2023 NHL Draft: Getting to know Quentin Musty

When the San Jose Sharks selected Will Smith 4th overall in the NHL Draft, many fans were excited. San Jose’s 26th pick in the draft, Quentin Musty, appeared to be an afterthought. However, Sharks fans would be remiss if they fail to recognize what Musty can bring to a rebuilding team like San Jose, especially after the young forward’s performance during the prospect scrimmage on July 6.

Musty slipped down the draft rankings in recent months, which is probably why the forward fell to the Sharks. Musty’s drop in the standings is partly because he did not take as big a step forward this past year as some of the players drafted ahead of him. Some of this might have to do with Musty’s age. Musty is younger than all of the players drafted ahead of him except for Connor Bedard. Musty turned 18 on July 6.

Position: Left Wing
Age: 18
Date of Birth: July 6, 2005
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 190 lbs.
Shoots: Left
Sudbury Wolves: 53 games, 78 points (26 G, 52 A)
Sudbury Wolves Playoffs: 4 games, 4 points (1 G, 3 A)
2023-24 team: Sudbury Wolves

Musty had some impressive stats during his time with the Wolves last season. He played just 53 games but worked at a 1.47 points per game pace. Only three of his 26 goals were on the power play. Musty also had an 18-game point streak that ran from Oct. 29, 2022 through Dec. 28, 2022. During that time, Musty registered 35 points (7 G, 28 A).

What do the scouts say about Musty’s game?

Many scouts like the fact that Musty plays a north-south game. This works well with how the winger uses his big body to knock people off the puck and get to those hard areas on the ice. Bryan Murphy of the Sporting News likes how Musty throws his weight around.

“The winger plays hard, as he’s not afraid to throw the body around on the forecheck and muck it up in front of the net,” wrote Murphy. “But he also can beat defenders one-on-one with skill. I thought Musty was going to shoot up draft boards at the beginning of the year, but he didn’t quite explode in his draft year as expected.”

The evaluators at Elite Prospects are also impressed with how Musty uses his 6-foot-2 frame.

“He brings a little bit of everything to the table and does so in a projectable, imposing 6-foot- 2 frame. Better still, he’s not shy about leveraging every part of it to dispossess opponents of the puck, wreak havoc along the boards and at the net-front, and to barrel down the wing off the rush,” wrote Elite Prospects about Musty. “His vision is top-notch, and he’s equipped with the cunning and passing skill necessary to connect with layered feeds around skates and sticks.”

His ability to distribute the puck was apparent in December 2022 when the Sudbury Wolves played the Niagara Ice Dogs. Musty had a seven-point game against the Ice Dogs, registering a goal and six assists. In several instances, Musty identified a teammate across the ice and threaded a pass through the defense for the goal.

Other scouts, like Ben Kerr at Last Word on Sports say that Musty’s big body, combined with an elite shot and deceptive release will make Musty a steal at 26. Musty’s vision on the ice helps him find the soft areas. Then he uses his quick release to find the back of the net, whether with a slapshot, snap shot or one-timer.

And if you need any more convincing, consider Musty’s pedigree. The young forward was selected first overall in the 2021 OHL draft. Other top picks in the OHL draft include Eric Lindros, Jason Spezza, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos and Connor McDavid.

While Musty is offensively gifted, there are holes in his game. Many scouts have questioned what the forward does without the puck, dubbing him defensively unreliable. However, that may be fixed with better coaching. As Brock Otten of McKeen’s Hockey pointed out in February of this year, there was a huge shift in Musty’s play away from the puck when the Wolves underwent a coaching change.

“When talking about Musty, it is important to note a drastic shift in his play following a coaching change in Sudbury. The Wolves made the switch to former NHL’er Derek MacKenzie in mid-November, and this has had a profoundly positive impact on the play of Musty and the rest of his teammates,” wrote Otten. “Prior to that (under Craig Duncanson), Musty’s off puck engagement level was a major concern and his production was very inconsistent. Since (under MacKenzie), Musty has been using his size to play between the hash marks more consistently, has been more physically assertive in puck pursuit, and has been way more productive offensively.”

Quentin Musty comparable

Musty likes to compare himself to Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche. He’s just as happy distributing the puck as he is scoring a goal.

“I like a good assist more than I like scoring a goal,” Musty told Ryan Dittrick of Flames News. “My vision, my playmaking and hockey sense are my biggest attributes. A lot like Rantanen.

“[Rantanen] has a ton of skill. He’s a big guy like I am, but his game has a good mix of everything. He knows when to use his size to win puck battles, but he obviously has a huge amount of skill, too, so he can clearly attack in multiple ways,” Musty continued. “That’s been my goal of mine – to be that versatile and impact games the way he does.”

What’s next for Musty?

Musty played in the Sharks’ prospects scrimmage on July 6, where he scored the first goal of the game on a breakaway.

Nothing better than a birthday goal 🎉#SJSharks | Quentin Musty pic.twitter.com/n1wG5oYI2z

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) July 7, 2023

In the second half of the game, Musty snapped in another goal. Musty was hooked. In the prospects scrimmage, instead of giving teams a power play, a player was given a breakaway with everyone else pursuing. Musty shot it off the post and in.

Quentin Musty with his 2nd of the night. This time off a penalty. pic.twitter.com/w1Z6fqzAXr

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) July 7, 2023

Musty was also great at the end of the game shootout, making a beautiful move to beat Grigory Romanov.

Up next, Musty will head to Team USA’s camp to see if he makes it on the World Junior Championship team. Musty played for Team USA in the Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament where he scored five points in four games.

Whether Musty plays internationally or not, he’ll eventually return to the Sudbury Wolves for another season. Musty’s still young, so playing in the OHL is a good plan for him.

Ultimately, Musty is projected to be a power forward with top six potential. While scouts say that he is inconsistent defensively, the same could be said of Will Smith. When asked about Smith’s lack of defense, Sharks’ General Manager Mike Grier indicated that it’s difficult for a player to work on his defensive game if he always has the puck. The same could be said for Musty, who often has the puck on his stick or has passed it off to one of his teammates.