Samuel Poulin

2018-19 Team: Sherbrooke Phoenix (#29)
Date of Birth: February 25, 2001
Place of Birth: Laval, QC, CAN
Ht: 6’2” Wt: 206 lbs.
Position: LW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2019 first-year eligible

Rankings

Samuel Poulin, the son of former NHLer Patrick Poulin, was selected second overall in the 2017 QMJHL draft by the Sherbrooke Phoenix. He is playing his second season with the Phoenix finishing first overall in team scoring in the regular season with 29 goals and 47 assists for 76 points in 67 games, good for 20^th overall in the league. He led the team’s power play with eight goals and 13 assists.

Related: Our Free NHL Draft Guide

Poulin led the Phoenix to an unexpected playoff berth and a first-round 4-1 series victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The 2018-19 season ended for Poulin and his teammates on April 12 when they were defeated by the powerhouse Drummondville Voltigeurs in a five-game series 4-1. He finished with a team-leading eight goals and six assists in 10 playoff games.

Sherbrooke Phoenix’s Samuel Poulin. (Courtesy of Vincent Lévesque-Rousseau)

At 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds, Poulin is already pro size. His coach, Stephane Julien, is also impressed with his puck control, shot, and physical domination. Off the ice, he practices professional habits. “Sam, he’s a professional already. He works hard, eats well, and sleeps well,” said Julien (from ‘Beyond The Bloodlines’, – The Hockey News – 5/6/2019).

Other THW Draft Profiles:

Samuel Poulin – NHL Draft Projection

Poulin is projected to be a late first-round pick by NHL Draft ranking services. His size, combined with above average puck handling, shooting, and play-making skills makes him an attractive ‘power forward’ NHL prospect. He still needs some work on his foot speed, otherwise, he would be a top 10 pick. The intangible characteristic that scouts will need to consider is his leadership qualities; something that was clearly evident during both the regular season and the playoffs.

Quotables

“Samuel Poulin is a junior player in an adult body. He is physically strong, plays a mature game and has a good work ethic. He is a goal-scoring winger with an excellent shot. There are several aspects of Poulin’s game that stand out, namely his shot and ability to get open for clean looks at the net. He can finish in a variety of ways on both his forehand and backhand and his one-timer from the circles is devastatingly accurate — a shoot-first winger who knows how to find the back of the net. Sniping winger with a lethal shot, he is a high-volume shooter who does a lot of damage off the rush. Can score at will, but his playmaking is highly underrated.” – Benoit Belanger/mckeenshockey.com

“He has an NHL shot and quick hands,” Sherbrooke coach Stephane Julien said. “In junior, you bring the offense in front of the net and find free space. He’s able to do that with his power and his puck-protection skills; he is very strong physically. Now it’s a matter of finding momentum on offense. I think he can easily be an offensive player. It is simply a question of him finding his comfort zone so that he can establish himself as a player.” – Guillaume Lepage/NHL.com

“He is an excellent two-way, high hockey-sense player. I like his play-making abilities and his vision to find teammates in tight areas. One of the areas he needs to work on is his first three steps. Once he is moving, he is a very competitive individual. He knows he needs to get a little quicker out of the gate if he is going to play at the NHL level. He has been a dominant player for the Phoenix all season, and when they lost game one in the first round, he took it upon himself to carry the team on his back and led them to four straight wins. He has the passion and desire to be a good player and has the work ethic to work on improving the parts of his game that he needs to get to the next level.” – Senior QMJHL NHL Scout

Strengths

Size and Physical Play
Shooting and Puck Control
Offensive Skills

Under Constuction (Improvements to Make)

Foot Speed
Agility

NHL Potential

Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 1.5/5 | Reward – 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offence – 8.5/10 | Defence – 8/10

Awards/ Acheivements

In 2016-17, Poulin was voted the QMAAA’s Best Hockey Student and was a member of the League’s First All-Star Team. In 2018-19 he was a member of the World U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Gold Medal Team.

Samuel Poulin – 2019 NHL Draft Prospect Profile