C Frederik Gauthier (2013, 21st, TOR)

[Roo Mad Bro]

I thought he played well in the WJC. Was relied on for important faceoffs, solid defensively and was pretty good at the cycle with anderson in the O zone. Too bad everytime Anderson and Gauthier would have a good cycle going, laughton would take the puck like a dummy and skate to the blueline, before losing it and handcuffing our defence.

Actually, it was Laughton getting bogged down by those two when he was on that line.

At least Laughton can skate and have some semblance of an idea of what to do in the offensive zone.

 

[arsmaster*]

The kid is big and strong and smart. What else are you asking, ffs? Points? lol.

Certainly doesn't play big. And his strength doesn't really shine through either.

That's my gripe with him. 6'5" 215lbs and gets shrugged off the pick by players he likely outweighs by 30-40lbs.

Seems smart enough and skates well enough just seems to lack something.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

Actually, it was Laughton getting bogged down by those two when he was on that line.

At least Laughton can skate and have some semblance of an idea of what to do in the offensive zone.

It was a mix of them not working properly together. Laughton is a great prospect, and by all accounts will be a good player, however he wasnt aware of the style the line was meant to play. When he moved up in the lineup he fit in quite well.

He wasnt "bogged down", he wasnt the correct style of play for two extremely big, cycling forwards.

They can both skate, youre just trying to shoot down players that arent in your prospect pool because your guy couldnt play well with them.
If two players are playing well, and the third guy doesnt fit in, the problem has to be with them, because hes your guy right?

He made stupid plays when he played with them, not the other way around.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

Never been a fan of Gauthier, so so glad he wasn't available at our pick, I worry we would have taken him.

I see him as a Dave Steckel/Brian Boyle type player honestly.

I saw before the WJ's people saying skating was a strength of his, but watching him play it looked like a glaring weakness. Then to add to that, he was a black hole offensively, and didn't even use his size to battle in the corner's & down low, let alone effectively.

I wasn't expecting him to light the world on fire, but I was expecting him to be really great defensively (which he was so-so at), good on draws (which he was good at), to get around the ice well, & to atleast battle hard & use his size effectively. (Niether of which happened).

 

[Doublechin]

With most GM's obsessed with size I think we will see a lot of players like this getting drafted in the 1st, a very low percentage will pan out and the rest will turn into Chad Kilger's.

 

[Judas Tavares]

...you do realize is he not that good at faceoffs right? why dont we base our opinion on his actual faceoff stats. 47.6% this year. 3 straight wins in the wjc does not make him good...or even average.

I was more trying to describe the entire shift instead of just the faceoff, but yes I guess the other 53% of the time he won't be so heroic.

 

[HockeyGuruPitka]

I've always been of the mindset that your first round selection is to take the most talented player available, regardless of whether or not he succeeds.

4th line centers are easily acquired via free agency or late round draft choices. Really dont see any potential in him. He is miles slower then anyone in Junior let alone the NHL. Unless barb underhill finds him a new set of legs i really cant even see him making it as a 4th line center. Not to mention his face off ability isn't that great either. Very disappointed with the selection, however very VERY happy we somehow managed to get Johnson with our 7th.

 

[theIceWookie]

I've always been of the mindset that your first round selection is to take the most talented player available, regardless of whether or not he succeeds.

4th line centers are easily acquired via free agency or late round draft choices. Really dont see any potential in him. He is miles slower then anyone in Junior let alone the NHL. Unless barb underhill finds him a new set of legs i really cant even see him making it as a 4th line center. Not to mention his face off ability isn't that great either. Very disappointed with the selection, however very VERY happy we somehow managed to get Johnson with our 7th.

Yeah that's not true at all. He's taken more faceoffs per game than any other player in the Q, he's won over 47 percent of those faceoffs. He's actually quite good at it.

And I'd stop looking at the WJC and declare him "miles slower". It's bigger ice, it makes things look vastly different than they really are. His skating really isn't that bad.

He's not doing amazing but he's played half a seasons worth of games. It's been like 6 months since he's been drafted. Let's let the kid have some time to develop. It is only his second year in the CHL>

 

[HockeyGuruPitka]

Yeah that's not true at all. He's taken more faceoffs per game than any other player in the Q, he's won over 47 percent of those faceoffs. He's actually quite good at it.

And I'd stop looking at the WJC and declare him "miles slower". It's bigger ice, it makes things look vastly different than they really are. His skating really isn't that bad.

He's not doing amazing but he's played half a seasons worth of games. It's been like 6 months since he's been drafted. Let's let the kid have some time to develop. It is only his second year in the CHL>

47% would mean he loses more often then he wins. This is in the QMJHL i might add .

 

[GTA]

Yeah that's not true at all. He's taken more faceoffs per game than any other player in the Q, he's won over 47 percent of those faceoffs. He's actually quite good at it.

think about that for a second. this is one instance where you can say, undoubtedly, he is less than average.

 

[snizzbone*]

Doubt he makes the NHL, at best i see him = Joe Colborne with less offensive potential.

Colborne didn't have defensive ability.

 

[arsmaster*]

I've always been of the mindset that your first round selection is to take the most talented player available, regardless of whether or not he succeeds.

4th line centers are easily acquired via free agency or late round draft choices. Really dont see any potential in him. He is miles slower then anyone in Junior let alone the NHL. Unless barb underhill finds him a new set of legs i really cant even see him making it as a 4th line center. Not to mention his face off ability isn't that great either. Very disappointed with the selection, however very VERY happy we somehow managed to get Johnson with our 7th.

I don't think his skating is the problem. The problem is he plays like he's 1 foot shorter and 100lbs lighter than he actually is.

A big man that plays small. Always a bad thing. Definitely has some potential, but like many have said you don't use 1st rounders for bottom line faceoff specialists if you can help it.

Think of a guy like Sean Couturier who torched the Q for two years and still isn't much more than a 3rd liner at this point. It will be quite a while before Fred ever gets to the level Sean is at now.

47% would mean he loses more often then he wins. This is in the QMJHL i might add .

He also took the 5th most faceoffs for Canada at the world juniors 40 over 7 games. He took less than 6 draws a game.

Substantially fewer than Bo Horvat who had him doubled, Winger Jo Drouin, 5'9" Nic Petan, and two C's that were playing on wing (Laughton and Lazar).

TSN tried to trick people into thinking he was some juggernaut that he wasn't, he took draws to end ONE GAME, because the other key LS faceoff guys just finished a shift.

 

[drw02]

Pretty brutal pick by the Leafs. They don't seem to use their 1st rounders very wisely....

 

[Future]

I'm not impressed with him right now either but you people are ridiculous. Writing him off not even a year after being drafted.

 

[member 147413]

He's a bust. Can't believe it's been 6 years since 2013

 

[arsmaster*]

Hope you're not referring to me, when saying "you people calling him a bust".....I don't think he's a bust, I just never saw the upside after watching him play last year (as evidenced by me being intrigued to start the season....posted in this very thread, and not much after having seen him on multiple occasions).

Thought he had one very good game at the U18's, that probably convinced some scouts he was something. I think he'll be a Pro, just not with high upside.

 

[Michael Gary Scott]

Pretty brutal pick by the Leafs. They don't seem to use their 1st rounders very wisely....

Rielly was wise. Percy was. Kadri was. Not like this is a Hickey situation, it was a late round pick.

 

[Porn*]

he's young and massive... let his grow up, mature and adjust to his size...

he might not be a joe thornton... but he could end up a martin hanzal

to call him a bust this early is absurd.

 

[herashak]

Hes Joe colborne

 

[Future]

Hes Joe colborne

He does not have a thing in common with Joe except their height. Thanks for coming out though.

 

[herashak]

He does not have a thing in common with Joe except their height. Thanks for coming out though.

tall, not very physical, he could be a solid 3rd line player based on his defensive game.

 

[7even]

Pretty brutal pick by the Leafs. They don't seem to use their 1st rounders very wisely....

Lol? All these micro-evaluations are beyond Pejorative Slured. Forget about him for 3 years and then do a status report, for the sake of all of our sanities.

 

[Captain Clutch]

he's young and massive... let his grow up, mature and adjust to his size...

he might not be a joe thornton... but he could end up a martin hanzal

to call him a bust this early is absurd.

THIS! Thank you, finally a little perspective. And I would add that Gauthier has offensive upside that Hanzal does not.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

I'm not impressed with him right now either but you people are ridiculous. Writing him off not even a year after being drafted.

I didn't like him before the draft, his down year this year is only confirming my initial feelings about him.

I like the Colbourne comparison.

 

[BondraTime]

THIS! Thank you, finally a little perspective. And I would add that Gauthier has offensive upside that Hanzal does not.

Not sure where you're coming up with this. Hanzel was much better offensively and denfensively at the same age, and has gotten much better in both respects as a pro the last few years.

Saying that, I've said in this thread, Gauthier is what he is. A big potential third line center. Many/most first round picks can be gauged to some degree by looking at a stat-sheet, but not him. Gauthier wasn't chosen for his numbers and offense.