Frederick Gauthier looks good as the 4th line center

[Al14]

If you look at the rest of that first round, Shea Theodore is the only significantly better player, and then you have similar depth players to Goat in Hartman and Burakovsky.

Hard to call it a waste when there is barely anything else to have had instead.

Shea Theodore, all day, every day instead!

 

[Gallagbi]

A late first rounder which resulted in an NHL player in a weak draft. I'd say the Leafs actually did alright here. He was also projected to go exactly where we took him too. I remember mocks where he was going to the Leafs, as unexciting as it was to get a guy seen as a 4th liner at best. Hes slowly turning into Boyle though and we should be happy with that. A player like that will be valuable in a cup run.

He wasn't really considered a 4th liner at best. He was drafted with very little major junior experience and a big, developing frame. His ceiling seemed capped when he didn't progress the next few years.

 

[Gallagbi]

Shea Theodore, all day, every day instead!

Probably what he meant when he called him the significantly better player...

 

[BertCorbeau]

Just noticed through the first 6 games he's starting in the defensive zone nearly 90% of the time .. Also over 59% on the draw.

 

[Hclass47]

4th line Center should be capable of pk duties

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

 

[The Iceman]

Followed up his best game as a Leaf with a -2 clunker

 

[unitedstars87]

Love it

 

[Zizzzzy]

he doesn't lay a lot of hit, but he uses his body well to separate guys from the puck.

 

[Zybalto]

Dotchin really messed him up a couple of years ago with that cheap shot so its nice to see him establishing himself.

 

[Mad hatter]

4th line Center should be capable of pk duties

He has been killing penalties this year?

 

[thewave]

My love for goats has been on display here for years. He has mastered his body and found a good weight. He is the good goat I always knew he would become.

 

[Hclass47]

He has been killing penalties this year?

His usage is 5th out of forwards on the team. And will drop further when Hyman returns.

 

[Hogan86]

His skating has improved drastically. All the while hes gotten bigger. Listed at 6'5, 239 pounds. And he outraces Dumba to beat the icing. I've been really impressed with him. I always am disappointed though that Mantha was taken one pick before him. Imagine we had Mantha on our squad Haha. But Freddy is carving out a role, and to me he's looking like a poor man's Brian Boyle. You need those big bodies to do all the right things in the D zone to win.

 

[Mad hatter]

I understand why people hate that a first round pick was used on him but that’s where he was projected to go, as a defensive specialist centre. He was part of 4 team Canada’s, under 17,18 and 2 under 20, all as a defence of specialist and he won the defensive player of the year in the Q. He’s definitely not an offensive player but I have a feeling a little offence will start to sneak out soon. He’s got good hockey IQ just not much in hands department unfortunately but hopefully he works on that.

 

[thewave]

I understand why people hate that a first round pick was used on him but that’s where he was projected to go, as a defensive specialist centre. He was part pf 4 team Canada’s, under 17,18 and 2 under 20, all as a defence of specialist and he won the defensive player of the year in the Q. He’s definitely not an offensive player but I have a feeling a little offence will start to sneak out soon. He’s got good hockey IQ just not much in hands department unfortunately but hopefully he works on that.

He was also 3rd fastest skater at the combine. The big hope was always that his awkward balance would shore up. That his hand eye would get better. What you see from him now is pretty much what they hoped would happen and it happened. I am very happy with that pick, and people are calling it a waste, absolute crazy talk on that draft, who came after? 1 or two players that were sleepers. Big deal, that is always going to happen nobody knows that stuff.

Goat was a great pick like I said when we drafted him. Pound salt crybabies

 

[BertCorbeau]

Amazing what development can do. His speed has been an excellent improvement and the willingness to use the body is just apart of the maturity in his game.

 

[thewave]

Amazing what development can do. His speed has been an excellent improvement and the willingness to use the body is just apart of the maturity in his game.

He even went in and out of the lineup Bert. No harm done and people think that a little shuffling will rattle these young men. If they get rattled from life "stuff" like this. They probably won't be a factor on a contributing team anyways. Struggle, suffer, persevere.

 

[Mad hatter]

His usage is 5th out of forwards on the team. And will drop further when Hyman returns.

Babcock uses 6 forwards to penalty kill, so if the Goat is number 5 that shows he can kill penalties, doesn’t it? He’s maybe not the number one go to on the PK but he does the job fine as far as I have seen.

 

[Hclass47]

Babcock uses 6 forwards to penalty kill, so if the Goat is number 5 that shows he can kill penalties, doesn’t it? He’s maybe not the number one go to on the PK but he does the job fine as far as I have seen.

So he gets low level usage on a below avg pk unit. You can expect less usage when Hyman returns.

ideally you want more defensiveand pk abilities out of your 4th line C

 

[Burkeocet]

Besides being a deceptively fast straight line skater, what is this guy actually good at? Still trying to wrap my head around what he’s supposed to be doing out there.

 

[ToneDog]

Besides being a deceptively fast straight line skater, what is this guy actually good at? Still trying to wrap my head around what he’s supposed to be doing out there.

Two goals early. Thought he was on his way to easily surpass the 3 he had last year. My opinion is that your #4C needs to be a PK specialist or a punisher. The Goat makes Czikas look like a star.

 

[TopCheese]

i think goat would look better with some new wingers. Lets shake up the bottom six a bit and call up engvall and aberg. Never want to see shore or petan again

 

[Leafs1993]

Besides being a deceptively fast straight line skater, what is this guy actually good at? Still trying to wrap my head around what he’s supposed to be doing out there.

There is quite a bit goat is good for. He's not really great at anything in particular but he kills penalties, good back check, wins faceoffs, good forecheck, creates chances. I feel like you may not like him because of how Babcock uses his line matchups. Like putting him out with 3 minutes left down by a goal... it's not his fault he is used in these situations. What do you expect from a fourth line center?

 

[grapes55]

I don't mind Gauthier, I feel like he's played decent so far. If he's gonna be the everyday guy then putting Shore with him just completely neuters that line offensively at the expense of like half a faceoff win per game