Prospect Info: Tyler Boucher (RW/LW) - Don`t sleep on Tyler Boucher

[BondraTime]

Yeah, but to counter this. Rafi has been way off many times, like pumping the tires of Kole Sherwood last offseason. Which BTW I think is a very realistic comparison to Boucher. Same size, skill set, point totals in minors, etc.


Yip. He's not a physical monster. Average sized actually, and yes smaller than Sillinger.

If being off on a player or prospect meant anything, nobody on the site would be able to give their opinion on players, every poster here is wrong more than they are right, like most of the professionals

 

[God Says No]

It’s not a prediction. It’s a realistic and reasonable account of where he is at right now.
People want to label him right now as a bust or a reach or whatever. Point is.. give him time he is actually on a good track to succeed.

Yeah, kinda agree with that, but you gotta take what Rafi says with a grain of salt as he skews his views on the positive side focusing on individual highlights and skills. Like he did with Kole.

Yes, currently Tyler seems to have righted the ship, BUT it's very early. Let's see how he does when it's not in scrimmages or drills. That'll be a better barometer where he's at with his development.

 

[God Says No]

If being off on a player or prospect meant anything, nobody on the site would be able to give their opinion on players, every poster here is wrong more than they are right, like most of the professionals

For sure, I've been off many times. Just like the negative Nancie's are being questioned now, I'm still questioning the positive spin. That's what we're here on this site. To debate with posters. I'm not trying to gatekeep.

 

[Ice-Tray]

It’s not just size, it’s how you use it

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

What do you guys think about Mike Fisher as a best case comparable/play style?

Fish had crazy hits, good shot, fast, but like Boucher could never really seem to capitalize on those tools but still ended up a very valuable NHL player despite his questionable IQ.

I think Fish was 6 ft 1 as well, though he had freakish strength and was known as one of the strongest players in the league. He also dominated juniors even as a 2nd round pick.

So perhaps T Boucher as a poor mans Mike Fisher?

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

 

[Dan Patrick]

In terms of recent Sens im thinking a less defensive more physical Connor Brown type of RW as his ceiling. A guy who can play up the lineup a bit but is probably better on the bottom 6. He's still got a long way to go offensively before im confident comparing them but that's my hope.

 

[Samboni]

Does Boucher get in any exhibition games with the big club?

 

[OD99]

It’s not a prediction. It’s a realistic and reasonable account of where he is at right now.
People want to label him right now as a bust or a reach or whatever. Point is.. give him time he is actually on a good track to succeed.

Well it's reasonable and realistic to some who see the huge upside.

I don't think it's reasonable to think he might make the NHL team tbis season or that his structure/maturity is NHL level. Not even close.

I appreciate that Rafi is always detailed in his thoughts but I just disagree here.

He needs a lot of time to get sorted out before he is ready IMO.

 

[BondraTime]

What do you guys think about Mike Fisher as a best case comparable/play style?

Fish had crazy hits, good shot, fast, but like Boucher could never really seem to capitalize on those tools but still ended up a very valuable NHL player despite his questionable IQ.

I think Fish was 6 ft 1 as well, though he had freakish strength and was known as one of the strongest players in the league. He also dominated juniors even as a 2nd round pick.

So perhaps T Boucher as a poor mans Mike Fisher?

Fisher played center, and was a Selke Nominee.

Dion't think Boucher plays the same kind of game, and he isn't known for his defensive play

Not sure they are similar outside of both being very capable physically.

 

[Icelevel]

What do you guys think about Mike Fisher as a best case comparable/play style?

Fish had crazy hits, good shot, fast, but like Boucher could never really seem to capitalize on those tools but still ended up a very valuable NHL player despite his questionable IQ.

I think Fish was 6 ft 1 as well, though he had freakish strength and was known as one of the strongest players in the league. He also dominated juniors even as a 2nd round pick.

So perhaps T Boucher as a poor mans Mike Fisher?

Similarities for sure. Still we have to wait a couple yrs before making judgements or comparisons. At this point though yeah I can see it. Style wise not career wise.
Fish was underrated imo in some ways. He could dominate at times. Like he could go up against anyone in the league and make them look bad. Inconsistent though and difficult to play alongside.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Fisher played center, and was a Selke Nominee.

Dion't think Boucher plays the same kind of game, and he isn't known for his defensive play

Not sure they are similar outside of both being very capable physically.

Fisher also always shot crest, while Boucher seems to be able to pick corners.

Lol, it was so frustrating with fish given all his hard work to see him bulldoze his way down the ice to always shoot the puck into the goalie’s midsection!

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Fisher played center, and was a Selke Nominee.

Dion't think Boucher plays the same kind of game, and he isn't known for his defensive play

Not sure they are similar outside of both being very capable physically.

yea the defensive play is another story.

they are both such unique players which is why it makes me compare them. in terms of tools, physicality, decent skill, skating and shot, but lack of ability to leverage it into greater offensive play.

They even look similar skating. Average height, but beefy type guys. Boucher probably gets to the 215 pound range that Fish was playing at as well.

Fisher also always shot crest, while Boucher seems to be able to pick corners.

Lol, it was so frustrating with fish given all his hard work to see him bulldoze his way down the ice to always shoot the puck into the goalie’s midsection!

that's unfair to compare like that.

Fisher put up 100 points in juniors. including 40 goals. So which 19 year old was picking corners?

 

[Ice-Tray]

yea the defensive play is another story.

they are both such unique players which is why it makes me compare them. in terms of tools, physicality, decent skill, skating and shot, but lack of ability to leverage it into greater offensive play.

They even look similar skating. Average height, but beefy type guys. Boucher probably gets to the 215 pound range that Fish was playing at as well.



that's unfair to compare like that.

Fisher put up 100 points in juniors. including 40 goals. So which 19 year old was picking corners?

Why is it unfair?

Boucher is known to be able to pick corners with his excellent wrist shot right now. Whether he can do it consistently in the CHL or pros remains to be seen.

Fisher picked crest in the pros no matter how many points he scored in juniors.

I’m not trying to make a hard comparison, more hoping that Boucher doesn’t end up a crest shooter as well.

Feel free to govern your own comparisons. You talking about unfair comparisons makes me laugh given your posting history.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Why is it unfair?

Boucher is known to be able to pick corners with his excellent wrist shot right now. Whether he can do it consistently in the CHL or pros remains to be seen.

Fisher picked crest in the pros no matter how many points he scored in juniors.

I’m not trying to make a hard comparison, more hoping that Boucher doesn’t end up a crest shooter as well.

Feel free to govern your own comparisons. You talking about unfair comparisons makes me laugh given your posting history.

my point was that fisher was picking corners at a greater rate than Boucher in juniors. I just disagreed with you saying that Boucher is a corner picker in that context. Compared to fisher, he's really not at this point.

but yes I'm hoping Boucher has a different development curve in that aspect as well, i remember Fisher's annoying crest seeking missiles as well.

 

[Ice-Tray]

my point was that fisher was picking corners at a greater rate than Boucher in juniors. I just disagreed with you saying that Boucher is a corner picker in that context. Compared to fisher, he's really not at this point.

but yes I'm hoping Boucher has a different development curve in that aspect as well, i remember Fisher's annoying crest seeking missiles as well.

Was he scoring with an accurate wrist shot in juniors? I honestly have no idea.

When I say picking corners I mean that Boucher seems to have a particularly wicked wrist shot and has good accuracy according to coaching and scouting comments. Game time situations obviously matter a lot here, so as I said we’ll see how it all translates.

Anyways, I’m not looking to go down the rabbit hole here, I was mostly talking tongue and cheek about Fish’s propensity to crest shoot, and hoped that Boucher was able to translate to picking corners in the NHL given you had introduced the comparison.

Fisher was an elite 3rd liner, I hope Boucher can be that as well.

 

[jhutter]

With 9 goals in 41 games last year, his wrist shot can’t be particularly wicked.

 

[Sweatred]

Yep. That's the first thing I noticed when I went to a 67's game in February to get a look in person - he's not nearly as big as you might think or hope.

Step one of Boucher's redemption tour is being a dominant first line player on what will hopefully be a much improved 67's team. (Side note - I've never felt worse for a bunch of kids than the 67's in 2020 and 2021. The pandemic robbed them at least one, maybe two Memorial Cup runs. Those kids aged out, and the junior hockey Circle of Life kicked in.)

Step two will be Fall 2023, when he will have to start earning ice time in the AHL. That's a man's league, and a huge jump from major junior. Then, and only then, can we start projecting him into a future Sens lineup.

Did you see the video of him standing and chatting with Giroux - he looks plenty thick.

 

[Bevans]

I am currently in a coma on Boucher.

Half ppg in D1, in the OHL, is never NHL territory. I sincerely hope he gets a toolbox for all his tools, but for the time being i don't see him projecting as an NHL player.

 

[Sweatred]

I am currently in a coma on Boucher.

Half ppg in D1, in the OHL, is never NHL territory. I sincerely hope he gets a toolbox for all his tools, but for the time being i don't see him projecting as an NHL player.

I see a bit of Andre Roy - Roy had a Lazer but rarely put himself in a position to score. 10+ years in the league. Boucher won’t fight as much but he skates, distributes, controls and tracks the puck a lot better.

I’d be fine with a hybrid of Roy hopefully who can defend better and get more advantaged ice time which boost his point totals.

This team desperately needs a deterrent on at least 2 of their lines. They have enough skill that a duo + Boucher will prove effective.

 

[Bevans]

I see a bit of Andre Roy - Roy had a Lazer but rarely put himself in a position to score. 10+ years in the league. Boucher won’t fight as much but he skates, distributes, controls and tracks the puck a lot better.

I’d be fine with a hybrid of Roy hopefully who can defend better and get more advantaged ice time which boost his point totals.

This team desperately needs a deterrent on at least 2 of their lines. They have enough skill that a duo + Boucher will prove effective.

Andre roy was a ppg junior player in his D1 season. Obviously it's not apples to apples going back to 1995. But nevertheless did much better against his peers, not even including the failed college stint.

Andre roy played 500 nhl games. I think this is extremely optimistic for boucher (so far).

 

[Korpse]

I am currently in a coma on Boucher.

Half ppg in D1, in the OHL, is never NHL territory. I sincerely hope he gets a toolbox for all his tools, but for the time being i don't see him projecting as an NHL player.

Do you believe that his production was indicative of his play or talent level? It was disappointing season but I'm not sure it was a defining season.

24 games is such a small sample to draw your conclusion. Brandon Dubinsky has 14 points in 25 games to start his D+1 season. He had 45 points in the next 43 games. Brett Ritchie had 15 points in his first 23 games of his D+1 season, he got traded and had 30 points in the next 30 games. I found those two example in less than 15 minutes, there are plenty others out there of players who didn't produce in a small sample.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Thanks Rafi. You’re one of the very few here worth reading in this subject. Appreciate the level headed reasoning.
Basically, he’s fine, give him time.
I agree with you 100% and am still excited to see him on the team when he’s ready. A year from now or 1.5-2 yrs.

I appreciate the kind words. I do think, however, that there are a lot of other people on here worth reading on this subject that have much different and even opposing perspectives to me. I think it is a good idea to give those other perspectives serious consideration.

I don't know if I would classify my commentary as "level headed reasoning" as that seems to imply that my take is much more grounded than others. I think my commentary might be better classified as logical but unconventional. It is probably worth mentioning that I have an autistic mind, so I perceive a lot of the world in a meaningfully different way than most other people. I am not bound by a lot the same conventions that others are, and I think in a very abstract and conceptual way. I tend to articulate my perspective in a very thorough way, so others can understand why I believe what I believe and more easily identify potential flaws in my logic or where their perspectives diverge.

I imagine that some likely find me to be frustrating to deal with. I can certainly be stubborn with my own perspectives. I can also be very persistent in challenging others perspectives. With that said, I am genuinely interested in learning more about a lot of these subjects and like to engage in intense intellectual discussions so I can really broaden my perspective or gain clarity on what I'm not seeing.

I am also aware that some on here have some hockey related credentials or have a serious interest in pursuing a career in hockey operations. Maybe it is a rationalization, but I tell myself that maybe by challenging some of these people that it can help push them closer to achieving their goal. That maybe there is some meaningful insight gained in these abstract and conceptual discussions with me, that by challenging conventions that it will give them a set of perspectives and a way of thinking that not only gets them a foot in the door but allows them to become highly successful and maybe even eventually land an opportunity in the NHL.

For most others, I would hope that my perspectives are at least thought provoking. That even if they disagree with me, that there is something that I said that facilitates them broadening their perspective, challenging a lot of assumptions and possibly gaining greater insight into some element of hockey than they did before.

All of this is a long winded way of saying, I appreciate that you see value in my perspective, but just recognize that it is likely an unconventional one, and that while it might be logical, you should question it and scrutinize it.

 

[Bevans]

Do you believe that his production was indicative of his play or talent level? It was disappointing season but I'm not sure it was a defining season.

24 games is such a small sample to draw your conclusion. Brandon Dubinsky has 14 points in 25 games to start his D+1 season. He had 45 points in the next 43 games. Brett Ritchie had 15 points in his first 23 games of his D+1 season, he got traded and had 30 points in the next 30 games. I found those two example in less than 15 minutes, there are plenty others out there of players who didn't produce in a small sample.

What are these examples indicative of?

Boucher had 17 points in 41 games this season across two leagues. Far worse than either of the players you named.

Dubinski took 6 more years to be a full time nhler and Brett took 8.

You're taking the worst part of their seasons to compare to the best parts of Boucher's, and you're ignoring that he flamed out of college?

Frankly at a loss as to how you think splitting the baby like this advances any notion that Boucher will be good.

It's not as if he had a great D season either. His last 2 seasons have been wracked by injuries, which come with the territory of his style. Likely more will come.

I've already said he has great tools, but they're not coming together and I don't think dubinsky having a slow 2 weeks in 2004 is relevant to that reality.

 

[Korpse]

What are these examples indicative of?

Boucher had 17 points in 41 games this season across two leagues. Far worse than either of the players you named.

Dubinski took 6 more years to be a full time nhler and Brett took 8.

You're taking the worst part of their seasons to compare to the best parts of Boucher's, and you're ignoring that he flamed out of college?

Frankly at a loss as to how you think splitting the baby like this advances any notion that Boucher will be good.

It's not as if he had a great D season either. His last 2 seasons have been wracked by injuries, which come with the territory of his style. Likely more will come.

I've already said he has great tools, but they're not coming together and I don't think dubinsky having a slow 2 weeks in 2004 is relevant to that reality.

It's indicative of sample size.

Sure. It wasn't a good year for Boucher.

Might want to recount those years. Dubinsky played one more season of junior and one in the AHL before he was a full time NHL player.

Not the worst part of the season's just the start of their season. Of course they had played multiple season in their respective leagues before that.

Not trying to advance the notion that Boucher will be good. I believe he has the potential to be, though it's a long road ahead.

Aside from injuries what was wrong with his draft year?

How are they not coming together? Sure the results over a small sample they didn't yield results. My point being I don't think it's indicative of future results. I think it would be ten weeks in 2004 btw.

You don't see him projecting to the NHL based on his 0.58 PPG in the OHL for his D+1 season. Is Andrew's Ladd 0.69 PPG in his D+1 season the difference between 0 NHL games and 1000 NHL games?