Prospect Info: 2022-23 Ducks Prospects

[Zegs2sendhelp]

So it's not just here? Main boards too? I'm too scared to go out there.

Oh no mostly here idk if he even has a main board thread tbh

 

[tomd]

So it's not just here? Main boards too? I'm too scared to go out there.

Gaucher doesn't exist on the main board.

 

[tomd]

six game pointless streak. tonight no shots, no hits, 12/24 on face-offs.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Best wishes to Clang on his 21st, will be able to legally join his new teammates for a drink now.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Woke up from my nap, gaucher is still a ducks prospect

 

[tomd]

Woke up from my nap, gaucher is still a ducks prospect

View attachment 710822

Yes, the real life nightmare continues...

 

[Gliff]

Every team needs a whipping boy.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Every team needs a whipping boy.

Isn't Leason still under contract?

 

[Ducks]

THW has Gaucher very high in their top 100 prospects rankings. Just goes to show how differently people value the 3rd line center role.

The NHL's Top 100 Prospects - Preseason Rankings - The Hockey Writers Latest News, Analysis & More

Every team has articles ranking their top prospects. But how do they all compare together? This list takes a look at the top-100 prospects.

thehockeywriters.com

 

[lwvs84]

Best wishes to Clang on his 21st, will be able to legally join his new teammates for a drink now.

I was going to say he'll need it on that team, but there's going to be so much more talent next season.

 

[Deuce22]

Every team needs a whipping boy.

Someone needs to replace Comtois

 

[Hockey Duckie]

THW has Gaucher very high in their top 100 prospects rankings. Just goes to show how differently people value the 3rd line center role.

The NHL's Top 100 Prospects - Preseason Rankings - The Hockey Writers Latest News, Analysis & More

Every team has articles ranking their top prospects. But how do they all compare together? This list takes a look at the top-100 prospects.

thehockeywriters.com

The author admitted Gaucher's ranking is elevated and taken with context.

Admittedly, I’m higher than most on Nathan Gaucher, but certainly not higher than the Anaheim Ducks were on him when they decided to take him with the 22nd pick in the 2022 Draft. Gaucher doesn’t possess the electric offensive skills that are typical for players in the first round of the draft, but he is a reliable two-way centre with a decent scoring touch (especially at the net front) and an excellent two-way game.​

​

Anaheim already has Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish lined up as their future one-two punch at centre for the foreseeable future, so they don’t need another offensively-minded prospect. Gaucher is essentially the ideal third-line center who can contribute on offense while also providing a ton of defensive value at even strength and on the penalty kill so I love this pick for the Ducks. – LH ​

 

[tomd]

I can imagine both of these guys will be Ducks by the end of June. Gaucher's D+1 numbers not good.

 

[Arthuros]

Yeeeeah, Gaucher will never be a top 6 barring something crazy happening. Sucks that he's basically now the centerpiece of the Lindholm trade, as opposed to someone we'd be happy to turn out as having a decent % chance to make it as a bottom-6 glue guy.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I can imagine both of these guys will be Ducks by the end of June. Gaucher's D+1 numbers not good.

View attachment 711074

I hope it's not Stramel b/c he screams bottom-6'er. D LaCombe scored the same amount of points as Stramel did as a rookie in the NCAA with 13 points.

If Halttunen isn't available at #33 for a big swing at a top-6 forward, then I'd rather draft Defense at #33 because there's a lot of big defensemen there compared to big forwards.

 

[Ducks]

Yeeeeah, Gaucher will never be a top 6 barring something crazy happening. Sucks that he's basically now the centerpiece of the Lindholm trade, as opposed to someone we'd be happy to turn out as having a decent % chance to make it as a bottom-6 glue guy.

The trade isn't over yet, we got Vaak, Gauch, and still have a 2nd rounder this year and a 2nd rounder next year. It's not a great return yet but it still has potential depending on who the Ducks draft.

 

[tomd]

I hope it's not Stramel b/c he screams bottom-6'er. D LaCombe scored the same amount of points as Stramel did as a rookie in the NCAA with 13 points.

If Halttunen isn't available at #33 for a big swing at a top-6 forward, then I'd rather draft Defense at #33 because there's a lot of big defensemen there compared to big forwards.

I hope it's not Stramel either but you know he is exactly the type of 4th line slug that PV covets.

The trade isn't over yet, we got Vaak, Gauch, and still have a 2nd rounder this year and a 2nd rounder next year. It's not a great return yet but it still has potential depending on who the Ducks draft.

People are saying that a team is lucky to get a NHL player in the late 1st round. The Bruins 2nd rounder this year is 60OA. How likely is it that the Ducks draft an NHL player with that pick? Next year the pick will probably be around 50 if the Ducks are lucky. The odds currently look very high that the Ducks will end up with basically nothing from the Lindholm trade.

 

[Ducks]

Regarding Gaucher, like the rest of us I really hope he pans out. Power forwards tend to take more time to develop, so we're probably still at least a few years out from seeing if he becomes a legit option at 3C. That said his rankings last year going into the draft were pretty good overall, I remember Pronman had him at #12 for example.

I think Gaucher was a safe pick like Lundestrom was at the time. Someone with a high floor, low ceiling. The last half of the 1st round is always difficult to draft, honestly I think once you get to pick 20 you're basically in the second round in terms of talent in a lot of drafts. So the Ducks went with a safe character guy who could compliment the rest of the young forward group.

In hindsight they might make a different pick now, but it's usually that way.

 

[Ducks]

I hope it's not Stramel either but you know he is exactly the type of 4th line slug that PV covets.


People are saying that a team is lucky to get a NHL player in the late 1st round. The Bruins 2nd rounder this year is 60OA. How likely is it that the Ducks draft an NHL player with that pick? Next year the pick will probably be around 50 if the Ducks are lucky. The odds currently look very high that the Ducks will end up with basically nothing from the Lindholm trade.

That sounds a bit too hyperbolic. The Ducks traded away the best player in the trade and got lottery tickets back in the form of picks. That's just how it goes when you trade for futures, nothing is ever guaranteed. There's a chance that none of those players pan out for the Ducks, but I don't think it's the most likely scenario. Regardless, you just can't evaluate a futures trade the same way you'd evaluate a roster player trade.

 

[tomd]

Regarding Gaucher, like the rest of us I really hope he pans out. Power forwards tend to take more time to develop, so we're probably still at least a few years out from seeing if he becomes a legit option at 3C. That said his rankings last year going into the draft were pretty good overall, I remember Pronman had him at #12 for example.

I think Gaucher was a safe pick like Lundestrom was at the time. Someone with a high floor, low ceiling. The last half of the 1st round is always difficult to draft, honestly I think once you get to pick 20 you're basically in the second round in terms of talent in a lot of drafts. So the Ducks went with a safe character guy who could compliment the rest of the young forward group.

In hindsight they might make a different pick now, but it's usually that way.

There were more obvious picks at the time. Go back to the 22 draft thread...lots of people were thinking Snuggerud, Kulich, or even one of the remaining D for that pick. NO ONE was hoping for Gaucher and most people were not happy with the pick. I remained hopeful until I actually started watching him play. Then I was thinking that I wouldn't have taken him in the 3rd round let alone the 1st. Terrible pick on draft day and even more terrible pick a year later.

 

[Ducks]

If there were more obvious picks at the time the Ducks would have made the obvious pick. I think some of us may be a little bit blinded by 20/20 hindsight vision here. Snuggerud's stock didn't jump until his D+1, there were a lot of people projecting him as a bottom 6 guy at the time.

 

[Static]

I think some of us

 

[Ducks]

Let's go back in time:

Here are Corey Pronman's rankings going into the 22 Draft:
Pronman:

12. Nathan Gaucher, C, Quebec (QMJHL)

Nov. 6, 2003 | 6′ 2.75″ | 207 pounds | Shoots right

Tier: Projected middle of the lineup player

Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average

20. Jiri Kulich, C, Karlovy Vary (CZREP)

Apr. 14, 2004 | 5′ 11.5″ | 172 pounds | Shoots left

Tier: Projected middle of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

29. Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, Usa U-18 (NTDP)

Jun. 1, 2004 | 6′ 1.25″ | 186 pounds | Shoots right

Tier: Projected middle of the lineup player

Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

 

[tomd]

If there were more obvious picks at the time the Ducks would have made the obvious pick. I think some of us may be a little bit blinded by 20/20 hindsight vision here. Snuggerud's stock didn't jump until his D+1, there were a lot of people projecting him as a bottom 6 guy at the time.

PV went for need not BPA. He wanted a player who was tough to play against. And Gaucher is tough to play against for sure. But his odds of even making the NHL don't look good at this point. If he does it will be as a offensive black hole 4th liner.

And you are dead wrong about Snuggerud...he was very much on the rise pre-draft and was consistently (along with Kulich) ranked above Gaucher. Those are the facts my friend.

 

[goonsaredumb]

There were more obvious picks at the time. Go back to the 22 draft thread...lots of people were thinking Snuggerud, Kulich, or even one of the remaining D for that pick. NO ONE was hoping for Gaucher and most people were not happy with the pick. I remained hopeful until I actually started watching him play. Then I was thinking that I wouldn't have taken him in the 3rd round let alone the 1st. Terrible pick on draft day and even more terrible pick a year later.

Was it really a terrible pick on draft day though? You posted that chart from Hockey Prospecting comparing Gaucher and Stramel so you obviously put some credence to those charts, the same charts for Kulich and Snuggerud in their draft years are actually worse than Gauchers in his draft year in Kulich's case and only marginally better in Snuggeruds case.

Gaucher - D0 NHLe - 18 , Star 12% - NHLer Probability - 53%

Kulich - D0NHLe - 15, Star 6% - NHLer Probability 24%

Snuggerud - D0 NHLe - 28, Star 15% - NHLer Probability - 49%

In Hindsight Snuggerud and Kulich have proven themselves to be better but that wasn't so obvious on draft day, 5 other teams passed up on Kulich after we did and I know for a fact at least one other team wanted Gaucher badly in the 1st round, Montreal apparently tried their hardest to trade up from #26 to grab Gaucher but we nabbed him first and they still ended up passing up on Kulich and grabbed Mesar instead.