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

[bicboi64]

His game translates to the NHL level as an energy grinder who can chip in with offense here and there. He looks to be progressing like that type of player.

We've got loads of wingers that are better suited for top 6 roles. Good think Boucher fills a role that we aren't rich with prospects in. Crookshank is dope, but Boucher hits wayy harder

 

[OD99]

Boucher's passing and vision remind me a lot of Brady Tkachuk, it is a very underrated aspect of his game. I think much like Tkachuk, that aspect of his game will become much more clear as he develops.

I think Boucher is going to become a very fun player for the Sens. At minimum I think he becomes somewhat of a cross between Nic Deslauriers and Ryan Reaves. I also see some traits that remind me of Marcus Foligno and Josh Anderson.

Using some more obscure names, physically I see Boucher becoming a smaller version of Evgeni Artyukhin with a Martin Frk shot. He is going to be an absolute wrecking ball out there and he is going to have a very powerful shot.

He has a lot of the right attributes to be a quality complementary top six player. His speed, skill and structure to his game will allow him the ability to play with very high end players. We already saw that in preseason where he fit in well with Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris. The question will be whether he can find consistent production to remain in those top six roles when he gets the opportunity.

He has flashes of high end skill but at this point it is kind of like Josh Anderson who also has the flashes that make you wonder what kind of player he could be if he was able to do that consistently. His lack of consistency is what keeps his production jumping up to more impressive levels.

A smaller version of Evgeni Artyukhin mixed with the toughness and physicality of Ryan Reaves and Nic Deslauriers, with some attributes of Marcus Foligno and Josh Anderson, with a shot like Martin Frk, and some vision and passing like a lesser version of Brady Tkachuk is the makings of a very fun and entertaining player.

I can't help but feel you are being wildly optimistic however I also can't help hoping like hell your evaluation is correct.

Here is to Boucher being a more offensive player in the NHL vs the junior and minor leagues!

 

[BondraTime]

I can't help but feel you are being wildly optimistic however I also can't help hoping like hell your evaluation is correct.

Here is to Boucher being a more offensive player in the NHL vs the junior and minor leagues!

It's basically describing a Cal Clutterbuck, just throwing a different aspect of 6 different players in

All together, those aspects, likely optimistic in many parts for sure, point to a solid energy bottom 6er.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Nic Deslauriers is his realistic potential at this point.

Solid 4th liner but a terrible result from a 10th OVR pick and anyone arguing differently is kidding themselves.

It's not Boucher's fault the Sens drafted him about 10-20 spots too high. Hopefully they'll learn their lesson about hyper-focusing on physicality and draft differently in future years.

 

[OD99]

It's basically describing a Cal Clutterbuck, just throwing a different aspect of 6 different players in

All together, those aspects, likely optimistic in many parts for sure, point to a solid energy bottom 6er.

Haha - I was laser focused on the Brady comparison so anything less than PPG will be a bitter disappointment.

Kidding, I have very modest expectations.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I can't help but feel you are being wildly optimistic however I also can't help hoping like hell your evaluation is correct.

Here is to Boucher being a more offensive player in the NHL vs the junior and minor leagues!

 

[slamigo]

I feel like Boucher will track similar to Tkachuk in that people underestimated his offensive abilities and wrote him off as a grinder/mucker type of player.
I have high hopes for Boucher. I think he will find his game in the NHL. I feel his game is well suited to the NHL game.

 

[scout20]

I hope Boucher ends up being a Miles Wood type of player at the NHL level.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I hope Boucher ends up being a Miles Wood type of player at the NHL level.

Doesn't have that speed

 

[StutzlingAway]

As long as he becomes a valuable top 9 player, can't ask for more from the kid.

 

[Ice-Tray]

If he becomes a valuable top 9 forward, that’s a pretty good return historically for a 10oa.

Definitely pulling for the kid because we could definitely use the jam.

 

[camZ]

Was it a reach? Yes it was, but you need draft picks to pan out more and more with salary cap and use them on ELC or cheap deals and he is a pretty good bet to be a b6 player for us for years to come. He’s not got the highest ceiling but we can’t always draft stars.

Sillinger had a solid rookie season and now 5 points in 22 games… neither of them would be key t6 players for us in future

 

[BoardsofCanada]

I still think Mike Fisher is a good comparison for Boucher. Same body type, similar aggression and physicality on the ice. Fisher was probably a better skater and had better instincts. He was a better offensive player than Boucher will ever be. The jury is still out... Boucher could still shock us.

 

[R2010]

I feel like Boucher will track similar to Tkachuk in that people underestimated his offensive abilities and wrote him off as a grinder/mucker type of player.
I have high hopes for Boucher. I think he will find his game in the NHL. I feel his game is well suited to the NHL game.

NHL scouts didn't. He was ranked #3 on Bobs List wasn't he? Boucher on the same list was a 2nd rounder? Late 1st?

Was it a reach? Yes it was, but you need draft picks to pan out more and more with salary cap and use them on ELC or cheap deals and he is a pretty good bet to be a b6 player for us for years to come. He’s not got the highest ceiling but we can’t always draft stars.

Sillinger had a solid rookie season and now 5 points in 22 games… neither of them would be key t6 players for us in future

Sillinger was a better junior player two years ago than Boucher is today.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

I can't help but feel you are being wildly optimistic however I also can't help hoping like hell your evaluation is correct.

Here is to Boucher being a more offensive player in the NHL vs the junior and minor leagues!

I guess it depends on how you look at it. I tried to focus on depth players and players that had some really intriguing traits but weren't able to get a lot out of them.

For example, I suggested that Boucher could be a smaller version of Evgeni Artyukhin. Artyukhin is listed at 6'4 254 lbs so he has some size on Boucher. Boucher was listed at 6'2 205 lbs in preseason so he is only a couple of inches shorter but his peak playing weight could be as high as 225 to 230 lbs.

Here are some clips of Artyukhin:




Watching that footage, athletically speaking he had the ability to be one hell of a power forward. But if you look at his career stats, it never amounted to that much. There are likely a wide range of explanations as to why that is the case. With that said, there is still something appealing about a player with those athletic tools and that level of physicality. Under the right circumstances a player like that could be an extremely valuable depth piece.

Next, look at Martin Frk. This guy has a ridiculous shot.



One might think that with a shot like that, that Frk would score a ton of goals. When you look at his stats, he has only been able to get a few looks in the NHL where he has scored some goals but not a lot, and in the AHL he has been a decent goal scorer and only last season did he really light the lamp in an impressive way.

So even if you just merged Artyukhin and Frk into one player and Boucher became exactly that, it wouldn't be easy to tell what his production would look like. Artyukhin was an athletic freak but that didn't turn him into a premier power forward, Frk has an insane shot but he is not really thought of as an elite goal scorer.

Boucher will be a very powerful player in his prime and will likely look a lot like Ryan Reaves in terms of his athletic build. Reaves didn't have a ton of fights in juniors but ended up taking on that role as he became a pro. It was conducive with being an alpha physical player. Boucher has already demonstrated a willingness to fight and he he ends up only being a depth player he will likely fight a fair amount. We might even have a highlight clip of his like this one day:



I could still see Boucher eventually becoming a legit top six player but it would take some big development leaps. He would need to find a level of consistency that he hasn't found at this point. Also speculations of such upside are based on some intriguing tools he has and not based on current production. Like I pointed out with Artyukhin and Frk, a player can have some really intriguing tools that can make you wonder what kind of player they could be if they could put it together or consistently perform with what they show glimpses of. But just like Artyukhin and Frk, sometimes those intriguing tools don't translate into the production you would hope for.

 

[Oscar The Grouch]

I guess it depends on how you look at it. I tried to focus on depth players and players that had some really intriguing traits but weren't able to get a lot out of them.

For example, I suggested that Boucher could be a smaller version of Evgeni Artyukhin. Artyukhin is listed at 6'4 254 lbs so he has some size on Boucher. Boucher was listed at 6'2 205 lbs in preseason so he is only a couple of inches shorter but his peak playing weight could be as high as 225 to 230 lbs.

Here are some clips of Artyukhin:




Watching that footage, athletically speaking he had the ability to be one hell of a power forward. But if you look at his career stats, it never amounted to that much. There are likely a wide range of explanations as to why that is the case. With that said, there is still something appealing about a player with those athletic tools and that level of physicality. Under the right circumstances a player like that could be an extremely valuable depth piece.

Next, look at Martin Frk. This guy has a ridiculous shot.



One might think that with a shot like that, that Frk would score a ton of goals. When you look at his stats, he has only been able to get a few looks in the NHL where he has scored some goals but not a lot, and in the AHL he has been a decent goal scorer and only last season did he really light the lamp in an impressive way.

So even if you just merged Artyukhin and Frk into one player and Boucher became exactly that, it wouldn't be easy to tell what his production would look like. Artyukhin was an athletic freak but that didn't turn him into a premier power forward, Frk has an insane shot but he is not really thought of as an elite goal scorer.

Boucher will be a very powerful player in his prime and will likely look a lot like Ryan Reaves in terms of his athletic build. Reaves didn't have a ton of fights in juniors but ended up taking on that role as he became a pro. It was conducive with being an alpha physical player. Boucher has already demonstrated a willingness to fight and he he ends up only being a depth player he will likely fight a fair amount. We might even have a highlight clip of his like this one day:



I could still see Boucher eventually becoming a legit top six player but it would take some big development leaps. He would need to find a level of consistency that he hasn't found at this point. Also speculations of such upside are based on some intriguing tools he has and not based on current production. Like I pointed out with Artyukhin and Frk, a player can have some really intriguing tools that can make you wonder what kind of player they could be if they could put it together or consistently perform with what they show glimpses of. But just like Artyukhin and Frk, sometimes those intriguing tools don't translate into the production you would hope for.

Was Boucher a good pick at 10?

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

I feel like Boucher will track similar to Tkachuk in that people underestimated his offensive abilities and wrote him off as a grinder/mucker type of player.
I have high hopes for Boucher. I think he will find his game in the NHL. I feel his game is well suited to the NHL game.

While I'm not all that hopeful....the possibility definitely is there.

The kid has much better hockey IQ and vision than his stats show. He could be one of those unicorns who looks better, the higher (and more structured) level he plays.

I wonder if he becomes a really strong defensive specialist on the third line. Big body, physical presence, pain-in-the-ass type of guy who can shut down opponents.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Nic Deslauriers is his realistic potential at this point.

Solid 4th liner but a terrible result from a 10th OVR pick and anyone arguing differently is kidding themselves.

It's not Boucher's fault the Sens drafted him about 10-20 spots too high. Hopefully they'll learn their lesson about hyper-focusing on physicality and draft differently in future years.

Assuming that he doesn't have any jumps in production per game this season he is still on track to slightly outperform Josh Anderson's D+2 OHL season. His production is also right in line with Alex Formenton's D+2 OHL season.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Was Boucher a good pick at 10?

Only time will tell. Would Tage Thompson have still gone 26th overall in the 2016 draft if teams knew he was going to become the player he is now? Would Jason Robertson still have gone 39th overall in the 2017 draft if teams knew he was going to become the player he is now?

What Boucher eventually becomes is what will determine whether the pick was justified or not.

I was convinced that Brady Tkachuk had the ability to be the player he is now. I was very outspoken about that. In that situation my intuition happened to be pretty good. I like what I see with Boucher and my gut sense is that he is going to be a lot better player than a lot of people think. Will my gut instincts turn out be be worthwhile in this situation? Only time is going to tell that. I'm either going to look really smart or really dumb so we will see how it plays out.

 

[ottawah]

I feel like Boucher will track similar to Tkachuk in that people underestimated his offensive abilities and wrote him off as a grinder/mucker type of player.
I have high hopes for Boucher. I think he will find his game in the NHL. I feel his game is well suited to the NHL game.

Tkachuk offensive ability was off the charts compared to Boucher, its not an apt comparison.

The question on Tkachuk was more focused on how he would adjust to an NHL game that did seem to suit his style far more than NCAA. It is odd to see a projected banger and crease type of power forward get 3 assists to every goal. But thats also the NCAA game where it is harder to play that way, especially as a non drafted player playing against far bigger men. I had the same thoughts. And it worked out because he proved he could play that role.

 

[BondraTime]

Still forcing comparisons for him to see things that aren’t there I feel.

 

[Icelevel]

Too much talk not enough wait and see here imo.
He is progressing. Good.
He is progressing into the type of player we need in the Ottawa lineup. Excellent.

 

[aragorn]

Only time will tell. Would Tage Thompson have still gone 26th overall in the 2016 draft if teams knew he was going to become the player he is now? Would Jason Robertson still have gone 39th overall in the 2017 draft if teams knew he was going to become the player he is now?

What Boucher eventually becomes is what will determine whether the pick was justified or not.

I was convinced that Brady Tkachuk had the ability to be the player he is now. I was very outspoken about that. In that situation my intuition happened to be pretty good. I like what I see with Boucher and my gut sense is that he is going to be a lot better player than a lot of people think. Will my gut instincts turn out be be worthwhile in this situation? Only time is going to tell that. I'm either going to look really smart or really dumb so we will see how it plays out.

I think he turns out to be one of those playoff warriors that play the hard minutes, I would be interested to see a Ostapchuk - Kastelic - Boucher line in future. All three have offensive potential, all three hit & fight & all three are a pain in the ass to play against. It would not be the worse thing in the world if they turned into a line similar to the NYI 4th line when they were younger & really good. I could also see Greig play C with Ostapchuk & Boucher on the wings with a little more offensive production on a 3rd line. There will be options with these guys that benefit the team.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Only time will tell. Would Tage Thompson have still gone 26th overall in the 2016 draft if teams knew he was going to become the player he is now? Would Jason Robertson still have gone 39th overall in the 2017 draft if teams knew he was going to become the player he is now?

What Boucher eventually becomes is what will determine whether the pick was justified or not.

I was convinced that Brady Tkachuk had the ability to be the player he is now. I was very outspoken about that. In that situation my intuition happened to be pretty good. I like what I see with Boucher and my gut sense is that he is going to be a lot better player than a lot of people think. Will my gut instincts turn out be be worthwhile in this situation? Only time is going to tell that. I'm either going to look really smart or really dumb so we will see how it plays out.

They are completely different type of players though. Thompson, Robertson, Tkachuk all had good hockey IQ as prospects. It was their athleticism they needed to work on.

Boucher is the opposite. One of the strongest and fastest and athletic in his leagues, but poor IQ makes him underperform his tools.

 

[senswon]

He should consider training with Brady next summer.
In fact, all our young kids should be on the Gary Roberts program.
What a coup it would be to have G. Robert's working for the team