Bill Zonnon 2025 NHL Draft Profile

Zonnon is a left winger with impressive size, standing at 6’2″ with plenty of room to add to his 190-pound frame. He’s also played some centre in junior as well, and could be a Swiss army knife type player at the pro level, given his versatility.

He’s spent his junior career in the QMJHL, with three years in the league under his belt already. He also wore an A this past year for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. As an October 2006 birthday, he’s one of the oldest player in the draft.

Zonnon’s on-ice production

As a 2006 birthday, Zonnon already has three seasons of QMJHL action under his belt and has seen a steady increase in production every year. His D-2 season saw him post 16 goals in the QMJHL as a rookie, a number that ranked 11th in the QMJHL among rookies and fifth overall on his team.

The following year, in his D-1 year, Zonnon saw his production increase modestly to 18 goals and 58 points, despite being the youngest player on his team. His 40 assists were third on the roster. He ended the year fifth on a veteran-heavy Huskies team in points and followed it up with an impressive 10 points in 10 playoff games.

This past season, Zonnon finally took the big step forward many had hoped for, turning into an integral part of the Huskies’ roster. He finished the season with 28 goals and 83 points, good for second on his team in both goals and points behind only 20-year-old Antonin Verraeault. His 55 assists led the Huskies and were fifth across the entire QMJHL.

Across the QMJHL, Zonnon’s 83 points ranked fourth among U19 players, behind only projected top 10 pick Caleb Desnoyers, Justin Carbonneau, and Phillipe Veilleux. His 55 assists were tops among draft-eligible players. In the playoffs, Zonnon further increased his draft stock by leading his team in scoring with eight goals and 16 points in 13 games.

Ryabkin’s strengths

Playmaking

Zonnon is a real strong playmaker with the puck, evidenced by his draft-eligible best 55 assists in the QMJHL this past season. He’s a very creative player and is able to use his high-end vision to find open passing lanes that other players his age simply can’t. If you watch Zonnon play, there’s rarely a shift where he sends an errant pass, as he almost always puts it right on his teammates’ sticks. He’s great at moving the puck from the outside into the dangerous areas on the ice.

Compete level

Zonnon is like a dog after a bone, almost every shift, never giving up on a play and causing havoc for his opponents all over the ice. He’s an absolute menace on the forecheck, never giving his opponents an inch of space by using his size and active stick. He’s great at using his size and strength to compete down low and win puck battles. With so much emphasis on compete and playing a “playoff-type” game in the NHL recently, Zonnon exudes the compete level and determination that NHL coaches love.

Versatility

Zonnon can play on both the wing and at centre, offering the versatility that NHL coaches love to have in their arsenal. He can excel on your power play, penalty kill, and at even strength as a power forward winger or a responsible two-way centre.

Ryabkin’s areas of improvement

Offensive upside

The biggest question mark around Zonnon’s game is his overall offensive upside. While he isn’t an offensive black hole by any means, some scouts are worried his offensive abilities aren’t up to par for a first-round pick and may prevent him from becoming an impact player in the NHL. He has a good but not great shot, and isn’t very efficient with it either. His hands and overall stickhandling can also use some fine-tuning.

Skating

Another aspect of Zonnon’s game that could use some work is his skating. He isn’t the most efficient skater, but in the junior ranks, he is able to keep up due to his size. Before making the jump to the NHL, he’ll have to fine-tune his stride to get more out of skating. Once he’s at speed, he’s a force, but his acceleration could hold him back.

Zonnon’s comparables

A good current NHL comparable for Zonnon could be Adam Henrique. At his peak, Henrique was a dependable second-line centre who could play in all situations. Much like Zonnon, Henrique doesn’t have elite offensive upside, but can contribute in all facets of the game while still chipping in on offence. Zonnon is also a bit bigger than Henrique, meaning he could play more of a power forward role on top of being a dependable two-way player.

Fit with the Flames

Zonnon is a real interesting case. The Flames obviously need centres first over wingers, but his recent move to centre this past season could put him on the Flames’ radar if they believe that’s where he belongs long-term. The team currently has quite a few undersized forwards at the moment, and adding a player like Zonnon could be a good move to add some size to the organization’s cupboards. He’s likely too much of a reach at 18th overall, but if he were to be around with Florida’s pick, he could be a great option as a high-floor player who can play centre or the wing.

Summary

Zonnon has been one of the draft’s bigger risers this season, going from a project second-round pick to a likely day-one selection now. He offers an intriguing blend of size, compete level, and versatility that NHL coaches love. As a centre/wing hybrid with impressive size, Zonnon is a great option as a high-floor pick who will almost certainly become an NHLer one day, even if it is in a bottom-six role. He’ll never be a go-to forward, but if a team believes in his overall skillset, he could become a very valuable complementary player down the road.

Risk: 2/5

Reward: 4/5

Projection: Middle-six utility forward

Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2025 NHL Draft prospects:

Matthew Schaefer | Michael Misa | James Hagens | Porter Martone | Anton Frondell | Victor Eklund |
Roger McQueen | Caleb Desnoyers | Jackson Smith | Jake O’Brien | Carter Bear | Radim Mrtka |
Lynden Lakovic | Brady Martin | Justin Carbonneau | Malcolm Spence | Cameron Reid | Logan Hensler | Cameron Schmidt | Ben Kindel | Kashawn Aitcheson | Cullen Potter | Braeden Cootes | Ivan Ryabkin |
Blake Fiddler | Cole Reschny | Joshua Ravensbergen