C Cutter Gauthier - Boston College, NCAA (2022, 5th, PHI; traded to ANA)

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Centers are required to be puck transporters and to facilitate the play. Gauthier isn't really a play driver and he doesn't appear to have anything but average playmaking skills.

The only way I see him being a center at the next level is if he is being a support guy down the middle for a winger like Gaudreau/Marner who can control the game like a center does.

But it's better off if he is using his speed and size to get in on the forecheck first and he only really uses one half of the ice anyways, so putting him on the wing won't stop him from grabbing the puck off the wall and shooting it into traffic like he loves to do.

If I were to make a comparison, it would be Charlie Coyle. I don't think Coyle is an effective centerman at all but is a solid player on the wing.

He can transport the puck through the different zones. He's good at that. He's not good at handling it in small areas, like the offensive zone. I think he can facilitate it by making simple plays. I've seen him do that at center, and he's effective at it. He's not going to be the main playmaker on his line, but there are some centers that make it by doing the simple things well and letting the wingers create the main offense.

I don't think we disagree too much. He's not a driver, but there are a good amount of centers that are the support guy, as you mention. I think thats what Gauthier will be projected as. I don't even know why you'd want him at winger. Centers are more valuable. At wing he tries to overcomplicate the game. When he has less time in the middle of the ice he plays simpler hockey.

 

[Frk It]

Why is he going to be a winger at the next level?

Why is he not playing center now?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Why is he not playing center now?

Good question. I think he should be. He has through various points at the NTDP.

I didn’t like the decisions of who they had at center and wing for this age group. I would’ve had Cooley, McGroarty, Gauthier, and Snuggerud as the top four centers. I would’ve had Stramel, Nazar, and Spicer on the wing.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Why is he not playing center now?

Centers are put on the wing every year in this tournament, who then pan out to be centers in the NHL.

 

[Frk It]

Centers are put on the wing every year in this tournament, who then pan out to be centers in the NHL.

The US team has been opting for Nazar at the 2C slot over him all year, not just for one particular tournament.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

The US team has been opting for Nazar at the 2C slot over him all year, not just for one particular tournament.

Ok gotcha. In that case, I'd look at the coach's reasons for making the decison. I menationed earlier in the thread that his coach has been basically trying to train him to play more like a winger all season, but he didn't give many reasons as to why.

After watching Ralph Kruger force guys who are still developing to be players they're not for two years, I want to learn more about the coach before I take him at his word on developing players.

 

[Frk It]

Ok gotcha. In that case, I'd look at the coach's reasons for making the decison. I menationed earlier in the thread that his coach has been basically trying to train him to play more like a winger all season, but he didn't give many reasons as to why.

After watching Ralph Kruger force guys who are still developing to be players they're not for two years, I want to learn more about the coach before I take him at his word on developing players.

Not that it doesn’t happen, but guys like Gauthier and Savoie played wing 100% of this year and people still want to project them as centers. I think it’s a lot more likely they are wingers.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Not that it doesn’t happen, but guys like Gauthier and Savoie played wing 100% of this year and people still want to project them as centers. I think it’s a lot more likely they are wingers.

Are you sure it's been all year? It's not as if all those guys that were at center at the end of the season played every game this season. Stramel missed over half of the season. McGroarty was the one who actually played no center the past two years, and I'm pretty sure Snuggerud is the one who has a fixture on Cooley's wing all season as opposed to Gauthier.

I can't say I've been tracking each game who lined up at center, but I suspect he may have had at least a few games at center this season. I know for sure last season he spent a significant amount of time at center.

 

[rt]

Not that it doesn’t happen, but guys like Gauthier and Savoie played wing 100% of this year and people still want to project them as centers. I think it’s a lot more likely they are wingers.

No they didn't. Gauthier and Savoie spent considerable time this season at Center. Matthew Savoie took over 800 face-offs this season for Winnipeg, more than any other player on the team. I don't have FO stats for the NTDP but I know Gauthier played a lot of center for the U18 team this season. I watched him do it. Especially when Cooley was gone or there were injuries.

Post automatically merged: May 2, 2022

Are you sure it's been all year? It's not as if all those guys that were at center at the end of the season played every game this season. Stramel missed over half of the season. McGroarty was the one who actually played no center the past two years, and I'm pretty sure Snuggerud is the one who has a fixture on Cooley's wing all season as opposed to Gauthier.

I can't say I've been tracking each game who lined up at center, but I suspect he may have had at least a few games at center this season. I know for sure last season he spent a significant amount of time at center.

I'd guess Gauthier played at least 40% of his shifts at C this season. I think Savoie probably more like 80%. Both are much higher than the 0% that poster said.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

No they didn't. Gauthier and Savoie spent considerable time this season at Center. Matthew Savoie took over 800 face-offs this season for Winnipeg, more than any other player on the team. I don't have FO stats for the NTDP but I know Gauthier played a lot of center for the U18 team this season. I watched him do it. Especially when Cooley was gone or there were injuries.

Post automatically merged: May 2, 2022

I'd guess Gauthier played at least 40% of his shifts at C this season. I think Savoie probably more like 80%. Both are much higher than the 0% that poster said.

Thank you. Both may very well end up on the wing -- not such an easy thing to assess from a distance -- but let's not distort the facts. To make things even more confusing, some coaches will have a guy take faceoffs and then play wing in the same shift.

It's actually an interesting topic that probably desreves it's own thread: which skills/traits make propsects projectable as a center. I'm not sure there's 100% agreement between NHL GMs, scouts, and coaches, and I believe the criteria changes over time as a result of natual trends, so it's partly subjective.

 

[Frk It]

No they didn't. Gauthier and Savoie spent considerable time this season at Center. Matthew Savoie took over 800 face-offs this season for Winnipeg, more than any other player on the team. I don't have FO stats for the NTDP but I know Gauthier played a lot of center for the U18 team this season. I watched him do it. Especially when Cooley was gone or there were injuries.

Post automatically merged: May 2, 2022

I'd guess Gauthier played at least 40% of his shifts at C this season. I think Savoie probably more like 80%. Both are much higher than the 0% that poster said.

I got it from looking at the lines their teams post on twitter. I can’t recall seeing Savoie listed at center once, and maybe Gauthier was listed there very early in the season but has not been at all the last few months.

If they are getting moved there through the course of the game you could be right, and I didn’t realize that was the case.

Edit - Looked at the game logs for Savoie, I was definitely wrong. You're right. Good to know. Every time I looked I saw Finley and Geekie listed as 1 and 2C for them.

Utlimately still feel Gauthier and Savoie are likely to end up as wingers, but good to know they played center this year.

 

[majormajor]

Gauthier took several draws... last game.

I think people are overreacting to last game where Havelid got the better of him. Gauthier's shot is great and his shot selection isn't bad at all. I can see why some scouts might prefer McGroarty for his inside / netfront game, but there's not much missing with Gauthier that he needs to be a successful NHLer.

 

[rt]

I got it from looking at the lines their teams post on twitter. I can’t recall seeing Savoie listed at center once, and maybe Gauthier was listed there very early in the season but has not been at all the last few months.

If they are getting moved there through the course of the game you could be right, and I didn’t realize that was the case.

Edit - Looked at the game logs for Savoie, I was definitely wrong. You're right. Good to know. Every time I looked I saw Finley and Geekie listed as 1 and 2C for them.

Utlimately still feel Gauthier and Savoie are likely to end up as wingers, but good to know they played center this year.

They look like centers to me when I watch them play hockey. I’ve got both in my top ten. Very good prospects. I see centers.

I’ve got a pretty small sample, I’ve watched maybe a dozen or so games on each.

EDIT: maybe more like 16ish each, but not like I’m a die-hard of either program.

 

[57special]

I think smaller, slighter players like Nazar who excel in junior hockey at C might have a tough time sticking at C in the NHL. OTOH, players like Gauthier and McGroarty will definitely get a look at C at higher levels.

Wild tried Boldy at C, because he had apparently played that position in minor hockey, but in spite of his size and puck handling ability he was better suited to wing.

 

[bsu]

I think smaller, slighter players like Nazar who excel in junior hockey at C might have a tough time sticking at C in the NHL. OTOH, players like Gauthier and McGroarty will definitely get a look at C at higher levels.

Wild tried Boldy at C, because he had apparently played that position in minor hockey, but in spite of his size and puck handling ability he was better suited to wing.

Boldy IQ is his strength, I don't see that with Cutter at the same level.

 

[57special]

Boldy IQ is his strength, I don't see that with Cutter at the same level.

You don't have to be a genius to play C. The days when your C was always the best playmaker and puck handler on the line are gone now. The main thing that coaches want from their C's are the ability to skate/cover ice(often translates to length), two way ability, and FO's. Wings like Panarin, Kane, Kaprizov, and in the future, possibly Boldy, are doing some of the things that C's were expected to do in the past. C's like Bergeron, ROR, Danault are what most coaches are looking for.
I think Nazar(or Jarvis/Perfetti) might have trouble with the two way duties of an NHL C, though he can always grow into the position. Gauthier has good skating, McGroarty good enough, and both have the size and strength to play C, and cover guys down low in the defensive zone.

There is no one size fits all, but there are certainly tendencies.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Boldy IQ is his strength, I don't see that with Cutter at the same level.

Some scouts say that his IQ is one of his best traits.

I'm not sure I have the best eye for that, but so many conflcting things have been said about the IQ of players like Gautier, Kemell, and Geekie that I question wether posters here have a uniform definition. They can't all have their IQ be a huge strength AND weakness.

 

[BKarchitect]

Some scouts say that his IQ is one of his best traits.

I'm not sure I have the best eye for that, but so many conflcting things have been said about the IQ of players like Gautier, Kemell, and Geekie that I question wether posters here have a uniform definition. They can't all have their IQ be a huge strength AND weakness.

To be fair you can have less hockey IQ than Boldy and still have it be one your strengths as a prospect.

Boldy has a special feel for the game. Gauthier is certainly no Boldy. But he can still project as a big, strong intelligent center.

 

[Eye of Ra]

He was born in Sweden. Is he eligible to play for Sweden?

 

[brakeyawself]

I think smaller, slighter players like Nazar who excel in junior hockey at C might have a tough time sticking at C in the NHL. OTOH, players like Gauthier and McGroarty will definitely get a look at C at higher levels.

Wild tried Boldy at C, because he had apparently played that position in minor hockey, but in spite of his size and puck handling ability he was better suited to wing.

I don't see Nazar's size as a problem. Think Savoie going to have a much more difficult time. Nazar reminds me of Newhook a bit. And from what I can tell at least, they are around a similar size.

At least EP has Nazar listed at 5'10 174 and Newhook listed at 5'10 190, but Nazar is 18 and Newhook is 21. 174 for an 18 year old really isn't bad. Can easily get up to 190 in a couple of years. And I think he's got all the skills and attributes that would allow him to succeed. Not comparing him exactly to Newhook, just in a size and trait aspect.

I think Nazar is actually the 3rd best center in the entire draft and stands a better shot at sticking at center than some other guys like Savoie. Really I think Nazar going to end up getting picked in the 5-7 range. And definitely groomed as a center.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

He was born in Sweden. Is he eligible to play for Sweden?

He’s Swedish and American? He checks two boxes for the Sabres. Three boxes if you want to count his dad being Canadian (former Sharks goalie Sean Gauthier).

 

[AmericanDream]

If he can turn into anything like Ryan Kesler with a bit less speed, he will have a heck of a career. Just not tumbleweed Kesler lol

 

[majormajor]

If he can turn into anything like Ryan Kesler with a bit less speed, he will have a heck of a career. Just not tumbleweed Kesler lol

I think he'll have the size, speed, and strength to play that Kesler type of role, and I like him at center, but Kesler was special for his intensity, I'm not sure yet if Cutter will have that.

Does anyone else see a bit of PLD with Cutter Gauthier?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Christian Dvorak is the comparison I’ve been using.

 

[JohnJim]

This year's McTavish? I don't think he'll go third like McTavish, but he might go earlier than most expect. Maybe sixth after Wright, Cooley, Nemec, Slafkovsky and Jiricek. He's big, strong, good skater, knows how to score and can play solid two-way game. Sounds like a very safe pick and even if he lacks elite tools, almost a goal per game (even in a team full of talent) in USHL is very impressive, no?