Frédérik Gauthier

[dimi78]

We're like one year removed from the 2013 Draft and neither have played even one game of professional hockey, so who really cares if one looks marginally better than the other. They both project to be significantly different players with different strengths and weaknesses and both are currently still playing against kids in junior. Once they start to show something at the professional level against men and they get to showcase their strengths (strength, goalscoring prowess for Lazar and size, reach and defensive prowess from Gauthier) then we will have a better idea of who is "looking far better."

But if you want to play this game while we're at it we should invite the Ottawa Senator fans over and we can all complain that we didn't draft Anthony Mantha. Now there's a kid who has proven enough post-draft to make you regret not moving up to nab him (drafted a spot above Gauthier). The kid looks like he's going to be a star.

The same bolds for Mantha why exclude him on merits of what he's done in Jr? Jr hockey isn't the NHL nor even the AHL as a matter of fact. Cart before the horse is very popular when talking prospects that each and every one of us is guilty of.

 

[theIceWookie]

Just a clarification, not just talking about viewing 1 tournament, but various tournaments and camps. It's a sample I am comfortable with. And again, I am willing to adjust based on this year's play. But I don't expect this player to ever show the offensive talent for a top 6 role.

So short term things that have little value in truly judging a players real potential. I'd like to see a little illumination on what exactly you've seen...

Gauthier was a stud in the playoffs last year. He was incredibly strong for Rimouski

 

[wmark]

So short term things that have little value in truly judging a players real potential. I'd like to see a little illumination on what exactly you've seen...

Gauthier was a stud in the playoffs last year. He was incredibly strong for Rimouski

Didn't you know, that all you need is a 20 game sample size to judge a players worth.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

I can see Gauthier having a bigger role on the Leafs than most. All these people saying that all JVR and Kessel need is a defensive face off guy... Well Gauthier is just that. It's too early to tell, but if they wait for his offensive game to pick up a bit, he could very well replace Bozak IF we don't find a true 1C in Time. I mean, the guys already at bozak a level in terms of face offs, and even better at the defensive side of the game. I'm not saying he is Kopitar or Jordan Staal but he could very well end up like one of those players (not as good but, very alike)

 

[TootooTrain]

I can see Gauthier having a bigger role on the Leafs than most. All these people saying that all JVR and Kessel need is a defensive face off guy... Well Gauthier is just that. It's too early to tell, but if they wait for his offensive game to pick up a bit, he could very well replace Bozak IF we don't find a true 1C in Time. I mean, the guys already at bozak a level in terms of face offs, and even better at the defensive side of the game. I'm not saying he is Kopitar or Jordan Staal but he could very well end up like one of those players (not as good but, very alike)

I tend to think of him more along the lines of a Manny Malhotra. I doubt he'll be able to keep up with the likes of Kessel and Jvr. He's a 3rd line player till proven otherwise. Just haven't seen the offense that needs to gel with the rest of his defensive game that gets him accolades. Expectations should be tempered in terms of his offensive capabilities. There's room to grow though.

 

[highslot]

I'm assuming you're talking about when Burke traded picks #30 (Rakell) and #39 (Gibson) to move up to #22 in 2011 so he could take Biggs. Worth noting that Jenner (37th) and Saad (43rd) would have been available if you didn't like Rakell. But hindsight is always 20/20.

a lot of us at the time, including myself, would have liked to have jenner or saad as leafs, but at the same time, i was one of the ones who was higher on shinkaruk/burakowksy as well. at this point, gauthier is the safer bet to make the nhl, but i still think people would have been happy with:

jenner/shinkaruk vs. biggs/gauthier in our pool.

 

[highslot]

I've seen plenty of Komarov and I think he has more to show than he did the last time around, and I loved him then. But you are not really arguing against me here. Santorelli has one half season where he was great, most of his NHL career he's been a fringe NHL player. Komarov has not shown that he can translate his game more than to be a top fourth liner.

While I'm positive and hopeful about the impact these guys have in the upcoming season, I wouldn't really mention them as great bottom six players. Komarov is a good one, Santorelli could be great if he could build on last season (much higher work rate than previously), but track record would be against you there. Gauthier looks bound to be a great one.

And no, he doesn't have the same offensive upside as Burakowsky and Shinkaruk. I'd probably guess he'll end up having more of an impact than at least the latter though.

There's another aspect of Gauthier that I keep thinking about. The CHL game is different from a pro game, things that work well in junior won't work at all at the NHL level. I'm not sure if you watched Drouin at Tampas camp after he was drafted? He did amazing things. They were also often things that were borderline idiotic to try at the NHL level, and I'm pretty sure that's a part of why he was sent back down. Now to come back to Gauthier, he produces offense in a way that is very consistent with how offense is created in NHL. He will cycle, he will make safe, smart passes at the right times. He won't do fancy moves near the bluelines to beat a man.

I think we could end up seeing his numbers drop off less than normal going from CHL to NHL. I also think he'd complement skilled offensive wingers that like to cycle very well.



Thinking Bob Gainey would be setting yourself up for disappointment, but I know you didn't mean it that way.

Gauthier has excellent positional sense, reads the play very well and has a very active stick. He's also good along the boards. The thing he lacks defensively right now is some intensity, be a bit more of a puck hound. If he gets that, then he can be the type that just hunts the puck without getting himself out of play and also has the skill to steal and turn possession.

Since I've written a long post talking him up, I'll notice what I see as his drawbacks as well for balance. He lacks some intensity, as I've mentioned. This goes on both sides of the rink. His skating is a case of strengths and weaknesses, there is room for improvement there. His shot is an outright weakness that he needs to work heavily on, or he won't be a threat at the NHL level and the goaltenders won't have to respect that. He also has a propensity for choosing the safe play a bit too often. He seems very able to be a great playmaker, but he doesn't take that responsibility enough.

At this point, I'm seeing a 35 point #3C who'll be our best defensive player, and who will play heavy defensive minutes but still get us some decent possession. I'm fairly confident about that projection. Things can of course go both up and down.

it's an interesting point about drouin. while i agree with what you said about gauthier's type of offense tending to be more successful at the nhl level, to even pull that off still requires creativity, maneuverability, quickness and great timing. otherwise even mid pack teams can shut the door quickly with great team d.

also, most of that could be taught. the dangling and exploiting openings that someone like nylander (or someone established like a kane, giroux etc. ) can do can't really be taught. even ponikorovsky learned a cycle game, and he wasn't a mental giant.

it would be easier for a nylander/drouin to tone down idiocy than gauthier to develop creativity and manueverability imo. downhill battle vs. uphill.

 

[smitty10]

Really liked his game tonight. I think that in the next 2-3 years we'll see him as our full time 3rd line center. I wouldn't be surprised if he skipped the AHL next year and made the team out of camp. He likely should spend a season with the Marlies after junior, but he looks like he'll be an NHLer. Very happy with him.

 

[Nithoniniel]

it's an interesting point about drouin. while i agree with what you said about gauthier's type of offense tending to be more successful at the nhl level, to even pull that off still requires creativity, maneuverability, quickness and great timing. otherwise even mid pack teams can shut the door quickly with great team d.

also, most of that could be taught. the dangling and exploiting openings that someone like nylander (or someone established like a kane, giroux etc. ) can do can't really be taught. even ponikorovsky learned a cycle game, and he wasn't a mental giant.

it would be easier for a nylander/drouin to tone down idiocy than gauthier to develop creativity and manueverability imo. downhill battle vs. uphill.

I think Gauthier still has maneuverability, creativity and playmaking skills to get offense at the NHL level. I agree with your point in general though. I liked his game last night, hoping to see more good out of him tonight.

I don't really agree about the taught/cannot be taught-point. I think this is overstated, even though the effect is still there. It's for sure easier to learn defensive skills than offensive ones, but it's not a black and white thing. The type of hockey IQ away from the puck that Gauthier possess is one of those qualities that you generally have or don't have.

So if we compare to the available players in the pick range I agree that the chance that Shinkaruk takes big steps and develops a great defensive side of his game is bigger than that Gauthier does a ROR and develops great offense. I do think that the general projection for them would be Shinkaruk as a rather one-dimensional second line winger and Gauthier as a two-way, high utility third line center, with the latter having bigger impact.

In short, Shinkaruk has a high projection that he is more likely to reach than Gauthier, with a similar or slightly higher level of impact (high class first line winger versus two-way second line center). The moderate projection has Gauthier with a bit more impact and much higher probability, as outlined above. The low projection has Shinkaruk has a tweener type that has a hard time getting an NHL role, and Gauthier as a fourth line center of average to above average skill.

Do you think that's a fair assessment?

 

[Faltorvo]

I think Gauthier still has maneuverability, creativity and playmaking skills to get offense at the NHL level. I agree with your point in general though. I liked his game last night, hoping to see more good out of him tonight.

I don't really agree about the taught/cannot be taught-point. I think this is overstated, even though the effect is still there. It's for sure easier to learn defensive skills than offensive ones, but it's not a black and white thing. The type of hockey IQ away from the puck that Gauthier possess is one of those qualities that you generally have or don't have.

So if we compare to the available players in the pick range I agree that the chance that Shinkaruk takes big steps and develops a great defensive side of his game is bigger than that Gauthier does a ROR and develops great offense. I do think that the general projection for them would be Shinkaruk as a rather one-dimensional second line winger and Gauthier as a two-way, high utility third line center, with the latter having bigger impact.

In short, Shinkaruk has a high projection that he is more likely to reach than Gauthier, with a similar or slightly higher level of impact (high class first line winger versus two-way second line center). The moderate projection has Gauthier with a bit more impact and much higher probability, as outlined above. The low projection has Shinkaruk has a tweener type that has a hard time getting an NHL role, and Gauthier as a fourth line center of average to above average skill.

Do you think that's a fair assessment?

I would.

 

[Rob11]

I mean, the guys already at bozak a level in terms of face offs, and even better at the defensive side of the game.

He's never played in an NHL game and hardly out of junior hockey. Not sure how you could make wild accusations like that IMHO.

 

[SprDaVE]

I thought he was one of the better Leafs last night. If he keeps it up I think he'll get into a game in pre-season.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

So short term things that have little value in truly judging a players real potential. I'd like to see a little illumination on what exactly you've seen...

Gauthier was a stud in the playoffs last year. He was incredibly strong for Rimouski

I thought he looked Okay last night, he wasn't the best player out there, nor was he the worst, Frederick played like the future 3C as advertised, games against his peers are what we judge players on. The more recent the better, this is why The Leafs brass was in attendance last night. This is no different from Nyander to Biggs, to Gauthier.

 

[X66]

I'd put Gauthier close to the best player last night(Leivo) because he was pretty important on the PK and defensive zone draws.

 

[Hounsy]

You know what if he can continue to win draws, play responsible, and park his huge frame in front of opposing goalies at the right time like I saw last night I think he could be a very useful NHL'er. Must be a smart guy looks like he is crafting a game around his skill set.

 

[zeke]

i actually liked what i saw from freddy offensively last night - he was continually abke to make big bodied plays in the ozone to win the puck and establish position, and then dish it off to an open guy for a scoring chance. led directly to at least one goal last night. that's an nhl type play.

 

[GenericFan2*]

i actually liked what i saw from freddy offensively last night - he was continually abke to make big bodied plays in the ozone to win the puck and establish position, and then dish it off to an open guy for a scoring chance. led directly to at least one goal last night. that's an nhl type play.

This.

Really excited for this player. Such a unique prospect to have.

 

[Nithoniniel]

i actually liked what i saw from freddy offensively last night - he was continually abke to make big bodied plays in the ozone to win the puck and establish position, and then dish it off to an open guy for a scoring chance. led directly to at least one goal last night. that's an nhl type play.

Agree with Zeke. He shows signs of being able to make the type of cycling, smart offensive decisions coupled with using his size to go to the slot that leads to offensive production in NHL if you are not incredibly talented. I liked what I saw much more than if he would have been deking and trying to be overly creative, as that's not a game I think he is skilled enough to translate to NHL anyway.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Frederik Gauthier, Tyler Biggs look to take step forward with Leafs

By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Sun Sep 14 2014

LONDON, ONT.—There are two players at the Maple Leafs’ rookie camp who are particularly happy William Nylander has consumed much of the attention.
Those would be two other Leafs’ first-round picks: Frederik Gauthier, chosen 21st overall in 2013, and Tyler Biggs, chosen 22nd overall in 2011.

Gauthier’s skating has markedly improved and his defence has always been solid. It’s his offence that has been called into question. But the Leafs hope he’ll dominate in the QMJHL as a 19 year old. He had 52 points in 54 games last year. Gauthier has a different idea.

“My goal is to make the team,” said Gauthier. “I’ll do everything I have to do to make it. I think I’m ready and I will try to show them that I am.”

For Biggs, 21, it may be a matter of simply staying healthy. A bum shoulder limited him to 54 games last season when he scored a mere seven goals. Some consistency in his hockey life should help — this will be the first time in five years he’ll have played on the same team two years in a row.

“For Tyler, he’s still a young man,” Dineen said. “We all forget he’s never been on the same team two years in a row. He’s going to be in a situation where he’ s a little more comfortable, a little more confident, with people surrounding him he knows and trusts.”

When he did play last year, Biggs was often on the third or fourth line as a checker. The scoring touch and quick release he displayed as a teenager seem to have vanished.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs...ggs_look_to_take_step_forward_with_leafs.html

Interesting the linkage is being made for both Gauthier and Biggs already. 1st rd picks that will probably be valuable 3rd or 4th line defence 1st players for us in the future.

MOD EDIT - this article mentions Biggs and Gauthier but please keep it on topic discussing Biggs .. The other thread that was opened was starting to become a player discussion for both when each has their own discussion thread

 

[Cor]

#TeamBust

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Gauthier, Biggs, and a vet would be a very interesting 4th line. Sort of like Boston's once Campbell, Thornton 4th line.

If Gauthier starts to use his size more, this could have the makings of one of the better 4th lines in hockey. Defensively and for 4th lines it can be elite.

Biggs only OHL year, 26G, 27A 53Pts in 60GP

Gauthier 2nd last Q year, 18G, 34A 52Pts in 54GP

Very similar numbers.

 

[SprDaVE]

I have a lot more hopes for Gauthier then Biggs, but I think both have good enough potential to have a role in the NHL.

Gauthier has worked hard this summer it looks like. He looks faster and a lot more confident with the puck. He looks ready to explode offensively... so I hope Rimouski puts him in a position to thrive offensively, not just for his faceoff prowess.

Biggs has all the tools but I'm not sure if his toolbox will ever come together. He's fast, big and seems to have good enough skill... he just needs to put it together.

Both players are long term projects though. They may have a safe low ceilings but if they are going to reach a higher end ceiling, they need time to really develop what appears to be a lot of raw potential.

 

[ThrillinPhil]

Give Gauthier another year yet. Its too soon for him to be making this team

Well Biggs. Its about time, im hoping he can land a spot, but with all these depth signings we made during the off-season its gonna be hard.

 

[613Leafer]

If we remain consisently patient with our prospects, then we should have a rolling wave where every year we have guys coming into the NHL after 1-2+ years of AHL experience.

Without even considering these two guys, there's a pretty big logjam up front for the Leafs right now. Gauthier will almost definitely be back in the Q and same for Biggs into the AHL, though Biggs might get a callup at some point.

 

[buttman*]

Gauthier, Biggs, and a vet would be a very interesting 4th line. Sort of like Boston's once Campbell, Thornton 4th line.

If Gauthier starts to use his size more, this could have the makings of one of the better 4th lines in hockey. Defensively and for 4th lines it can be elite.

Biggs only OHL year, 26G, 27A 53Pts in 60GP

Gauthier 2nd last Q year, 18G, 34A 52Pts in 54GP

Very similar numbers.

I'd be happy with a line of Broll, Gauthier and Biggs as opposed to Orr, McClement, McLaren....