C Frederik Gauthier (2013, 21st, TOR)

[Liminality]

Can't help but laugh at all the "terrible skater" comments. When you're 6'5, you have a longer, slower stride, but if you're paying attention, you'll notice he's moving at least as fast as everyone else. Didn't see the kid lose a puck race all tourney.

His line with Crouse and Ritchie was a dominant zone-time line, and ended up being probably my favourite line to watch by the end of the tournament, they were so entertaining on the cycle. Congrats on the gold Gauthier

Gauthier is surprisingly fast that's for sure. Everyone who says he can't keep up is just being arrogant. He does need to work on his acceleration and cuts though, he has trouble with bursts of speed and fell a few times even just today. Not worried about it though.

It's not his top speed that's the problem, it's that he has the turning radius of an Airbus A380 and needs 9000 feet of ice to take off.

Great way to put it.

He was a project when the Leafs drafted him and he was meant to be worked on and developing for a couple years to show what he truly has. Offensively who knows but he's got a decent floor on his potential.

Thought his line did great grinding out the defenders down low.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

So when people say big guys take longer to develop, I guess this only applies to non-Leafs prospects? Apparently he's a third/fourth liner with no top 6 upside based on a handful of games people have seen in the world freakin' juniors.

 

[tfong]

I still stand by my opinion he is going to be Paul Gaustad esque player. That isn't necessarily a bad thing I think. Or Mike Fischer.

 

[Nemesis Prime]

So when people say big guys take longer to develop, I guess this only applies to non-Leafs prospects? Apparently he's a third/fourth liner with no top 6 upside based on a handful of games people have seen in the world freakin' juniors.

Classic HF.

I wouldn't base anything off a nothing tournament.

 

[KPower]

I don't see him playing in the NHL.

Zero offense and not fast enough to shut down the top NHL players.

Won't get more than a handful of games in the league, if he makes it all.

Terrible draft pick.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Classic HF.

I wouldn't base anything off a nothing tournament.

It's just as silly as when people got amped up over Jerry D'amigo years ago. There's way, way too much stock put into this tourney, it gets ridiculous at times. I blame the tsn hype machine.

 

[AntonRodin*]

I don't see him playing in the NHL.

Zero offense and not fast enough to shut down the top NHL players.

Won't get more than a handful of games in the league, if he makes it all.

Terrible draft pick.

I agree. I found him to be wayyy to slow in getting to the puck.

It's sad to think that the Leafs drafted a bottom 6/4th line player with their 1st round pick. They could've chosen must better players (Theodore/Shinkaruk/Burakovsky/etc).

 

[Wilbur*]

I think he's a 15-20 point 4C, if that. His non-existent offense will limit him to 4C.

 

[BillDineen]

I still stand by my opinion he is going to be Paul Gaustad esque player. That isn't necessarily a bad thing I think. Or Mike Fischer.

Gaustad is what I think of when I see him play.

 

[nbwingsfan]

So when people say big guys take longer to develop, I guess this only applies to non-Leafs prospects? Apparently he's a third/fourth liner with no top 6 upside based on a handful of games people have seen in the world freakin' juniors.

This has nothing to do with the tournament. He actually played great in the tournament for what he was brought for, which is nothing but faceoffs and pk.

There's a difference between showing you have some offensive skills and taking a while for them to translate, and having no offensive game to begin with.

Gauthier falls under the second category. This is his 3rd QMJHL season and he's still not at a ppg pace while getting first line minutes on the top team in the league. He gets his points from simply being much bigger than almost all players in the Q (I've seen him play often with Rimouski).

As we saw in the WJHC, when playing against bigger and better players he has absolutely nothing to offer offensively other than cycling a puck. I believe he had 0 points on a combined two years played.

With that said I certainly see him having an NHL career, but it will be nothing more than a 4th liner who puts up 10-15 points a year but is great off the draw and on the pk. He will certainly have to work on his agility and acceleration however, as they are no where close to NHL calibre.

Good player, but I have no idea why you would use a 21st overall pick on a guy with 0 offensive upside?

 

[Haatley]

So when people say big guys take longer to develop, I guess this only applies to non-Leafs prospects? Apparently he's a third/fourth liner with no top 6 upside based on a handful of games people have seen in the world freakin' juniors.

Your GM said post draft that it is unfair to think Gauthier will be anything more than a 3rd line centre.... So is he a hater too?

 

[ottawah]

Gauthier is surprisingly fast that's for sure. Everyone who says he can't keep up is just being arrogant. He does need to work on his acceleration and cuts though, he has trouble with bursts of speed and fell a few times even just today. Not worried about it though.

That will limit him greatly at the next level. Defensive specialists at the NHL level, and certainly the best defensive players, are those with elite level skating, specifically in the acceration and foot speed department. I saw Gauthier commonly caught flat footed in the nuetral zone all tourney, players just blew by him.

His PK was great because there is less movement, and its more about positioning, and he uses his size and reach effectively.

But make no mistake, this is not a guy who you send out to defend against Stamkos, Seguin, etc. He just will not be able to keep up.

 

[FanHabtic*]

His skating is slothful. The NHL is based on speed. I don't see how he makes it. He looks like John Scott without the pugilistic skills.

 

[waitin425]

I thought Gauthier was the worst player for TC.

Absolute best case scenario is 4th line centre in NHL

 

[Scarbarian*]

and to think Craig Button once placed this guy in the top 10 list of the draft ranking for 2013 draft haha. funny stuff.

 

[Judas Tavares]

WJC is a pond hockey tournament. So if you aren't putting up points and going end-to-end its bust city.

 

[Proust*]

So when people say big guys take longer to develop, I guess this only applies to non-Leafs prospects? Apparently he's a third/fourth liner with no top 6 upside based on a handful of games people have seen in the world freakin' juniors.

There is absolutely no reason to believe he has top 6 upside. He is a classic case of a player putting up a few points in junior because he can dominate smaller bodies with his size. The offensive instincts or hands are not there, and there is no reason to believe they will suddenly appear.

Even before this tournament, this has been the book on Gauthier; the tournament only helped confirm it.

 

[Scarbarian*]

The play dies on this guy's stick, he has next to zero offensive capabilities.

 

[ottawah]

and to think Craig Button once placed this guy in the top 10 list of the draft ranking for 2013 draft haha. funny stuff.

He was hard to guage at the draft because he only had one year of junior, and point wise it was pretty good (compared to peers). His skating was poor, but with relative inexperience and size you hoped it would catch up.

Two years later though his point totals have remained as stagnant as his skating. He was expected to develop more quickly than other draftees because of his relative inexperience, but the truth it is has not developed. Hind sight is 20/20.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

He looks like a bottom 6 centermen to me. Definitely a good guy to have though. The coaches trusted him a ton and he logged big minutes in the third period last night. Reminds me of a less offensive Jordan Staal.

 

[Mit Yarrum]

This is Paul Gaustad.

 

[Scarbarian*]

This is Paul Gaustad-lite.

fixed.

 

[nbwingsfan]

He looks like a bottom 6 centermen to me. Definitely a good guy to have though. The coaches trusted him a ton and he logged big minutes in the third period last night. Reminds me of a less offensive Jordan Staal.

A much, much, much less offensive Jordan Staal. I'll be surprised if Gauthier ever tops 15 points in his career. Just too slow and has 0 NHL offensive capabilities.

I still think he ends up as a valuable 4th line player, just not someone who ever should have been picked in the first round.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

If he can be elite on faceoffs at the NHL level, then maybe Dave Steckel would be a good comparable?
Could be a solid fourth liner and carve out a decent NHL career with limited offence.

 

[86Habs]

If he can be elite on faceoffs at the NHL level, then maybe Dave Steckel would be a good comparable?
Could be a solid fourth liner and carve out a decent NHL career with limited offence.

Yes, Steckel would be a reasonable comp. Gaustad too, as others have mentioned. He doesn't have the offensive capabilities to be anything more than a 3rd or 4th liner, but is of course really good on the dot and on the PK. He needs to improve his skating (particularly, his acceleration...his top-end speed is pretty good) if he's going to be a defensive/matchup center in the NHL. He consistently loses a step because he lacks quickness and acceleration, and is also not very agile. His future may be on the wing if he can't improve his skating, but one who takes key faceoffs then switches over. The thing with Gauthier is that you know what you're going to get with him, as his ceiling is pretty low. I guess that makes him a decent 1st rounder, if the Leafs can get 10-12 years of bottom 6 productivity out of him.