thanks for the insight.... wasnt too aware of his "mistakes". Its always hard to compare players who produced a lot of the same team. Who were playing with the better linemates? their physical game? IQ, defense etc
Who was not ont he top line, though? Perreault or Gauthier (2C)?
It depends on which unit you classify their "top" line.
For the most part Gauthier played with Gasseau and Malone as a veteran line and Gauthier was really the only guy with high NHL potential on that line. I wouldn't say he carried his line necessarily but he was very clearly the straw that mixed the drink. Smith, Leonard, and Perreault almost always played together. I never really saw that there was one guy among them that consistently ran and dictated the offense. They were more of a quick strike counterattacking line that would link with each other on the rush. If there was a guy that you could call the puck moving pivot once they were set up offensively, it would be Smith. So for my estimation, not considering age and just judging consistency of performances I'd rank and comment on them like this:
Gauthier: as mentioned, he didn't have as much top end talent on his line and he was still one of the most productive players in the nation while playing a very rarely talked about high level defensive game. The one knock I'd give him is there were times he could have played with more intensity and purpose to be a primary play driver and I think he displayed he has that potential in the NCAA finals but it's an aspect of his game that still needs work. He also has an NHL game under his belt where he showed a lot of promise as a potential goal scoring two way winger or center in Anaheim's top 6 when he gets more experience.
Smith: I think the best strengths are pure dynamism, top notch vision, and skilled hands. I think Smith may be slower than Leonard and Perreault but faster than Gauthier (which is not to say he's slow) but where he doesn't have that scorching footspeed like his linemates I think he process the game faster and has faster reflexes which translate into offensive zone play that is simply more effective and efficient. It's why when watching him, Smith will be more likely to make something happen seemingly when a play is impossible but he'll make good things happen in traffic. If I have any knocks on him, it's that he could stand to improve his two way game overall (the effort is somewhat there but the effectiveness is lacking) and, not as much a knock as a concern with guys who feast on defenders in tight traffic situations, there's a number of levels of higher defensive pressure Smith would face at the NHL level so I'd expect that when he starts his NHL career there will be a long adaptation period as he works on his timing and decision making.
Leonard: to me feels like an ideal supporting winger. He has speed and a good sense for when to jump into the play and as long as he doesn't have to have the puck on his stick for longer than 6+ seconds, he's good at finding plays to make be it a smart shot with a good release or a well placed and timed pass to either set up a high danger chance or keep possession for BC. But that does get him to where his problem spots are. He is not, by any stretch, someone you'd depend on to be a line's pivot as he's more prone than Smith to get lost on what to do with the puck in the face of mounting defensive pressure and on a number of occasions he'd force passes that would lead to turnovers or shoot it right into a defender just for the sake of getting a shot off and leave me asking "what the f*** are you doing Leonard?". He's at his best when his unit is going full speed ahead attacking from the neutral zone in a counter rush or when his team as a unit just happens to be clicking. His defensive effort/effectiveness is a bit higher than Smith as I'd say he's a more effective forechecker. He has work to do on becoming more effective and smarter when his team has the five man o-zone set up but there's no denying he's got talent. All of em do, but I'd feel better about the first two projecting into the NHL while I feel better about Leonard than Perreault.
Perreault: the numbers are there, the speed is there, the raw shooting and passing ability is there. Perreault approaches the game much in the same way Leonard does where they're both more effective in quick fire offense scenarios than in o-zone set up play. The reason I'd rank Perreault last is that while his speed is a clear asset, Perreault was far and away the most likely to try skating past a defender and lose it with little defensive effort against or force passes in any of the 3 zones that would get blocked off by defenders. To put it simply, I think he has the biggest question marks when it comes to hockey IQ (decision making) and adaptability to the pro game. As an example, he'd make a higher than ideal number of mistakes with the puck of he was the guy carrying the puck into the offensive zone, and in situations where he clearly couldn't rush right to the net and had to pass it off, he very regularly turned it over. His defensive efforts are fine for an offense first speedster but I don't think any coach at his level is clamoring to get him in a PK unit. I've seen it mentioned a number of times that he's the youngest of the four and I agree he still has plenty of time to improve, but for now I view him as the most likely to be a liability to his team of that big 4 and if he was my team's prospect I'd have concerns about his adaptability once he gets to the NHL. He could well just be a second line speedster who helps his team by quickly moving it through the neutral zone and cashing in loose pucks or exploiting defensive breakdowns. If you asked me today though, I'd say he'll need a talented center to thrive in the NHL. I just don't know if he has enough tools in his kit to warrant a first line spot.
Either way, I personally wouldn't be voting for him with my next five picks.
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