Frederik Gauthier Winnipeg Hockey Talk Prospect

Frederik Gauthier

League: QMJHL Team: Rimouski Oceanic

Born: April 26, 95 Hometown: Mascouche, PQ

Height: 6’5 Weight: 215

Position: Center Shoots: Left

Games: 62 Goals: 22 Assists: 38 Points: 60 Plus/Minus: 22 PIM: 26

Frederik Gauthier played this past season in the QMJHL for the Rimouski Oceanic. Gauthier had a good season scoring 60 points in his rookie season in the QMJHL. He also represented Canada in the 2013 U18 World Junior Championship where he had 4 points in seven games.

Gauthier is already 6’5 and 215 pounds and is very strong along the boards and in front of the net. He wins more than his fair share of battles and works well in a grinding cycle game.

image courtesy of Richard Lafortune

Buzz Words

He has good vision, makes good passes, goes hard to net and has a hard accurate wrist-shot with a quick release.

Skating

Gauthier is a very good skater with good speed and acceleration. Frederik Gauthier is dangerous on the rush and shows good agility with quick balanced power moves. What most scouts find very impressive is the mobility, agility, balance and coordination that this 17 year old has considering he is still growing.

Defence

Scouts have been raving about the good two-way game this rookie has shown at the major-junior level. He is good on face-offs and works hard on the back-check. The one criticism heard the most is that he needs to learn how to use his size and strength to his advantage at this level.

Projection

The consensus is that Frederik Gauthier should be a good two way center that can be a top 6 forward at the professional level. Gauthier is a 17 year old that actually likes and wants to excel at the defensive side of the game and kill penalties. Add his untapped offensive potential and some team is going to get a steal in the middle of the first round.

Frederik Gauthier is being consistently ranked by most of the scouting services in the 18-22 range. This is my pick to be the “Off the Board” pick of this draft. How about 8-12? NHL teams always place this type of center at the top of their wish-list. The question is what team is going to turn some heads and pick Gauthier in the Top 10? No need to wish he’s right there for the taking or is he going to be that player in a couple of years that teams say? “I can’t believe we passed on him”

I see no down-side drafting a player like Gauthier, especially if he takes his offensive game to the next level. In 2-3 years Frederik Gauthier could be that big center that every team covets at play-off time. Stand-by!!

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Comments

Bill K. says

September 16, 2013 at 12:38 pm

So what did you think of Leafs getting Gauthier at 21. I think it was a steal. He can very easily end up being a top 6 forward. Offensive numbers weren’t really good but he did have an injury and a
+22 is a nice number for a rookie in any league. So why 21? Well you had to take a look at the draft. It was very strong. And especially deep at centre. Seven of top 14. And guys that weren’t rookies in they’re leagues. I was kind of figuring Winnipeg would go for him. But we’ll take him.
- Mitch Kasprick says
  
  September 16, 2013 at 12:45 pm
  
  I think he was on a lot of teams boards but they didn’t know where to slot him … everybody had different ideas about his ranking. I think he will surprise many.