Frederick Gauthier looks good as the 4th line center

[hector morrison]

Would like if he learned to tip pucks and puck up alot of garbage goals ala antropov/andreychuk.

He just needs to improve those hands a itty bitty bit to go from maybe disposable to indispensable. Could stand to be a tiny bit more physical too of course (as mentioned).

He can't score in this league,stone hands .no offensive instincts,like Hyman....only he doesn't get the lucky ones from playing with all-stars or any empty netters. Hyman is faster and engages in more physical play,stuff i would expect from a 4th liner...but Fred is not doing much of anything,except getting in the way and trying to be defensively responsible. I would rather have a guy with some jam...Agostino or Marchment come to mind. The experiment is over !

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Love the Goat. Glad he’s preserved and proven himself as a capable NHLer.

 

[Antropovsky]

He can't score in this league,stone hands .no offensive instincts,like Hyman....only he doesn't get the lucky ones from playing with all-stars or any empty netters. Hyman is faster and engages in more physical play,stuff i would expect from a 4th liner...but Fred is not doing much of anything,except getting in the way and trying to be defensively responsible. I would rather have a guy with some jam...Agostino or Marchment come to mind. The experiment is over !

The reason he still is around is because he's got great analytics ... from what I've read anyways.

Eye test may not always be the best...but the underlying numbers are typically good for him.

I hope he continues to prove everyone wrong.

 

[hector morrison]

The reason he still is around is because he's got great analytics ... from what I've read anyways.

Eye test may not always be the best...but the underlying numbers are typically good for him.

I hope he continues to prove everyone wrong.

I get that some players get to settle into a role,if the coach digs them and they aren't a general liability...but what I can't undestand is how players like that get to the big leagues at all...What was it that someone saw in Freddy that made them draft him? Was the draft that thin? He is a big body,can't skate and can't shoot...how is it possible to get here? Years ago,if you were a fighter,fast skating checking forward,then there might be a job,but what the hell does Freddy bring to the table? I have seen enough,there are better players on the Marlies!

 

[lipstickjunkie]

Love the Goat. We should lock him up for a few years. He should come cheap and at absolute worst, he's a very good 4th line C. And I still think he could be a little more.

 

[Rogue]

I get that some players get to settle into a role,if the coach digs them and they aren't a general liability...but what I can't undestand is how players like that get to the big leagues at all...What was it that someone saw in Freddy that made them draft him? Was the draft that thin? He is a big body,can't skate and can't shoot...how is it possible to get here? Years ago,if you were a fighter,fast skating checking forward,then there might be a job,but what the hell does Freddy bring to the table? I have seen enough,there are better players on the Marlies!

What cones to mind is that he is 6’6 (or more?) everytime he steps on the ice. But seriously I think that he is hanging by pure passion. Like every shift he is there 100% to his skill capacity. And everybody hopes that the rest will click, but it now seems that he will never develop a shot or start using his size.

 

[kb]

Gauthier looked good tonight... spezza, not so much.

Opposite

 

[Leafs1993]

Opposite

Spezza looks slow. Like, really slow compared to the rest of our guys.

 

[BorntoLose]

Best the goats ever looked he's learned to use his size to his advantage in a lot of ways still some untapped potential there i think hes just a gentle giant at heart

 

[The Iceman]

Hope GOAT is part of the rotation of healthy scratches.

Give Spezza, Petan, Shore the next game.

 

[HomerJLeafs]

This is the best the Goat ever looked. I like him. He cant score but for 8 minutes a night im ok with him. Lets hope Babcock doesnt overuse him. Lets hope he is not babcock next project/toy.

 

[thewave]

Goat is a beast out there, everyone loves the goat!

 

[Moonman]

I think he looks like a new man out there so far this year. hes definitely gained a step, and his compete level is excellent.

 

[Fogelhund]

I don't think he looks like a new man at all. He was good defensively last year, didn't get scored against, and was great in the dot. He has continued to progress, in the way a big man, who just finished his rookie season should. This play was completely expected from my point of view, and the reason that I was one of his few defenders in the off season. Good defensive, big 4C's, that will remain cheap don't grow on trees. Particularly homegrown ones. Many wanted him shipped out, and I disagreed... this is the guy we've got, and you could see this is who he was going to become. Congrats to Goat for winning over Leafs Nation, some of us knew what we had.

 

[Joey Hoser]

I get that some players get to settle into a role,if the coach digs them and they aren't a general liability...but what I can't undestand is how players like that get to the big leagues at all...What was it that someone saw in Freddy that made them draft him? Was the draft that thin? He is a big body,can't skate and can't shoot...how is it possible to get here? Years ago,if you were a fighter,fast skating checking forward,then there might be a job,but what the hell does Freddy bring to the table? I have seen enough,there are better players on the Marlies!

Gauthier is strong defensively, good on the draw and can forecheck and keep play in the offensive zone. Pretty elementary stuff that shouldn't be that hard to see.

Also as for his draft, he was taken 21st overall, and for the rest of the first round, only Shea Theodore was the only obviously better pick. Also he is an NHL player, so not sure why you would question his draft position in the first place.

 

[saltming]

It's good to see him get some props. The goat herders on here took some abuse supporting him this whole time.

 

[Faltorvo]

Someone needs to slip him some mean pills, and force him to binge watch “Rocky”.

Hopefully he can be our 4C.

not many rookies join the league and then play with pss and vinegar

this is season 2 for him, lets wait and see

 

[hockeeyyy]

His skating has improved TREMENDOUSLY. I can't really get over how much more agile and faster he looks. I don't think he's lost a foot race yet.

 

[Face Of Bear]

He's looked good. I'm glad the Leafs have had patience with him and held on. I think he's going to be someone who has a small peak at 26-28 where he'll have some above average years

 

[Faltorvo]

He can't score in this league,stone hands .no offensive instincts,like Hyman....only he doesn't get the lucky ones from playing with all-stars or any empty netters. Hyman is faster and engages in more physical play,stuff i would expect from a 4th liner...but Fred is not doing much of anything,except getting in the way and trying to be defensively responsible. I would rather have a guy with some jam...Agostino or Marchment come to mind. The experiment is over !

He is doing exactly what babs needs from a 4th liner , he is playing safe, sound hockey.

You want offence and jam from him??

I don't.

The more points he racks up, the more it will cost to re sign him.

And this roster does not need anyone out there escalating tensions, since most of our other lines are not equipped to handle the retaliations afterwards.

I think the mighty goat has looked great out there.

lets get him locked up to a 1m per x 4y asap

 

[Leafidelity]

Hopefully the 4th line settles into Goat and Spezza as a permanent pair, with the others rotating in for the other wing.

 

[AndyWozniewski]

The thing I like about Goat is that his line never seems to be hemmed in their own zone. They mostly play in the o-zone which is great for a 4th line. Also he seems to have gotten faster too.

I like him and Petan as full time 4th liners. Rotate Spezza and Agostino. Not a fan of Shore, so send him down to the Marlies.

 

[BM14]

I think he looks like a new man out there so far this year. hes definitely gained a step, and his compete level is excellent.

Full credit to him and his offseason development plan. It's encouraging to see. He's playing with confidence and his IQ is letting him work the cycle game to a tee.

 

[Battle Lin]

if gauthier had better hands and put up more points, we cant even afford him with how our top guys are paid, andersen and rielly will cost us a ton soon enough

our 4th line and 13-15 forwards and 3rd pair D and beyond need to be league min to 1.5m max going forward

 

[Battle Lin]

we also have a lot of small skilled wingers coming up, even on the team now, its really the trend...having a huge defensive center like the goat is a nice balance