Max Plante
2023-24 Team: US National Team Development Program (USNTDP) Juniors / USHL
Date of Birth: Feb 20, 2006
Place of Birth: Hermantown, MN, USA
Ht: 5-feet-10 Wt: 170 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2024 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 43rd (among NA skaters)
- Future Considerations: 74th
- Peter Baracchini’s March Rankings: 87th
- Logan Horn’s April Rankings: 81st
- Andrew Forbes’ Top 100 May Rankings: 84th
- TSN (Craig Button): 35th
- Bob McKenzie’s Rankings: Honorable Mention
- Dobber Prospects April Rankings: 75th
When discussing Max Plante ahead of the 2024 NHL, you may often see him described as a true “Boom or Bust” prospect. At his best, he is an electric playmaker who can elevate the play of his teammates while chipping in a point per game regardless of the talent level he’s facing on the ice. For example, he posted 11 points in just seven games played at the 2024 U18 World Juniors Championships where he helped Team USA take home the Silver Medal. So, to put it mildly, he has elite offensive upside.
Despite this top-end talent, there is some concern about Plante’s ceiling in the NHL. He is considered slightly undersized by modern NHL standards, and his goalscoring totals are a bit lackluster compared to his playmaking abilities. Outside of this, he is still developing a full two-way game that would allow him to be more than just an offensive weapon. Realistically NHL general managers look for more than just scoring when they make top selections on draft night, so these caveats may hamper his selection.
Now it is important to remember that some of these are fixable traits, and undersized skilled forwards have their place in the league.
For the near future, Plante is committed to playing hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, which is one of the premier hockey colleges in the United States. For a player needing to round out his game before taking that next step into professional hockey, this really is a perfect fit, as he can play a few seasons of college hockey against strong talent to hopefully develop his skillset into an elite forward who can transition smoothly to the NHL.
Overall, Plante really is a perfect speculative prospect, as he has so much potential that can help define a team’s pathway moving forward should he develop his overall game.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Max Plante – NHL Draft Projection
Every draft, we look back at a player selected in the second and wonder how they could have still been on the board. Oftentimes this is just hindsight making the obvious answer apparent, but there is some truth to the idea that NHL general managers may overthink drafting the undersized but incredibly talented playmaker for a “safer” pick like a big defenseman who will need a lot of time to develop.
Plante feels like one of those players who’s going to fall on draft day, but be an impact player on the ice after a few seasons playing hockey in college. In many ways, being selected by a successful franchise might be the right fit for him, as he will be able to take his time developing without the worry of being rushed into a position that will limit what he does best before he is ready.
Given what we have seen from previous drafts, I expect Plante to be selected in the early to mid-second round, somewhere in the pick 40-50 range. However, I wouldn’t count him out of a surprise selection in the late first-round range, as he has enough talent to turn the heads of NHL general managers. Either way, we may look back on his selection as a steal of the 2024 Draft.
Quotables
“Speed and skill is the name of the game for Plante. A pace-pusher who seems to improve as he turns on the jets, Plante loves to connect with teammates in high-danger areas. His passing is a clear standout trait — both in terms of versatility and accuracy… Still, the dynamism in Plante’s game gives him a boom-or-bust element. Top six or nothing.” – Hadi Kalakeche, dobberprospects.com.
“Plante is one of the better playmakers in this class. He has skated alongside some of the USNTDP’s top talent and has excellent hand-eye coordination. Plante isn’t big, but he’s always looking to make a smart pass, and it pays off.” – Steven Ellis, dailyfaceoff.com.
“That being said, there are some question marks that he’ll need to address. Firstly, Plante doesn’t offer overwhelming size, nor is he an exceptional skater… As a result, there will naturally be questions over whether someone with his size/speed profile will be able to translate offensive production from lower levels to the pro game.” – Ethan Hetu, mckeenshockey.com
Strengths
- One of the best playmakers in the draft class
- Clean passer
- Great skater with quick acceleration
- High hockey IQ
- Sees the ice at an elite level to make the right decisions
Under Construction- Improvements to Make
- Two way game needs to develop
- Physical toolkit is limited
NHL Potential
In the perfect world, Plante is a top-six scoring winger in the NHL who plays 17 minutes each night with roughly 2 minutes of ice time on the powerplay. In a role like this, he could easily put up 60-plus points while sheltering some of his defensive struggles should that aspect of his game remain a sore spot.
Getting to that point in his development, however, will take time and patience from the NHL team that drafts him. This might mean that Plante will take on top minutes in the American Hockey League for a few years after finishing college, with the potential to be so much more. I love this kind of mystery bag prospect, because there’s a real opportunity for him to be a star should everything go right.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk- 5/5, Reward 5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense- 9/10, Defense 4/10