2024-25 San Diego Gulls/Tulsa Oilers

[Kalv]

With Gaucher we at least heard some talk that other teams were high on him too. With Myatovic we heard nothing.

On the draft day I remember hearing some other teams were high on him too. Can't be too muvh of those, I imagine

 

[Hey234]

I'm confused on why Gaucher gets so much grief? Shouldn't Helleson show people that some players take time. He's no where near bust territory yet.

 

[Kalv]

I'm confused on why Gaucher gets so much grief? Shouldn't Helleson show people that some players take time. He's no where near bust territory yet.

Personally it's not that much about Gauthier but our choices. There were so clearly better players, that were known to everybody, at the time - Snuggerud, Kulich, among others, that we passed on.

Sure have to take some gambles and follow your philosophy at times, but the following Myatovic pick just combines into a lot of frustration seeing that our fairly high picks are spent on players with so little talent, when many better options were clearly available.

Also, makes me wanting to trade our UFAs less.

 

[Deuce22]

I'm confused on why Gaucher gets so much grief? Shouldn't Helleson show people that some players take time. He's no where near bust territory yet.

Because they expect a guy who was drafted to kill penalties, play in the bottom 6, and hit people to score goals.

 

[ZegrassyKnoll]

I'm confused on why Gaucher gets so much grief? Shouldn't Helleson show people that some players take time. He's no where near bust territory yet.

People are angry that we didn’t take other players who have also accomplished nothing in the NHL yet

 

[TheDarkWingThatDucks]

Personally it's not that much about Gauthier but our choices. There were so clearly better players, that were known to everybody, at the time - Snuggerud, Kulich, among others, that we passed on.

Sure have to take some gambles and follow your philosophy at times, but the following Myatovic pick just combines into a lot of frustration seeing that our fairly high picks are spent on players with so little talent, when many better options were clearly available.

Also, makes me wanting to trade our UFAs less.

I guess in a vacuum, and this is coming from someone who was jumping up for joy when Brad Lambert fell to us., those players make sense.

But in hindsight and the next couple drafts. In 3 years our top 6 should look like this (all things being equal)

Cutter - Leo - Sennecke
Zegras - McT - Terry

Gaucher was a bottom 6 pivot and a safe bet, PK monster, and net front presence on the PP…. His ceiling was 2nd line pivot, and his comp play style was Rob Neidermayer.

2022 NHL Draft Profile: Nathan Gaucher

If Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois approached coach Jon Cooper and asked him to describe the perfect forward for his system of play, chances are that mythical person would…

www.rawcharge.com

Myatovic is according to madden, “We’ve loved Nico from last year,” Madden said. “Really, really good hockey sense and applies it in different ways. He’s a support player for good players. He did it on a elite Seattle team this year. He does all the little things right and he has the skill to be able to produce in front of the net. So he makes plays, but mostly he’s an elite support player, somebody who can get pucks for first and second line players. “He’s somebody who’s the first on the backcheck and somebody who’s always in the goalie’s face. He’s a culture guy, an unbelievable kid who is mature beyond his years with lots of room to grow and get stronger and faster.”

Seems like the hope is he is a Killorn light, another PK staple and just someone who is probably bottom 6, but can move up if need be and be a support player for your high end skill players.

I assume in a perfect world 4-5 years from now (not counting FA additions or trades and such)

Cutter - Leo - Sennecke
Zegras - McT - Terry
Sidorov - Gaucher - Colangelo
Myatovic - Petersson - Masse

With Terrance / procyszyn/ blais / burnevik / Pitre / pasta / regenda / Nesty All with a shot to crack that lineup.

Obviously we will never ice this lineup, just because trades will be made and free agents signed. I see Sidorov as our Vats replacement / Myatovic as a Killorn light or McGinn / gaucher as just a shutdown 3rd / 4th line center / Colangelo or Masse as a mid 6 RW (i guess strome
Replacement ) pettersson (who has some wild bill comps) as our Isaac replacement.

I guess the point is in a vacuum you take swings at those top 6 guys, but sometimes a sure bet high floor lower ceiling guy like gaucher is a big pc. And you take that guy knowing in the next 2 drafts (one where you are tanking for Bedard, you take the top end skill wingers, rather than swinging on a Brad lambert or something). If Verbeek truly thought we’d be turning the corner and drafting in the 12-18 range, and had our shutdown center already in the system he probably swings on a top 6 talent there.

Myatovic / gaucher were always 3-4 years away from making an NHL roster, it’s just we get to infuse those young cheap guys hopefully as our top 5 picks start to shoulder the offensive load.

Doesn’t mean it will work, but I understand the thought process.

 

[FiveTacos]

I'm confused on why Gaucher gets so much grief? Shouldn't Helleson show people that some players take time. He's no where near bust territory yet.

Not just take time ... players who perhaps just project as good checkers or steady eddie dmen aren't likely to stand out in the AHL no matter how long they spend down there. Helleson isn't even our first of that ilk, Beauchemin was similarly overlooked in the minors back in the day, which is why we easily got him as a throw in.

I've always said, I'd rather have a checker who came up as a good checker, as opposed to a checker who's only a checker because his offense wasn't good enough to translate to the NHL.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

A cause for concern/alarm is not the same as a lost cause. A first round drafted forward ought to be producing more in his second pro season, so that's of some concern. We are still quite far from a write off though.