Prospect Update: Alexis Mathieu

By Thomas Harrington

The Anaheim Ducks drafted defenseman Alexis Mathieu in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, 136th overall. He played for both the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Newfoundland Regiment in the QMJHL this past season.

Mathieu started the season in Baie-Comeau. There he played in 31 games and scored four goals and seven points. He was traded at the end of December to Newfoundland. With his new team he played in 30 games to end the season and scored three goals and seven points. The Regiment made the postseason, and advanced to the second round, losing in six games to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Mathieu played in all 12 postseason games, recording one assist.

Mathieu isn’t known for his offensive production. Instead, he’s much more known for his physical, even violent, play on the ice. However, he’s more than just a physical player. He’s also a good skater with a strong defensive game. He’ll never run a powerplay at the NHL level, but could become a solid penalty killer someday.

Mathieu will be back in the QMJHL playing for Newfoundland this coming season. I have a few expectations for him in his first full season with the Regiment. First, for him to play in a majority of the team’s games. Second, for him to add a little more offense to his overall game. Third, for him to reduce his penalty minutes. He’s recorded over 80 penalty minutes each of the past two seasons, and I’d like to see him bring that number down to 50 or lower.

Mathieu is several years away from the NHL. He’s got at least another year of juniors ahead of him. Once it’s over, the decision becomes does he turn pro, play an overage season in the QMJHL, or maybe go the NCAA route. Even if he turns pro, he’s going to probably play in both the ECHL and AHL in his first season. Mathieu will need to establish himself as a legitimate AHL defenseman before gets a chance at the NHL, and that will probably take at least a couple of years. So the earliest we might see him in Anaheim is the 2029-2030 season, but likely later than that.

Mathieu is currently unsigned, and Anaheim controls his rights until June 2027. If he has a very good season in Newfoundland, the Ducks will likely sign him to his entry-level deal. If they want to see more out of him, they could instead have him head to the NCAA, which would extend his signing window by a couple of years.

Next up will be a prospect profile on the recently acquired Cruz Lucius.

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Prospect Update: Konnor Smith

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September 1st, 2026