Prospect Info: With the 21st overall pick, Toronto selects... Frederik Gauthier!

[The Winter Soldier]

Defensive player are very important. If we had a Gauthier type player in our serie vs. the Bruins (Gauthier potential obviously), we may have win it.

With all the offensive forward that we have, a real high-end quality defensively guy like Gauthier is a very good pick.

Honest question, is this the ceiling you want for Gauthier? A quality defensive #3 center.

 

[Community]

Honest question, is this the ceiling you want for Gauthier? A quality defensive #3 center.

I don't think that's what the poster you quoted was implying. He just said a good defensive C. Like he wants a Hanzal type C instead of a Ribeiro type C is what I think he's trying to get across.


If our line-up looks like this (for the top 6):

JVR - Kadri - Kessel
Lupul - XXXX - Clarkson

I want a defensive top 6 C for that #2 slot. Although I'd really love for Gauthier to become a Hanzal-like player and our line-up be:

JVR - Gauthier - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Clarkson

Edit: Having Gauthier is important... We don't know how Bolland is going to look when he comes back from injury and if he is going to sign here (I really hope he does... (He's a great 3rd line C who has looked like a good-great 2nd line C here so far). But who knows what he's gonna look like or if he'll be on our team in 2-3 years when Gauthier is pushing for a spot.

 

[pooleboy]

i dont understand why everyone doesn't like this pick? at worst he will probably become a 3rd line Center... at best? what? top 6 C sign me up.... people just expect potential all stars in the first round and outside the top 5 there harder to find and hopefully we found a hidden gem.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I don't think that's what the poster you quoted was implying. He just said a good defensive C. Like he wants a Hanzal type C instead of a Ribeiro type C is what I think he's trying to get across.


If our line-up looks like this (for the top 6):

JVR - Kadri - Kessel
Lupul - XXXX - Clarkson

I want a defensive top 6 C for that #2 slot. Although I'd really love for Gauthier to become a Hanzal-like player and our line-up be:

JVR - Gauthier - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Clarkson

Edit: Having Gauthier is important... We don't know how Bolland is going to look when he comes back from injury and if he is going to sign here (I really hope he does... (He's a great 3rd line C who has looked like a good-great 2nd line C here so far). But who knows what he's gonna look like or if he'll be on our team in 2-3 years when Gauthier is pushing for a spot.

Biggs is destined to be a bottom 6 player, I think most of us thought he had top 6 potential when he was drafted. But understandedly some are disappointed Leivo, Broll have passed him on the Leafs depth chart.

If Verhaeghe passes Gauthier on the depth chart in 3 years, will he also be viewed as Biggs is today.

If the ceiling for Gauthier is 3rd line when he was drafted, boy, we drafted with low expectations.

Atleast with Biggs, he was a Milan Lucic type of prospect, and worth a risk of moving up even with the remote chance of this happening. Not many Lucic's in the NHL.

Gauthier was a "think Martin Hanzel". zzz. Not exactly the same projection.

 

[JackJ]

Honest question, is this the ceiling you want for Gauthier? A quality defensive #3 center.

What else were you expecting at 21?

Rather take the safe pick than swing for the fences on a bust.

 

[Delicious Dangles*]

Honest question, is this the ceiling you want for Gauthier? A quality defensive #3 center.

I don't see what's wrong with that. His ceiling is higher, but if that's how he turns out, it's perfect.

I think people have gotten way too used to drafting at the top of the 1st round. You're not going to get a Kadri or Rielly at #21. You're lucky to get a top-9 player at #21.

 

[Sundinisagod]

5 goals , 11 assists for 16 points in 17 games for Gauthier thus far

Above PPG, and he's been battling injuries.

For a guy that isn't supposed to be a pure offensive guy, he hasn't been bad this year.

Hopefully he comes back healthy and starts producing a bit more

I could be wrong but I think he had a better start to the season last year in terms of offensive stats. I really hope he can step his offensive game up this year and significantly better the almost ppg pace of last season.

 

[Delicious Dangles*]

Biggs is destined to be a bottom 6 player, I think most of us thought he had top 6 potential when he was drafted. But understandedly some are disappointed Leivo, Broll have passed him on the Leafs depth chart.

If Verhaeghe passes Gauthier on the depth chart in 3 years, will he also be viewed as Biggs is today.

If the ceiling for Gauthier is 3rd line when he was drafted, boy, we drafted with low expectations.

Atleast with Biggs, he was a Milan Lucic type of prospect, and worth a risk of moving up even with the remote chance of this happening. Not many Lucic's in the NHL.

Gauthier was a "think Martin Hanzel". zzz. Not exactly the same projection.

Biggs was projected as more of a bottom-6 player when drafted than Gauthier is. Plus, he was a project right from the start. You have NO idea what he is going to be.

Funny you bring up Lucic, because he didn't even score PPG in the WHL the year after he was drafted. And didn't break out until 22, and his 4th year in the NHL.

You make it sound like finding gems in later rounds is a bad thing. It doesn't matter if a player is "passed" on the depth chart by another one of our prospects. It just means we have a stronger prospect pool.

Drafting a 3rd liner late in the first round is not a bad thing either. Stop expecting superstars.