C Frederik Gauthier (2013, 21st, TOR)

[Liminality]

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.

It's a good thing that his skating can improve then. I think under Barb Underhill and a couple of years at the AHL, he'll be up to speed.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

It's a good thing that his skating can improve then. I think under Barb Underhill and a couple of years at the AHL, he'll be up to speed.

She'll have him doing Triple Lutz's and Saichow's in no time.
It should really confuse the goalie if he attempts a quad on a shootout.

 

[Analyzer*]

Guy has NHL qualities to make him unique.

While his offensive game sucks, I'd say he has a better chance to make and stick in the NHL than Petan, or Point.

 

[199991]

Very impressive showing in yesterday's game. That's why he was taken, played almost 10 minutes in the 3rd period.

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

This is Paul Gaustad.

He reminds me of "30s" Gaustad - i.e. slower and even less offensively involved than "20s" Gaustad.

 

[hockeystick89]

He definitely needs to work on playing with the puck on his stick.

TBH though, I am pretty sure he was drafted to play the exact same role he had with Team Canada. He was the top faceoff man in the tournament and I'm pretty sure he had the highest PK time among forwards.

Also, it is worth noting that Reinhart, a player with much higher offensive upside was almost as good in both those categories as well. Buffalo did well to pick him #2.

 

[Sam Spade]

Since he has to remind me of someone I will go with Eric Fehr.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Guy has NHL qualities to make him unique.

While his offensive game sucks, I'd say he has a better chance to make and stick in the NHL than Petan, or Point.

He has a better chance to stick yes, but he has a much, much lower ceiling. Players like Point and Petan have the upside to be impact players while Gauthier is destined to be a 15-20 point player at best IMO.

Just not sure why Toronto would waste a 1st round pick on that.

 

[pucka lucka]

He's Dave Steckel.

 

[pucka lucka]

He has a better chance to stick yes, but he has a much, much lower ceiling. Players like Point and Petan have the upside to be impact players while Gauthier is destined to be a 15-20 point player at best IMO.

Just not sure why Toronto would waste a 1st round pick on that.

Point is not Petan. You know Petan who lead the WJHC in scoring. Point the 13th forward.

 

[Microsens]

Future bust.

 

[Joey Moss]

Pretty brutal hands.. Leafs better hope his PK/faceoff abilities translate.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Point is not Petan. You know Petan who lead the WJHC in scoring. Point the 13th forward.

I know that, I was responding to the poster who was saying Gauthier has a better chance to stick in the NHL than Point and Petan. Which I agreed with but noth Point and Petan having much higher ceilings and can actually make an impact (with Petan being the better of the two). Neither are slam dunk prospects however.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

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?

The same guy who signed Clarkson?

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.

I bet if you went back, people said the same things about Lucic,Hanzal etc. Am I saying he'll turn into one of those guys? obviously not. My point is he's a big kid, and those guys are unpredictable at best.

 

[AngelDuck]

He's Dave Steckel.

I said this before he was drafted...he skates like him, he's the same size, he plays defense like him, he lacks hands and offensive abilities like Steckel.

They're very similar. Gauthier will carve out a 5-10 year NHL career as a checking center probably

 

[ponder]

+1 to "he's Dave Steckel." I just do not see the talent, can't see him being a good 3C, he's a 4C like Steckel at best IMO. Great on draws, very big, uses his reach fairly well defensively, but too slow and too lacking in talent to make much of an impact on the game. I'm a Leafs fan, I'd love to see him succeed, but actually watching him play I'd bet anything on him never having a significant impact in the NHL. He's most definitely not the next Hanzal.

 

[Sonofamitch]

Future 4th line center in the first round of a deep draft. Great value for the leafs

 

[Ace88*]

He's Dave Steckel.

Fairly superior to Steckel at the prospect stage. Gauthier has more tools and a better brain, Steckel was just a big body and could take faceoffs and thats about it.

I dont think i have a problem projecting a better career for gauthier right now

 

[The Thin White Duke]

He doesn't really need hands or creativity. As long as he picks up more of a mean streak and works on the skating, he'll be valuable on the forecheck and on the cycle. As long as he can put shots on net and make life unpleasant for a goalie, he'll rack up passenger points if he has offensive wingers.

Of course if you put him with the rest of the 3rd line grinder high picks we have, yeah he won't be sniffing 30 points.

 

[nbwingsfan]

I bet if you went back, people said the same things about Lucic,Hanzal etc. Am I saying he'll turn into one of those guys? obviously not. My point is he's a big kid, and those guys are unpredictable at best.

Lucic and Hanzal always had more offensive upside than Gauthier has. Both Lucic and Hanzal were both showed they had some hidden offensive skills when they were young. Gauthier has shown nothing other than he can over power 16 year old kids and score garbage goals. He has no hands.

Fairly superior to Steckel at the prospect stage. Gauthier has more tools and a better brain, Steckel was just a big body and could take faceoffs and thats about it.

I dont think i have a problem projecting a better career for gauthier right now

Gauthier really has no more tools than Steckel did, and only had more brains in the defensive end. Gauthier is for the most part nothing more than a big body and can take face-offs as well. I have no problem saying he will be an NHL player but it will be nothing more than a 4th line pk specialist.

 

[The Podium]

+1 to "he's Dave Steckel." I just do not see the talent, can't see him being a good 3C, he's a 4C like Steckel at best IMO. Great on draws, very big, uses his reach fairly well defensively, but too slow and too lacking in talent to make much of an impact on the game. I'm a Leafs fan, I'd love to see him succeed, but actually watching him play I'd bet anything on him never having a significant impact in the NHL. He's most definitely not the next Hanzal.

He is a significantly better skater than Steckel. Steckel looked like he was skating with anvils chained to his ankles.

 

[Haatley]

The same guy who signed Clarkson?

Im sure you have a better idea of his future than the guy that drafted him, you're absolutely right.

 

[nbwingsfan]

He is a significantly better skater than Steckel. Steckel looked like he was skating with anvils chained to his ankles.

Which is pretty well what Gauthier will look like at the NHL level if he doesn't improve his acceleration and agility. It's bad even at the CHL level.

 

[The Podium]

Which is pretty well what Gauthier will look like at the NHL level if he doesn't improve his acceleration and agility. It's bad even at the CHL level.

But his top end speed is right up there. His first few steps need some work I agree but he is by no means at Steckels level.

 

[Countryjunkie]

In regards to the negative responses Frederik Gauthier is getting, what happened to "you can't judge a player based on a tournament"?

It's truly sad that a defensive forward/D-man doesn't get the same kind of love that an offensive forward/D-man get. It's not all about scoring boys and girls. Give me a defensive team that can have a winning season by keeping the scoring low, and I'd be happy just the same.