High-Scoring College Winger Accepts Invite To Montreal Canadiens Development Camp

An undersized free-agent winger from the University of Maine will attend Montreal Canadiens development camp this summer. New Brunswick native Josh Nadeau spent two seasons in the BCHL after starring with the Edmundston Blizzard in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. Nadeau had 31 points in 15 games with Edmundston, then went to Penticton in the BCHL and recorded 182 points in 108 games. The winger went undrafted due to his small stature, but he has proven an ability to put up points at an elite level wherever he plays. Nadeau had 45 points in 37 games in his freshman season at Maine.

Nadeau comes from a hockey family, as his 50-year-old father has been playing in the New Brunswick Senior A Hockey League since 1992-93. The eldest Nadeau doesn't suit up as often anymore, but still played four games this past season. John has 227 games played in the league, with 908 points, as he was a star in his younger years. If Josh eventually signs with the Canadiens, he won't be the first Nadeau son to be an NHL player. Josh's brother Bradly is currently with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Bradly played with Josh in Penticton from 2021 to 2023. He contributed fewer points than Josh, recording just 159 points in 103 games. The Nadeaus also played together this past season with Maine, as Bradly had 46 points in 37 games. Bradly offers some more size than his older brother, but the offensive upside for both players is clear. Bradly opted to forego the rest of his college eligibility and sign with the Hurricanes after Maine's season ended.

Neutral Zone scout Craig Eagles had this to say about Josh Nadeau when he began playing Junior A a couple seasons ago.

There may be some trepidations in Josh's size, as it's unclear if the Canadiens can afford to use another roster spot on an undersized forward when they already employ players like Cole Caufield, Alex Newhook, and Nick Suzuki. The emphasis for the Canadiens in finding an offensive player is to get bigger, like their selection of Juraj Slafkovsky and their alleged interest in Cayden Lindstrom at the NHL draft. However, Nadeau's scoring upside is clear and it's worth giving him a chance in development camp to see if there could be a longterm fit with the organization. Nadeau has aligned with his brother for the last three seasons, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had some interest in turning professional like Bradly.