On the draft day I remember hearing some other teams were high on him too. Can't be too muvh of those, I imagine
2024-25 San Diego Gulls/Tulsa Oilers
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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
Registered User
Because they expect a guy who was drafted to kill penalties, play in the bottom 6, and hit people to score goals.
ZegrassyKnoll
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People are angry that we didn’t take other players who have also accomplished nothing in the NHL yet
TheDarkWingThatDucks
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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
Registered User
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
9 - 20 - 8
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.
WhatTheDuck
9 - 20 - 8
anezthes
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Not sure if Dansk was pulled after allowing 3 goals on 11 shots, but Clang stopped all 13 shots he faced.
If you feel that taking a zero-offense 4C with the 22OA pick is good value then Gaucher is your guy. But don't move the goalposts...that's not what he was drafted to be. The Ducks Director of Player Development said as much this summer...we were going to see a "whole different" Gaucher now that he is healthy. I don't think he meant a 1 goal scorer three months into the season.
And Myatovic is another whole level of bad...I don't know where to even begin evaluating a scouting staff that saw him as an NHL player.
Everyone (myself included) gets excited when the team acquires an additional 1st round pick...but to turn those picks into Tracey, Perreault, and Gaucher is beyond frustrating. For a team that absolutely relies on building through the draft that is unacceptable. I know a lot of people like Madden but to me he has become very overrated.
And Myatovic is another whole level of bad...I don't know where to even begin evaluating a scouting staff that saw him as an NHL player.
Everyone (myself included) gets excited when the team acquires an additional 1st round pick...but to turn those picks into Tracey, Perreault, and Gaucher is beyond frustrating. For a team that absolutely relies on building through the draft that is unacceptable. I know a lot of people like Madden but to me he has become very overrated.
ZegrassyKnoll
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This is why it drives me insane when people complain about draft picks.
How are you going to criticize the team for taking a player like Gaucher and also criticize them for taking Perreault - the complete opposite of Gaucher - in the same post?
If you don’t want them to take grinding forwards in the late first round, and also don’t want them taking skilled snipers in the late first round, what kind of forward are you hoping they pick?
Fans expect GMs to have a 100% success rate with draft picks when the statistics show it’s more like a 40% chance a player in this range gets over 100 points in their career.
AngelDuck
Rak 'em up
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I didn’t have a problem with the Perreault pick but I did have a serious problem with the Gaucher pick. There was upside to Perreault but it just hasn’t worked for him.
The ducks picked Gaucher to be a 3rd line center who can chip in some offense, kill penalties, etc. okay fine.
The issue is that that was his UPSIDE, no where near his most likely outcome. There’s not much margin for error there. If he disappoints he’s a 4th line grinder or a journeyman AHL player
In my opinion, it’s better to draft a player in the 1st round with top 6 upside so there’s more margin for error to become a useful depth player if they disappoint
I don’t know why we’re not allowed to be disappointed on here about 1 goal in his 2nd full AHL season. There has to be higher expectations for this organization than that
The ducks picked Gaucher to be a 3rd line center who can chip in some offense, kill penalties, etc. okay fine.
The issue is that that was his UPSIDE, no where near his most likely outcome. There’s not much margin for error there. If he disappoints he’s a 4th line grinder or a journeyman AHL player
In my opinion, it’s better to draft a player in the 1st round with top 6 upside so there’s more margin for error to become a useful depth player if they disappoint
I don’t know why we’re not allowed to be disappointed on here about 1 goal in his 2nd full AHL season. There has to be higher expectations for this organization than that
I'm with you on this. I've always thought the "In Madden we trust" saying was so stupid. Overrated for sure.
SmokeyDuck
Registered User
Late firsts don't have a great hit rate. Every team has a list of busted late first rounders. It is frustrating to miss out on Tracey and Perrault. That really set us back. Hopefully Gaucher turns it around. I thought he looked good in the preseason.
All Mighty
Registered User
Clang in the NHL + Dansk out sick + Buteyets in the AHL = Goalie coach Jeff Glass signs PTO
I agree. I think I’m one of a few around here who’s been grumbling about Madden for a bit. We just haven’t found any depth forwards whereas other teams have. And I’m not expecting a plethora of them, just 1 or 2 would’ve gone a long way.
Madden has only made 2 impressive forward picks in his entire tenure IMO: Rakell and Terry.
Of course player development goes into this as well, but our drafting of forwards hasn’t been good.
Goose of Reason
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