Alexandre MalletDOB: May 22, 1992NHL Rights: N/ADrafted: UndraftedHeight: 6’1″ Weight: 195 lbsPosition: CentreCurrent Team: Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)
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Mallet really came out of nowhere this season for the Rimouski Oceanic, scoring 34 goals and adding 47 assists for 81 points in 68 games. The gritty pivot also added an impressive 123 penalty minutes while posting a very good +27 plus/minus differential. That’s a 62-point increase over the 2010-11 season during which he only potted 10 goals and added 9 assists for 19 points in 60 games with the Oceanic. The native of Amqui, Quebec had never recorded more than 19 points during his first four seasons in the QMJHL. A late bloomer, as shown by his unexpected offensive production, Mallet has good hands and great vision on the ice, and he can play the game any way you want. A tough and gritty forward, Mallet can really fight and play a sound two-way game.
Alexandre Mallet came out of nowhere this season, scoring 81 points
After being drafted 21st overall in 2008 by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL Entry Draft, Mallet was acquired by the Oceanic in a blockbuster deal that sent forwards Patrice Cormier and Jordan Caron from Rimouski to Rouyn-Noranda in exchange for Mallet, Michaël Beaudry, as well as first round picks in 2010 and 2012, and a second round pick in 2012.
Currently playing on a line with Alex Belzile and Peter Trainor, Mallet has 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points in 10 playoff game with Rimouski this season. Similar to Yanni Gourde with the Victoriaville Tigres, Mallet never had the chance to crack the Oceanic’s top six until last September, which is one of the main reasons why he never produced offensively before this campaign. A typical power-forward, Mallet is strong with the puck and doesn’t shy away from a good tussle as shown below. He is also very adept at screening goalies, especially on the power play, and he’s fairly efficient at it, modelling his play on Tomas Holmstrom of the Detroit Red Wings.
Mallet is not simply a fighter that picks up garbage goals around the net, he can also score beauties thanks to a booming slap shot and soft hands, and his goals often come in bunches; he scored an impressive five goals against Chicoutimi on March 16, 2012, a feat that NHL All-Stars and former Rimouski Oceanic players such as Sidney Crosby, Brad Richards and Vincent Lecavalier never even accomplished during their stellar junior careers. Mallet will certainly receive several offers from professional teams and it would not be surprising to see him play in the AHL as soon as next season as he is physically mature and ready to play against bigger men. He was even invited to the St. Louis Blues training camp in September 2010.
Tonight, he may be playing his last game in the uniform of the Oceanic when his team faces the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada for game #7 of their second-round playoff series. The game will even be broadcasted on TVA Sports, a sports channel that is owned by Quebecor Media.
Alex Mallet is eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, and while he will not be drafted in the first few rounds because of his age (he will turn 20 in May), he has certainly garnered attention from NHL scouts and could be an interesting option in the middle rounds for teams looking for a player ready to make an immediate impact at the pro level (most likely the AHL).
It’s safe to say that if the Oceanic can win tonight and manage to find their way to the 2012 Memorial Cup that will be played in Shawinigan, Quebec later this spring, Mallet will certainly have all the chances to shine and improve his odds at getting drafted earlier or, at the very least, he will earn a professional try-out with an NHL team before the 2012-13 season.
Mallet is represented by the controversial and voluble player agent Allan Walsh, which you can follow on Twitter.
NHL Potential: 3rd line two-way player
NHL Comparable: Steve Downie
NHL ETA: 2014
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A long-time Joe Sakic fan, Fred, 35, is a freelance sports writer and translator. Fred earned a Bachelor of Translation in 2002 at Laval University in Quebec City. He also writes on the Montreal Canadiens for HabsAddict.com and he is an associate editor and a baseball columnist on Dobberbaseball.com. He is also fluent in English, French and Spanish.
