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

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Big center who plays a good two way game. Skates well, offense comes mostly around the net. He's not going to be a big playmaker, but he's not bad in that area either. Could be picked in the top few rounds in 2021. Son of the former NHL goaltender and current NBC Broadcaster, Brian Boucher.

Tyler Boucher at eliteprospects.com

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[Pavel Buchnevich]

I like this player’s game. Everything I said in December applies, but now I’m seeing a good physical game and he skates really well for a power forward. It’s hard to peg a range. He’s probably a mid-round guy, but he plays on a very deep team, so he could be underrated and he has another season of development before his draft. He’s raw but talented, so he may have significant development ahead of him.

 

[Haanz]

Nice start to the season for Boucher, picking up 5 points in his first three games with the U18 team. Real good size and isn't afraid to use it. Add in a super high compete level, and there's a lot to like about the package he brings.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He’s raw but talented, so he may have significant development ahead of him.

This is exactly what's happened.

I think it's very clear that Boucher has improved the most from U17 year to U18 year of all of the NTDP players. He's no longer a raw player with good tools. He's now a consistent force.

I don't want to compare him to Tom Wilson because there are differences, but there's Tom Wilson production upside in his game.

Boucher is really big, he's already like 6'1 200+, incredibly strong and holds off all players at the junior level because he's stronger than them. He's a very good skater for a player his size with straight away speed but also the ability to make cuts and move side to side. He dangles really well also. He makes some creative passes. In fact, his best passes are his creative passes. His lack of ability to make effective simple passes is probably the biggest issue with his offensive skills. He also has a good shot. He can beat goalies clean.

Physically, he's a real danger to the players on the other team. Every shift he'll look to hit someone. Sometimes, he'll hit 3-4 players on a shift. Sometimes, he'll knock a player into the next county. But his hits are often illegal, they are poorly timed, they are unneeded, and they take him out of position defensively. His positioning defensively is often poor, and he's a cherry picker. He's lazy defensively, and doesn't want to contribute without the puck if it's not hitting a player.

I think he's going to be a winger because he's not good defensively, he's not much of a playmaker, and he takes himself out of position a lot. But he does take some face-offs and occasionally will still line up for shifts as a center.

Like most power forwards, his decision making isn't very good. With the puck, I wouldn't say his decision making is that bad. It's not good, but it's not that bad. His really bad decision-making is in the hits he makes. He puts his team short-handed a lot. He's going to get suspended a lot, if he doesn't learn to hit legally.

I still think he's a huge riser for this draft. He's a consistent force every shift and the other team knows where he is every shift. All teams are going to want a player like this. Considering he's a big riser, pegging a range is difficult. I would say late first is around where he should go for now.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I’ll be interested to see where he’s picked. McKenzie listed him at 40. I would be surprised though if some teams don’t have him high and some teams have him low. He’s only played 12 games this season due to injuries, and he needs to learn how to play responsible hockey, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some teams had him in the first round. He has really high upside.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Born in Haddonfield, New Jersey, forward Tyler Boucher has spent the last two seasons with the United States National Team Development Program. This past year he was limited by a series knee injury suffered in January. He played just 12 games for the Under-18 team, scoring six goals and five assists for 11 points. Rehabbing his injured knee, he also played two games for the Under-17 team, scoring three goals. Boucher ended up missing out on the IIHF Under-18 World Championships as a result of his injury.

In 2019-20 Boucher put up nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 43 games with the Under-17 team. He also won a silver medal playing with Team USA at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge. Boucher scored a goal and three assists for four points in six tournament games.

Boucher is the son of former NHL goaltender Brian Boucher. He is committed to playing NCAA Division One hockey for the Boston University Terriers next season. Should he change his mind and opt to head to the CHL, his rights are owned by the Ottawa 67s who took him in the 7th round of the 2019 OHL Draft.

2021 NHL Draft #50: Tyler Boucher Scouting Report

 

[neelynugs]

with everyone looking for the next tom wilson, josh anderson, etc, and this being a mediocre draft
with minimal views on some guys, assume tyler will go late in the 1st round.

 

[03HockeyFan]

There are better power forwards available that should go well before Boucher. Late 1st is a very big stretch.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

There are better power forwards available that should go well before Boucher. Late 1st is a very big stretch.

Who are they? If Boucher played more than a few games this season, he may have went top 15.

 

[03HockeyFan]

Zach Bolduc
Samuel Helenius
Francesco Pinelli (not necessarily a power-forward; but has the body to grow into that role)

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Zach Bolduc
Samuel Helenius
Francesco Pinelli (not necessarily a power-forward; but has the body to grow into that role)

Bolduc might be better, but he’s not a power forward. Helenius has nowhere near the skating or offense of Boucher. And you already defeated your own argument for Pinelli. He’s not a power forward. You can’t just say someone is big with some grit so that means they project as a power forward. It doesn’t work like that.

Boucher is an actual power forward that plays like it on the ice. I don’t know how someone could think he’s overrated. He’s about as underrated as any player in this draft. I would bet most people didn’t even see him play this season. He played so few games. But the few games he played he was much improved and looked like a first round pick.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

I like Boucher's game a ton, I really just wish we could've seen him play more with the NTDP this year. Had he played the U18s I think he'd be climbing boards rapidly.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Hoping Blackhawks snag Cossa and Boucher.

 

[majormajor]

Bolduc might be better, but he’s not a power forward. Helenius has nowhere near the skating or offense of Boucher. And you already defeated your own argument for Pinelli. He’s not a power forward. You can’t just say someone is big with some grit so that means they project as a power forward. It doesn’t work like that.

Boucher is an actual power forward that plays like it on the ice. I don’t know how someone could think he’s overrated. He’s about as underrated as any player in this draft. I would bet most people didn’t even see him play this season. He played so few games. But the few games he played he was much improved and looked like a first round pick.

I agree, there are very few actual power forwards available like Boucher.

One minor note of caution is that he isn't going to be quite so scary against NHLers, he's not like a late blooming 6'4 Josh Anderson or Adam Lowry type of guy. He's 6'1 and scary against teenagers but doesn't have much room to get stronger.

I'd still have him in my top 31 though, his physical presence will be valuable.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I agree, there are very few actual power forwards available like Boucher.

One minor note of caution is that he isn't going to be quite so scary against NHLers, he's not like a late blooming 6'4 Josh Anderson or Adam Lowry type of guy. He's 6'1 and scary against teenagers but doesn't have much room to get stronger.

I'd still have him in my top 31 though, his physical presence will be valuable.

He was measured at 6'1 at the beginning of the season. The NTDP is known to not inflate measurements, unless it's a situation of a much shorter player, so we know he's at least 6'1. He might have grown since the start of the season. He only turned 18 in January and his father 6'2, so I don't think it'd be unlikely if he had grown to 6'2 or 6'3 during the season. I believe there's no combine this year, so we won't get the official measurements on that.

 

[majormajor]

He was measured at 6'1 at the beginning of the season. The NTDP is known to not inflate measurements, unless it's a situation of a much shorter player, so we know he's at least 6'1. He might have grown since the start of the season. He only turned 18 in January and his father 6'2, so I don't think it'd be unlikely if he had grown to 6'2 or 6'3 during the season. I believe there's no combine this year, so we won't get the official measurements on that.

I could buy 6'2.

 

[newfy]

I agree, there are very few actual power forwards available like Boucher.

One minor note of caution is that he isn't going to be quite so scary against NHLers, he's not like a late blooming 6'4 Josh Anderson or Adam Lowry type of guy. He's 6'1 and scary against teenagers but doesn't have much room to get stronger.

I'd still have him in my top 31 though, his physical presence will be valuable.

Plenty of guys smaller than 6'1 have been fairly scary against NHLers though and that was back when the NHL wasnt as soft as it is right now. He'll likely end up playing at a similar size as Chris Neil who I would consider a pretty scary dude.

 

[thethinglonger]

Here's some footage from a game in March:

 

[Rogie21]

NHL.com's Mike Morreale ranks Boucher as the #10 RW for the draft. Glad to hear he'll be tutored at BU by Jay Pandolfo and Doug Friedman.
2021 NHL Draft: Top 10 right wings

 

[JoshTessler]

Paul Zuk from my team at Smaht Scouting wrote this report on Boucher. Check it out. Hit him up if you have any questions.

 

[MMC]

Welcome to Ottawa

 

[Kevin Musto]

Big reach lmao

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Wowzers