offensively, he's won a Stanley Cup and he's good defensively. He's hard to play against, and I try to be like him."
Growing up in the suburbs of Montreal, Joseph played multiple sports, from mountain biking and dek hockey to soccer. Eventually, he had to make a choice.
"I was more of a soccer player growing up, but I had to forget soccer and focus on hockey," he said. "I was a defensive guy, like Sergio Ramos when he was with Real Madrid – but smaller."
Joseph is now pretty big, and at 16, there's a chance he could continue to grow. Based on the early returns at Canada's camp, the newest Sea Dog will be one to watch in the 'Q' this fall and when the World Under-17 Challenge kicks off on Halloween in Nova Scotia.
And while defenseman Landon DuPont is the top prospect for the 2027 NHL draft right now, don't sleep on Joseph: if he continues to develop into an elite talent, he'll be precisely the kind of big No. 1 center that tends to go very high on draft day.
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