Quentin Musty vs Kingston 1/12/2025

He's back!

In Quentin Musty's first game back from a broken hand, he quickly reminded San Jose Sharks fans why #TheFutureIsTeal. Musty had two goals and three assists to go along with five shots on goal in Sudbury's 10 to 6 win over the Kingston Frontenacs. Musty was also named the first star of the game.

Here are three observations from Musty's performance.

Musty Picking Up Where He Left Off

Musty had two goals in this game and has had eight in his last six games. When a player returns from a hand injury, there is always the worry that the puckhandling skills will be rusty. His shot didn't look rusty at all.

Musty showed his usual domination of the OHL by controlling pace and space. When Musty was on the ice, he was looking to attack every chance he got. He had several passes to high-danger spots, and that was exactly what he did on his first assist of the game.

Musty was flying all over the ice the entire game and was the Wolves' most dangerous player. It was exactly what you wanted to see from him in his first game back.

Musty, Penalty Killer?

Quentin Musty played a lot on the penalty kill in this game. The Wolves were on the penalty kill nine times.

Musty continued attacking to create offense, including stopping on a dime to generate space on this assist for a short-handed goal.

For Musty, who needs to continue to work on his development in the defensive zone, playing penalty kill is a great way to focus on that. Musty will need to work on using his body more and being more physical in the defensive zone as he transitions to professional hockey next season. Still, it's good to see Musty getting an opportunity to play defense at this level and use his skills to attack. Musty is at his best when he is in transition and creating, and when given the chance shorthanded, he can swing the momentum.

Don't Expect Musty To Play On The Barracuda This Season

The Sudbury Wolves were very active at the OHL trade deadline to acquire Henry Mews (a player I profiled for the Sharks to draft at 33 with Ben Jordan). Mews, who leads the OHL in points among defensemen, should be a massive boost to the Wolves.

Without Musty, Alex Pharand, Kieron Walton, and Kocha Delic established themselves as a legitimate top line. With Nathan Villeneuve returning (suspension/fighting) and Musty, the Wolves have two lines that can score at any time.

Sudbury currently sits fourth in the Eastern Conference, but the top three seeds are all within four points, and the Wolves have games in hand. Sudbury could make a huge playoff run this year, with Musty leading the way.

That being said, we will likely not see Musty in the AHL until next season when he is eligible to turn pro. Even if the Barracuda make a deep run, would they be willing to have Musty make his debut in a playoff game?

Until Musty is eligible to play AHL games, he should be in a position to rack up massive points on a much deeper Wolves team looking to make a run at the J. Ross Robertson Cup.