I have zero doubt in my mind that we're a better team with Blackwell in the lineup over Gauthier. For all his limitations, Blackwell busts his ass every shift, plays smart, is versatile, and can basically play in every situation. He also brings energy to the game.
Gauthier, for all his god-given talent, has not consistently shown much to warrant keeping him in the lineup. Even when he was "playing better," it was still basically like being involved in a small handful of plays each night. His isn't a situation like with Kravtsov or Kakko or Lafreniere, where you can see the kids ready to bust out--his was more like, "Eh, is he finally starting to understand things?"
The reality is that Quinn hasn't been tasked simply with developing young players at any cost; he's also tasked with winning, and building a winning culture, and developing those players within that culture. Unfortunately for Gauthier we have a lot of wingers--our strongest area--and he has never really demonstrated anything on a remotely consistent basis to force his way into the lineup over a guy like Blackwell who brings it every night.