Player Discussion Julien Gauthier

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

I know that you still have hope, but it is greater than mine. Hossa may well wind up being a good comp. And Gauthier a future warning.

Absolutely fair.

 

[GunkWinger]

Seems like he's going through the same process that young players went through (like Buch) under Quinn. Im not worried yet. I liked the offense he showed first few games (hit posts if I remember) and clearly the coaching staff are trying to get him to play a more pro game. He'll be a better player for it if he puts in the work they're asking of him.

 

[Waivers]

The problem with Gauthier is that he's trying to play a finesse game when he isn't skilled enough. A guy with his size and speed should be terrorizing defensemen on the forecheck like Wilson. If he doesn't become more physical he'll be out of the league in short order.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I've watched Gauthier a couple games with the Rangers and see the same problems he had in getting in the line-up in Carolina. The cubic zirconia comment above is a perfect analogy and exactly how many of us saw it. The guy tantalized us with his size, speed and shot and we envisioned him being that RH power forward we had so long gone without in Carolina. Some even wanted him in the line-up last year over Necas. He only played in a handful of games in Carolina, but between those, pre-season and training camps, he never showed enough offensive talent to be a top 6 forward and he often looks lost out there away from the puck, in all zones. That's the main reason he didn't get much NHL time in Carolina.

He's big, strong and fast so if he can learn how to use that size and speed and learn how to play well away from the puck, he has a shot to be an NHLr. If he can't, then he will struggle to fill a role in the NHL.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Well we can expose him, at least.

Doesn't really bring anything to the table.

Not thrilled we gave up an exp draft exempt player to acquire him

 

[pld459666]

hard to do much when your coach clearly thinks you suck and gives you 6 minutes a game.

Hard to convince your coach you deserve more than 6 minutes a game when he (Gauthier) absolutely sucks.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Hard to convince your coach you deserve more than 6 minutes a game when he (Gauthier) absolutely sucks.

It's not that Gauthier played bad. Certainly not bad enough to be scratched (in my opinion). But when Blackwell and Rooney enter the line-up in your spot and play better, more noticeable, it will be hard to get your spot in the line-up back.

Blackwell and Chytil being out with injuries gives him a second chance but I think it would have been hard for him to fight his way back into the line up based on merit

 

[True Blue]

Blackwell and Chytil being out with injuries gives him a second chance but I think it would have been hard for him to fight his way back into the line up based on merit

But then it would behoove him to make the most of his time, the way that both Blackwell and Rooney have. So yeah, it will be difficult, but it is a non-starter (at least to me) if your play does not even come close to other players who have been pressed into starter duty. I would not have thought, and this is in no way disparaging to either Blackwell or Rooney as they have played very well, that asking Gauthier to simply match their level of play would have been so difficult for him. But it clearly has been.

 

[WojtekWolski86]

To pile on the points already presented, if you are barely scratching 4th line and can't be used on the PK or PP you really limit your usefulness in the lineup.

I would love it if we could limit some of Ziba's PK minutes and rely on our bottom 6 to pick up the slack there so Ziba isn't playing 24+ minutes a game but this roster isn't set up for that just yet.

 

[nyr2k2]

It's not that Gauthier played bad. Certainly not bad enough to be scratched (in my opinion). But when Blackwell and Rooney enter the line-up in your spot and play better, more noticeable, it will be hard to get your spot in the line-up back.

Blackwell and Chytil being out with injuries gives him a second chance but I think it would have been hard for him to fight his way back into the line up based on merit

That's the thing--and it was like this for Lias (who I always defended) as well: if you're "stuck" on the fourth line you really need to get the f*** over it and do your best to do something noticeable on every shift. If you don't, you can rest assured that someone else will come in, who knows they're not going to be a star, and is more than willing to play that 4th line role. And they'll force you right out of the lineup.

I don't think Gauthier is bad, he just doesn't seem to understand what he needs to do to be successful. And before it's all pinned on the coaches, plenty of guys in his situation figure it out on their own, or without the coaches. He hasn't figured it out and the clock is ticking.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Hard to convince your coach you deserve more than 6 minutes a game when he (Gauthier) absolutely sucks.

It's amazing how a player not earning playing team then becomes an example of a coach's vindictiveness....

 

[True Blue]

That's the thing--and it was like this for Lias (who I always defended) as well: if you're "stuck" on the fourth line you really need to get the f*** over it and do your best to do something noticeable on every shift. If you don't, you can rest assured that someone else will come in, who knows they're not going to be a star, and is more than willing to play that 4th line role. And they'll force you right out of the lineup.

I don't think Gauthier is bad, he just doesn't seem to understand what he needs to do to be successful. And before it's all pinned on the coaches, plenty of guys in his situation figure it out on their own, or without the coaches. He hasn't figured it out and the clock is ticking.

That is it, in a nutshell. Want to be noticed by coaches? Do SOMETHING. Want to force the coaches to play you like Blackwell and Rooney have? Do SOMETHING. I guarantee you those two do not suffer delusions of grandeur as to what type of play they need to bring if they want to be called NHL players.

 

[True Blue]

It's amazing how a player not earning playing team then becomes an example of a coach's vindictiveness....

No, it is much easier claiming that he will not get better until the coaching staff is replaced. That makes more sense.

 

[eco's bones]

It's been a lot of tools but no toolbox so far. The size, the skating, all the AHL goals--it all looks pretty but some kind of positive results would be nice. Maybe he just needs a couple breaks but so far I haven't seen enough from him. When we do see guys like Blackwell or DiGiuseppe more involved in the action it's hard to justify playing Gauthier ahead of them. He's not been one of our 12 best forwards. Brendan Smith is arguably a better forward than he is. It would help if he played a more physical game.

 

[Mikos87]

Seems like he's going through the same process that young players went through (like Buch) under Quinn. Im not worried yet. I liked the offense he showed first few games (hit posts if I remember) and clearly the coaching staff are trying to get him to play a more pro game. He'll be a better player for it if he puts in the work they're asking of him.

I wouldn't say he's been ineffective at all. But it's one of those things where you want to see some more numbers across the board, and hustle some more, and really just hear and feel the impact, he doesn't have to concuss guys, but just use his speed to get in position to cause a turnover, lean on them when them have the puck, take the puck, get the apple, or get open for the goal, and do this in all three zones.

He's been the low post man on a couple of scrappy garbage goals. At his size, he has outstanding balance and can park himself and be pretty effective, if he rounds out the rest, that's an effective player.

 

[Anthony5967]

I'd say at 6-4 225, there's no reason he can't forecheck and give as much effort as a Blackwell or Rooney or PDG do. Imagine if Gauthier played shifts like PDG? Give PDG Gauthier's skills and he'd be a monster. Gauthier should be playing shifts as Tom Wilson does. Need to be more noticable. We see it in flashes.

 

[pld459666]

It's not that Gauthier played bad. Certainly not bad enough to be scratched (in my opinion). But when Blackwell and Rooney enter the line-up in your spot and play better, more noticeable, it will be hard to get your spot in the line-up back.

Blackwell and Chytil being out with injuries gives him a second chance but I think it would have been hard for him to fight his way back into the line up based on merit

Agreed.

Hes not done anything to impress me at any aspect of the game.

Nothing

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

So, I know I'm a Gauthier booster, and there is a current narrative on the board that Quinn is somehow terrible at player development, but surely I am not alone in noticing the trend with him this season?

- Starts out trying to play the game that made him a big time scorer in junior/the AHL, has nothing to show for it.

- Sits for five games.

- Comes back clearly hyper aware of where he's supposed to be on the ice, and winds up a step slow and tentative, one of the worst players on the ice.

- Plays the same game, but is not as slow to react and a bit more assertive on the puck. Looks fine, but nothing special as a bottom sixer.

- Again focusing on a bottom/middle-six game, is noticeably quicker and makes multiple impactful plays. Easily his best game as a Ranger.

 

[Mikos87]

So, I know I'm a Gauthier booster, and there is a current narrative on the board that Quinn is somehow terrible at player development, but surely I am not alone in noticing the trend with him this season?

- Starts out trying to play the game that made him a big time scorer in junior/the AHL, has nothing to show for it.

- Sits for five games.

- Comes back clearly hyper aware of where he's supposed to be on the ice, and winds up a step slow and tentative, one of the worst players on the ice.

- Plays the same game, but is not as slow to react and a bit more assertive on the puck. Looks fine, but nothing special as a bottom sixer.

- Again focusing on a bottom/middle-six game, is noticeably quicker and makes multiple impactful plays. Easily his best game as a Ranger.

He got a nice shoutout from Babcock last night as well. Thought he was real good on the backcheck. Got open for a one-timer. Thought he, and the entire line played like you would want them to.

The team as a whole missed the home plate, the Isles got far more volume there last night, and that was the difference. Very similar to game 2. Not going to lament this loss. Game of inches against a team that knows how to grind out wins, this time the Rangers came out on the other end of things.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

he lacks Hockey IQ. this really pissed me off last night, him opening up and making himself a target here on this really low quality shot.

 

[Rangers in 7]

he looked very solid again last night, which probably means he will be scratched next game

 

[NYR Viper]

he lacks Hockey IQ. this really pissed me off last night, him opening up and making himself a target here on this really low quality shot.

Goal scorers who shoot the puck A LOT do that all the time. He was also expecting the pass to come straight across the ice, not stop at the middle guy there so he was already backing up.

I agree it's not a super high percentage shot, but people also clamor for more shots to be taken and he's not shy in that regard.

 

[CasusBelli]

I know that you still have hope, but it is greater than mine. Hossa may well wind up being a good comp. And Gauthier a future warning.

So we have both Hossa brothers on the team.

 

[Vitto79]

he looked very solid again last night, which probably means he will be scratched next game

He was more noticeable. Problem is yea Quinn will get Blackwood back in

 

[True Blue]

So we have both Hossa brothers on the team.

Always the wrong brothers