RW Tyler Boucher - Belleville Senators, AHL (2021, 10th, OTT)

[Osakahaus]

He played like 12 games this year - can you honestly say with any confidence what Boucher is?

I think its completely fair to say that hes definitely a gamble versus the better known commodities that were available. But I think its laughable to suggest that you know anything tangible about a player that had an injury, a pneumonia, and had covid in his draft year.

From all indications from those who have followed him, he was poised to have a huge season, and has way more upside than hes being given credit for here. Much like Shane Pinto who went on to have a prolific, award winning college career, and turned pro seam
lessly at the end of last year.

then Dorion trusts this kid

 

[MakeCgyGreatAgain]

Boucher is a pain in the ass to play against. That’s a great trait to have. I like Boucher and wanted to draft him. I hope he turns out to be as good as the Sens are expecting.

 

[benjiv1]

Dorion really woke up today and said let me put my job on the line

Mann tells him who to pick. There was a really good interview on the Wally and Methot show where he explains some of the dynamic. (Dorion offering to trade back, Trent Mann telling him they like their guy at #X)

Honestly, people are upset because of consensus rankings, but in a year where scouting was heavily altered, and Boucher barely played, who the heck knows where he should have been drafted.

 

[3 Minute Minor]

If you don’t know what you are saying, it’s be better to refrain from commenting. Too many people here don’t have a clue what they are saying.

Boucher is far from a boxer. He’s a skilled power forward. I could see him scoring at a first or second line rate eventually. He missed a lot of time this season, so that hurt his draft stock with the public perception, but he showed good improvement from last season with making more happen from shift to shift. He’s also a huge physical presence. One of the most punishing hitters in any recent draft. I wouldn’t have taken him this high, but I absolutely could see him being the 10th best player in this draft. He’s Tom Wilson 2.0 if he hits his ceiling.

I really like how you lectured people and then did the "Tom Wilson 2.0" thing

Do you not remember the decade of "Lucic 2.0!" every time someone throws a hit that resulted in no Lucic 2.0s and a bunch of busts?

 

[benjiv1]

I really like how you lectured people and then did the "Tom Wilson 2.0" thing

Do you not remember the decade of "Lucic 2.0!" every time someone throws a hit that resulted in no Lucic 2.0s and a bunch of busts?

I don’t know enough about Boucher, to be 100% in this answer, but the majority of players that were anointed to be Lucic 2.0, had mobility/skating issues. Based on the scouting reports, it doesn’t look like Boucher has that issue.

 

[Sting]

I really like how you lectured people and then did the "Tom Wilson 2.0" thing

Do you not remember the decade of "Lucic 2.0!" every time someone throws a hit that resulted in no Lucic 2.0s and a bunch of busts?

Projecting a players probability of success based on a stylistic comparison doesn't seem like a great idea.

The Sens scouting staff are better talent evaluators than anyone in this thread.

 

[Asquaredx2]

I really hope he's not a sociopath the way Wilson is.

One of the things that I respect the most about Brady is that although he definitely wants to make his presence felt, he always seems to be in control of himself. He's out to hurt, not full-on injure.

 

[IranCondraAffair]

Seemed like a huge reach. Wasn't happy about the pick. Sometimes you pick an injured player who was ranked lower and they turn out, Ottawa did that with Hossa for instance.

If he turns out, Mann and Dorion in Ottawa should get a ton of accolades. Reaching that low and being right is a huge accomplishment. It does happen, look at Blake Wheeler. If he doesn't turn out though, they'll have egg on their face and it should be added to the list of reasons to fire Dorion.

 

[jfhabs]

I was hoping for the Habs to select him at 31. 10 was a reach, but he's a good player, hard to play against.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

I would echo the sentiment from the other NTDP guys in this thread. In a draft where Mason McTavish goes #3, Tyler Boucher at #10 doesn't really surprise me. Big forwards who can bring some skill while utilizing their size and aggression don't grow on trees, and they're often drafted at a premium.

For as unpredictable as this draft was advertised, the top 9 picks went mostly scratch with the major scouting predictions. Had Ottawa taken Boucher over a guy like Johnson or Clarke that would look a little rougher to me. Over guys like Coronato, Lucius, Sillinger, Lysell, the goalies, etc... I think it's a little bit rich for my taste personally, but not an outrageous selection by any means.

I think there's very legitimate top 6 power forward upside here. I wouldn't say he's an excellent skater, but he moves around the ice with good energy. Solid hands and shot. Like PB mentioned, super engaged, super active shift-by-shift. Obviously he plays very aggressively. I mentioned before the draft that I think he's a riser from the late 1st to the mid 1st if he plays a full season, and I stand by that. For that reason, while I do think #10 is a bit steep, I don't mind this pick at all for Ottawa.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don’t know enough about Boucher, to be 100% in this answer, but the majority of players that were anointed to be Lucic 2.0, had mobility/skating issues. Based on the scouting reports, it doesn’t look like Boucher has that issue.

His skating is pretty good. He's not much of an east to west player and he's 6'1/6'2 205+ already, so I wouldn't say he's going to make great pivots and turns in different directions, but he can turn a defenseman off the rush or gain the zone with speed.

 

[Dionysus]

Interesting pick, high risk high reward. If he develops well, could be a highly impactful top six power forward. The upside is there with speed, size, skill, and determination.

Having Boucher and Brady as very physical top line forwards would be a unique dimension that few teams would be able to match up with.

 

[Samsquanch]

Seemed like a huge reach. Wasn't happy about the pick. Sometimes you pick an injured player who was ranked lower and they turn out, Ottawa did that with Hossa for instance.

If he turns out, Mann and Dorion in Ottawa should get a ton of accolades. Reaching that low and being right is a huge accomplishment. It does happen, look at Blake Wheeler. If he doesn't turn out though, they'll have egg on their face and it should be added to the list of reasons to fire Dorion.

100% agreed. Doubt they actually will, Dorion and Mann seem to be recognized as talented scouts almost universally - yet they seem to get raked over the coals every draft by the very fan base that should know the error in their ways by now.

Heck we still have Sens fans that would probably take Zadina over Tkachuk - if nothing more than out of spite and/or the long shot dream they may still end up being closer to right someday.

Im actually excited to see how it turns out for them tbh - they didnt have to bet on themselves and open themselves up to so much personal critique had they not gone so far off the board.

But they did, and this pick will either prove again that these guys are among the best of the best in the league, hands down. Or it would be fair to say that they might have started to overvalue some qualities a bit much, and might not be as smart and ahead of the curve as they believe they are.

 

[Boud]

100% agreed. Doubt they actually will, Dorion and Mann seem to be recognized as talented scouts almost universally - yet they seem to get raked over the coals every draft by the very fan base that should know the error in their ways by now.

Heck we still have Sens fans that would probably take Zadina over Tkachuk - if nothing more than out of spite and/or the long shot dream they may still end up being closer to right someday.

Im actually excited to see how it turns out for them tbh - they didnt have to bet on themselves and open themselves up to so much personal critique had they not gone so far off the board.

But they did, and this pick will either prove again that these guys are among the best of the best in the league, hands down. Or it would be fair to say that they might have started to overvalue some qualities a bit much, and might not be as smart and ahead of the curve as they believe they are.

I don't think Sens fans are worried here. Most of us know that the only part of the organization that can really be trusted is the amateur scouting and most of us have also learned to be patient with our picks. Trent Mann has to be up there as one of the best scouts in the league. This is a very similar reaction to two years ago when the Sens picked Pinto when Kaliyev was still available. Ottawa got absolutely destroyed online following that pick by fans of other teams and by guys like Wheeler. Two years later, Pinto has 7 points in his first 12 NHL games and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker, was defensive forward of the year, forward of the year, and player of the year in the NCHC. He was also one of the best players for team USA at the WJC. If you go back to the after draft grades it's absolutely comical to see the reactions and just shows how much most people actually know about these prospects. The same thing happened with Tkachuk, and with Sanderson as well to a certain extent. Of course I'm not insinuating that Ottawa ALWAYS makes the right picks, but compared to 95% of NHL teams they've definitely shown and proved that they know what they're doing and that's just the reality.

Most people on these boards don't actually follow prospects that much and what they look at are lists from different scouting agencies. So when they see someone picked at 10 that was ranked 45, their automatic reaction is that it's a bad pick. Even if they have no clue who that player is and his potential. I'd argue that there is probably only 10% of people posting in these draft threads that actually put the time and effort to have a solid opinion on prospects. Very few people actually watch OHL, Q, MHL, SHL, KHL, Liiga, WHL, NCAA games. Anybody can go and watch a higjlight video on youtube. Again, just not that many people will put in the time and effort, especially if you're not getting paid to do it.

All in all, the Sens scouting staff is one of the best in the league and they might've made a bad pick here but they've earned the right to be trusted. Sens fans can question the pick and that's fine, but we know we should be careful with our reservations. Never go full re tard.

Personally, I would've loved Lucius, but let's see how it unfolds. If Mann is willing to bet on Boucher then I think it's just smart to take a step back and see what he saw in him.

 

[SlapJack]

Seemed like a huge reach. Wasn't happy about the pick. Sometimes you pick an injured player who was ranked lower and they turn out, Ottawa did that with Hossa for instance.

If he turns out, Mann and Dorion in Ottawa should get a ton of accolades. Reaching that low and being right is a huge accomplishment. It does happen, look at Blake Wheeler. If he doesn't turn out though, they'll have egg on their face and it should be added to the list of reasons to fire Dorion.

Hossa was not injured for his draft year. He played in Slovakia and then came over to North America after the draft, making the Sens out of camp, and then went to Portland where he got injured during the Memorial Cup final game.

In regards to Boucher, Ottawa has me looking up guys to find out more about them every year after they pass on someone ranked highly that looks like a player they need. Last year all of Sanderson, Grieg, and Jarventie had me questioning their decisions but after watching them closely post draft, they all have me very excited about the team moving forward. Boucher is now another. Even in the cases where they may have passed on a player who could turn out better, you have to like what they have in the pool. There's a clear style of team they're trying to build and it's one that will wreak havoc in the playoffs once they finally get there.

 

[Killerjas]

Interesting pick, high risk high reward. If he develops well, could be a highly impactful top six power forward. The upside is there with speed, size, skill, and determination.

Having Boucher and Brady as very physical top line forwards would be a unique dimension that few teams would be able to match up with.

I dont see that much upside, maybe a middle 6/bottom 6, psychical energy guy with some smarts. He is quite well rounded but I don't much flash to his game.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

I dont see that much upside, maybe a middle 6/bottom 6, psychical energy guy with some smarts. He is quite well rounded but I don't much flash to his game.

I hope Ottawa has young Boucher play at least 2 years of college hockey before turning him pro it would do wonders for his development

 

[Akrapovince]

I hope Ottawa has young Boucher play at least 2 years of college hockey before turning him pro it would do wonders for his development

One thing we’re good at is not rushing prospects, even to the point of acquiring over the hill players to block them from making the move.

There must be some untapped offensive potential the scouting crew sees in him, and agreed- he definitely needs to find that in college.

 

[newfy]

Between the sens and the team the wings are building,the skilled teams in the division arent going to have fun against them. I think their front offices mightknow they arent going to outskill Toronto or Tampa for a long time and theyre going to beat them up instead. I think Boucher was a bit of a reach, but everyone overreacts to picks like this in a normal year. The guy was a first round talent, he might have went 20 spots early but in the NHL draft these picks happen all the time. Boucher going to a team with guys like Tkachuk already there setting the team identity could help his odds of making it.

I'm not going to bet on him being a top line player, but I would bet on him making the league in some capacity. These guys are rare and valubale now

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I dont see that much upside, maybe a middle 6/bottom 6, psychical energy guy with some smarts. He is quite well rounded but I don't much flash to his game.

He's pretty bad defensively, and takes a lot of dumb penalties. I wouldn't call him well rounded.

 

[bert]

Ottawa is showing that the people (like me) who were skeptical of almost all of their draft picks since the start of their rebuild may be right and Ottawa may just be lucky

Wait so you are saying their picks were bad but because they worked out they are lucky?

*Guy resembles Tom Wilson*

Let's reach 30 picks on him. I fully expected a reach, but 10th? Holy f***.

Gonna have a field day playing against the leafs though.

yet there are people who tell me ottawa is good at drafting even though they make trash picks every year

What a bad innacurate take.

I have come around on this pick the more research I have done. If people thought that Coleman Gourde and Goodrow were a difference making shift disturbing third line to play against and was a big reason why Tampa one then they are going to love the sens future third line. A third line featuring 3 of C Brown, Nick Paul, Formenton, Greig and Boucher on it is going to be the most hated in hockey. With both those guys able to move up and down the lineup, the sens are going to be incredibly challenging to play against. The sens have an identity they are embracing and I think thats good playing in such a skilled division, especially as a small market team.

Tkachuk Norris Batherson
Stutzle Pinto Boucher
Formenton Greig C. Brown
Paul White Watson

 

[Dominance]

Wait so you are saying their picks were bad but because they worked out they are lucky?


Gonna have a field day playing against the leafs though.


What a bad innacurate take.

I have come around on this pick the more research I have done. If people thought that Coleman Gourde and Goodrow were a difference making shift disturbing third line to play against and was a big reason why Tampa one then they are going to love the sens future third line. A third line featuring 3 of C Brown, Nick Paul, Formenton, Greig and Boucher on it is going to be the most hated in hockey. With both those guys able to move up and down the lineup, the sens are going to be incredibly challenging to play against. The sens have an identity they are embracing and I think thats good playing in such a skilled division, especially as a small market team.

Tkachuk Norris Batherson
Stutzle Pinto Boucher
Formenton Greig C. Brown
Paul White Watson

Sens certainly have a really nice-looking forward corps moving forwards and Boucher fits their identity really well. I just think Sillinger, Coronato, and honestly quite a few other names look better in that top-6 slot. L’Heureux and Othmann bring similar sandpaper and have nicer looking offensive packages, IMO.

We’ll see how it plays out.

 

[bert]

Sens certainly have a really nice-looking forward corps moving forwards and Boucher fits their identity really well. I just think Sillinger, Coronato, and honestly quite a few other names look better in that top-6 slot. L’Heureux and Othmann bring similar sandpaper and have nicer looking offensive packages, IMO.

We’ll see how it plays out.

I think there is a very good chance he ends up on the third line which im fine with I think him and Formenton together are what nightmares are made of. They have other players like Sokolov, Greig, Jarventie, Connor Brown that can potentially play in the top 6 too, probably alot of movement on the 2nd and 3rd line. I really liked Othmanns game at the U 18's. I think Boucher is more boom bust, with the sens prospect depth im ok with it I wanted them to go for it with this pick and it looks like they did.

Sens likely have another top 10 pick next year too, so there will be a chance to draft for more elite skill in a higher end draft.

 

[Dionysus]

I dont see that much upside, maybe a middle 6/bottom 6, psychical energy guy with some smarts. He is quite well rounded but I don't much flash to his game.

Seems like more of liking certain types of players. A high end power forward, which would be Boucher's top end upside, is extremely valuable.

No way of knowing how he will end up developing, could bust, could be an energy guy who doesn't develop his scoring touch, could be a Todd Bertuzzi type first line forward.

That risk comes with any playing style, Boucher certainly has a chance to hit his potential, and if he does he will he a monster.

 

[DueDiligence]

*Guy resembles Tom Wilson*

Let's reach 30 picks on him. I fully expected a reach, but 10th? Holy f***.

Have you checked your Leafs drafting record the last 10 years after the obvious ones ? Not so good.