Seeing the Gatineau product take big steps in the second half of the year wasn't a surprise to Flames scouts - after all, his draft-eligible 2016-17 season was a similar story.
He had just four goals and nine points to his name until the calendar flipped to December in 2016, producing in short bursts in the first couple of months of the season. But as the winter wore on, Joly got into a rhythm.
He would end up scoring 16 goals and 48 points in 66 skates and put 160 shots on net. In the playoffs, he dressed for four games and scored once in Baie-Comeau's first round match-up vs. Charlottetown.
While his game could be described as raw throughout his draft-eligible campaign, the strides he made earned the admiration of Calgary's QMJHL scouts.
"Halfway through the year, we weren't very sure of him," Button admitted after Joly was selected in last year's draft. "But as the year went on and the playoffs went on, our scouts in Quebec - our three scouts - they really liked him and they really pushed for him."
Joly is an adept puck distributor, making smart decisions and finding his linemates with crisp passes, no matter the situation. He has shown he has a great shot and can take on a goal-scorer's role but trends more towards being a playmaker.
Strong on his skates, he has great speed and he is hard to knock off the puck while battling with his opponents.
He isn't shy about playing a more physical brand of hockey either. He'll initiate contact and can hammer his opponents with hard checks along the boards. Joly is happy to jockey for space in front of the net as well, drawing attention to himself and opening up space for his linemates to work.
The challenge now, as it is for most young players, is make gains in his conditioning and fill out his 6-foot-3 frame with more muscle.
"He's got to get in the gym and train now, make up for lost time, Button said. "It's hard to do but he can focus on the training."