NHL Prospects: For Jordan Dumais, the battle isn’t over

MONTREAL – Jordan Dumais has heard this comment or been asked the question so many times that he has lost his innocence on the subject.

After being selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets, at the end of a sober press scrum held under the stands at the Bell Center, the young West Island native was asked if he believed there were prejudices against modest players one day. Size fades and teams stop letting this factor influence their decisions.

“Honestly I don’t think so,” Dumais snapped. Every year people expect more and more undersized players to make it to the NHL and get banned in the draft. But at the team table where the scouts sat, it was something they would never forget. Small players always leave with two strikes against them. »

Here, in a few lines, is the reality of Dumais: He dominated all players his age last season in the QMJHL, racking up a whopping 109 points in just 68 games. But given his stature (5 feet 8 inches, 165 pounds), the love he received didn’t match his output. The most often cited example is his evaluation by National League Central Scouting, which rated him no higher than a 72.^e Ranked on his list of top North American prospects.

Stephane LeBlanc, who exclusively has the mandate to inspect the territory of the QMJHL on behalf of the Blue Jackets, did not let the potential obstacles affect him and, at the end of the third round, managed to convince his officials. Dumais’ symptoms are numerous.

“It’s time. I think…