Player A = Gaucher (2022 Rd 1, 22nd OA)
Player B = Hvidston (2022 Rd 5, 139th OA)
Player C = Myatovic (2023 Rd 2, 33rd OA)
Instead of using their draft year, I went and looked at their ages for direct comparisons. A year's difference in age is significant in body and skill development. When they were drafted, Gaucher and Myatovic had three years with their respective CHL teams, but Hvidston only had two seasons.
All three forwards are defensive forwards who are 6'2 or taller. Only Gaucher was the known defensive forward with notable offense in their age 17 and 18 seasons. Myatovic's offense popped up in his age 18 season, his draft season (D+0). Hvidston's offense showed up in his age 18 season, his D+1 season.
Hvidston is a Sept baby, making him one of the youngest players drafted in the 2022 draft. He is only three months older than Myatovic. Hvidston would not qualify for the 2022 draft if he was born a week or so later; he would be in the same draft as Myatovic.
In a 2023 draft review, Asst GM Madden said that Myatovic is an example of a elite support player for the top-6, Hvidston appears to be developed in the same mold.
Here is Defend the Nest's review of Hvidston's 7-AHL games last year:
Connor Hvidston
7 Games – 1 Goal, 0 Assists – 1 Point
As the lone CHL prospect to join the Gull as a black ace after his Swift Current Broncos failed to make the postseason, Hvidston was a much needed breath of fresh air and as noted above – instantly helped to turn around the fortunes of the likes of Josh Lopina. He was eased into action at first but quickly gained rapport with his line-mates Lopina and Slavin on a line that became an easy go-to choice to shift momentum or keep things going in the offensive zone. The 2022 fifth round selection had a great post-draft season, finishing with 65 points in 59 games and third on the Broncos. It was this output that perhaps made 2021 fifth round pick Sean Tschigerl expendable as the Ducks opted not to sign him before the two year deadline nor did they bring him in as Black Ace to the Gulls when his Calgary Hitmen were bounced from the WHL postseason. But enough about that. Hvidston looked great in his first tease of the AHL as an 18 year old and even had me lamenting that he would likely be able to handle the minutes were he somehow able to play for the Gulls before legally allowed to by the CHL-NHL transfer agreement. His lanky frame smoothly flowed around the ice and allowed him to be in all the right places at all the right times – most memorably scoring his first professional goal when he chased down a dump in and pounced on a turn-over to fire it by the surprised Oscar Dansk of the Calgary Wranglers. Sadly we won’t see him again until the end of next season as a Black Ace once again – depending on how his Swift Current Broncos do next season.