Frederik Gauthier

[gamer1035]

Why draft these guys in the first round when you can sign them in the offseason for peanuts (see all the scrubs we signed with the intent of moving them out at the deadline)

 

[BackHandShelf22]

His skating has indeed improved. Not so much his stride, but his explosiveness. Not that it's that great to begin with for a guy of his size, but it's a noticable difference. He's also getting more involved in the offensive zone. Just a year ago he was content with stripping the puck off a defender, dishing it off, and just hanging back between the hash marks and the blueline. Now you see him get much more involved. It's good to see. Point totals probably don't do him justice.

 

[BackHandShelf22]

Why draft these guys in the first round when you can sign them in the offseason for peanuts (see all the scrubs we signed with the intent of moving them out at the deadline)

Why rely on free agency at all. You're still competing with others. Not to mention even if some of them come cheap, it's still 1-2m more than a player on their ELC.

 

[mikebel111*]

Why draft these guys in the first round when you can sign them in the offseason for peanuts (see all the scrubs we signed with the intent of moving them out at the deadline)

oh is that true?

than how come we are never able to get these elite on D big center's?

Oh maybe because they are not that common.

Gauthier making a great transition to pro hockey, and will be an important piece for the Leafs in future. Not really a kind of guy that comes around very often

 

[Nithoniniel]

Why draft these guys in the first round when you can sign them in the offseason for peanuts (see all the scrubs we signed with the intent of moving them out at the deadline)

Problem here is that you refer to "these guys" as if all players in a bottom six role are equally good. That's just not true. You can find decent bottom six players for peanuts, sure. That's not really true for the great ones, other than Winnik for some reason.

 

[mikebel111*]

oh is that true?

than how come we are never able to get these elite on D big center's?

Oh maybe because they are not that common.

Gauthier making a great transition to pro hockey, and will be an important piece for the Leafs in future. Not really a kind of guy that comes around very often

Not saying we should always draft these types but saying they are available in FA always isn't correct

 

[FlareKnight]

At some point we just have to work with the idea that we've already drafted Gauthier .

Developing nicely. In the end he is turning into what was expected. Always the hope that his offense would get there, but what he always had isn't going anywhere. I don't mind having that kind of big, defensive center on the bottom six. Will be important in his own role.

 

[KGL]

His skating has indeed improved. Not so much his stride, but his explosiveness. Not that it's that great to begin with for a guy of his size, but it's a noticable difference. He's also getting more involved in the offensive zone. Just a year ago he was content with stripping the puck off a defender, dishing it off, and just hanging back between the hash marks and the blueline. Now you see him get much more involved. It's good to see. Point totals probably don't do him justice.

Yeah, I've been watching quite a few Marlies games lately and Gauthier's skating certainly doesn't seem as bad as some people make it out to be. I mean, it's still nothing special, and it isn't a "strength" either but it's not a huge con in his game IMO.

 

[sommervr]

Gauthier has been skating hard, last game was his best all season. Still has hands of stone though. All he has to do is look across the faceoff circle at Cormier to see his probable future.

He needs to step it up as the Marlies are going to be short Nylander for a big chunk of the rest of the season and Froese is gone. Who knows where Arcabello will be if we move a center. Findley is not going to get it done. Rupert should be back and he got 2 goals for Orlando yesterday. Brady Vail might get another shot.

 

[eddieO]

I said it the day he was drafted, he is David Steckel. Big, lanky, defensive 4th line C taken late in the first round. Except Steckel had better numbers in the AHL.

We can't change the fact that he as drafted, so we may as well just hope he becomes something useful on the fourth line.

Nonis and co were just so, so bad.

 

[KGL]

I said it the day he was drafted, he is David Steckel. Big, lanky, defensive 4th line C taken late in the first round. Except Steckel had better numbers in the AHL.

We can't change the fact that he as drafted, so we may as well just hope he becomes something useful on the fourth line.

Nonis and co were just so, so bad.

Steckel's first year in the AHL he had 17 points in 63 games. Gauthier is on pace for 27 points in the same number of games.

 

[eddieO]

Steckel's first year in the AHL he had 17 points in 63 games. Gauthier is on pace for 27 points in the same number of games.

You're right. I was looking at his 30 goal campaign a couple seasons after.

I don't think Gauthier is going to do that but it's besides the point. They're similar players.

 

[mikebel111*]

You're right. I was looking at his 30 goal campaign a couple seasons after.

I don't think Gauthier is going to do that but it's besides the point. They're similar players.

Gauthier will be a 3rd line C, not 4th line C

He is a better player than Steckel

 

[sda]

Gauthier has been skating hard, last game was his best all season. Still has hands of stone though. All he has to do is look across the faceoff circle at Cormier to see his probable future.

He needs to step it up as the Marlies are going to be short Nylander for a big chunk of the rest of the season and Froese is gone. Who knows where Arcabello will be if we move a center. Findley is not going to get it done. Rupert should be back and he got 2 goals for Orlando yesterday. Brady Vail might get another shot.

The games that Nylander didn't dress were Gauthier's best

 

[KGL]

You're right. I was looking at his 30 goal campaign a couple seasons after.

I don't think Gauthier is going to do that but it's besides the point. They're similar players.

Agreed.

Remains to be seen if Gauthier can put up some numbers like that in the AHL. Regardless, we've all known he'd never been an offensive force. Any points he puts up in the NHL are gravy on top of his strong defensive play.

 

[mikebel111*]

just scored a nifty goal

real nice hands on the goal

 

[Grandrift145]

I don't care about numbers for him

If he can play 13-16 mins a night, take D zone faceoff at 55% and PK I would consider this a great pick

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Sheesh! Why leave a guy in for 9 goals against?

 

[hotpaws]

I don't care about numbers for him

If he can play 13-16 mins a night, take D zone faceoff at 55% and PK I would consider this a great pick

if he can't at least chip in with at least a few points he'll be limited to 4th line duties and roughly 10 mins per game

 

[saltming]

Why draft these guys in the first round when you can sign them in the offseason for peanuts (see all the scrubs we signed with the intent of moving them out at the deadline)

Would you rather have had Bolland when he was in his prime at an affordable cap hit and fully healthy or when we got him?
By your post you are saying there is no difference when we get one of ' these guys'.
If the Goat becomes an elite 40 point defensive guru he will be worth his considerable weight in gold.
Also him being a Centre with his size makes his value higher.

 

[hotpaws]

Would you rather have had Bolland when he was in his prime at an affordable cap hit and fully healthy or when we got him?
By your post you are saying there is no difference when we get one of ' these guys'.
If the Goat becomes an elite 40 point defensive guru he will be worth his considerable weight in gold.

does anyone actually believe he can avg 40 pts ?

i'd be thrilled if he could develop into a consistent 20ish point 3rd line c and even that may be wishful thinking on my part .

 

[Duke Silver]

Pretty safe to say Gauthier will probably never eclipse 25 points in a season.

 

[LeafsTop6]

Saw gauthier live tonight, definetly can keep up with the play, a big body who tries hard (i.e his fluky goal at the end of the game). Got knocked down a few more times then I thought he would've, didn't really use his body to much an advantage except for his long reach for poking pucks away or defending the PK.

- needs to really work on his puck skills and his shot, really weak for a guy this big

 

[Duke Silver]

Saw gauthier live tonight, definetly can keep up with the play, a big body who tries hard (i.e his fluky goal at the end of the game). Got knocked down a few more times then I thought he would've, didn't really use his body to much an advantage except for his long reach for poking pucks away or defending the PK.

- needs to really work on his puck skills and his shot, really weak for a guy this big

His stickhandling and pass reception just isn't at a professional level, and I'm not sure it ever will be.

 

[saltming]

I said it the day he was drafted, he is David Steckel. Big, lanky, defensive 4th line C taken late in the first round. Except Steckel had better numbers in the AHL.

We can't change the fact that he as drafted, so we may as well just hope he becomes something useful on the fourth line.

Nonis and co were just so, so bad.

While this is possible there are a couple mitigating factors. First imo Freddie skates better now than David ever did.
Secondly the leafs have decided not to pigeonhole a prospect as a specific type of player. David was pigeonholed as a player. Maybe Freddie will have to become Steckel 2.0 but I see that as his floor which isn't bad. 10 seasons in the NHL is a good career for anyone.