Skating:
Powerful, high torque linear stride with a mid-low motor overall.
Uses the momentum he gathers to surf on his edges efficiently when maneuvering on the attack or if evading attackers.
His mobility and momentum make him an imposing threat that buys him space at times, putting defenders on their heels.
Covers a lot of the ice, would benefit from more of a transition/rush style of team play.
Puck handling:
Calm and smooth puck handling and dekes with little to no wasted movement.
Demonstrates his strength and control by being able to pick up passes on the backhand with just one hand.
Uses all parts of his blade and a wide variety of intensity to make the right pass at the right time.
Can be very quick to move the puck once it is on his stick.
As a centerman, he went 15/42 (35.7%) on the draw and didn’t look particularly natural when taking faceoffs.
I wonder if his skill set would be better suited to playing the wing.
Shot:
Assertive and confident shooter.
Hard shot, especially on the one-timer.
Almost violent release on his wrist shot at times.
IQ (vision, offensive and defensive anticipation, panic meter):
High level of poise seems to stem from his adaptability and having numerous solutions to obstacles that are presented.
Sees the ice and the plays before they develop.
Orchestrates the PP from the right circle, directing puck flow by pointing with his stick.
Defense:
Has an eye for providing support on D but is not the prime play stopper.
Will fly the zone early at times as he is seeing a potential offensive play develop while his team has yet to fully control the puck.
Will use his frame to provide pressure and break up plays, but would like to see him use this tool more often and with greater intensity. Could become a menace to opposing defenders.
Best Asset:
Poise translated and made evident by his skating and puck handling.
Biggest Concern:
Inconsistent intensity. Needs to turn up the dial on pace, throwing his body at the opponent, and using his frame to protect the puck and bully his way towards the goal.
Top Tier Potential (what would elevate him here? Points, shots, hits, blocks):
30-50-80 Power Winger and PP trigger man, especially if playing with more dynamic skaters that can get to open ice and benefit from Gauthier’s passing.
Should be able to put up points and keep the shot volume up.
Hits ought to remain and might see a bump in the pros, especially if he is breaking into the league in a 3-4th line checking role.
Low shot blocking potential.
Most Likely Tier (what will hold him back? Points, shots, hits, blocks):
15-25-50 Middle 6 forward with some PP time and decent shot volume.
Hits will depend if he can up his motor a bit to get to where he needs to be to finish the check at the pro level.
Stylistic Comparable:
Tomas Hertl with a shade of M.Tkachuk with more calm/poise and smoother edgework.
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