Photo Courtesy of, Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With the 2022 NHL Entry Draft only 4 days away, the off-season action is officially set to begin in the NHL. From the Philadelphia Flyers perspective it appears as though Chuck Fletcher and the front office management staff will be very busy during the upcoming weeks ahead.
Arguably the most important component of this off-season is who the Flyers will be picking at 5th overall in the Draft this Thursday evening. Ensuring the franchise drafts a talented player who can contribute within their lineup for years to come should be the goal and top priority of the Flyers brass in regards to the 5th overall selection that will be made shortly.
There are a variety of players the organization may select that would fit the mold described above. One particular player of interest the Flyers have been linked to is 18 year old left wing/center Cutter Gauthier.
Gauthier is a product of the highly regarded U.S National Development Team. The young forward currently stands at an impressive frame of 6’3 and 201 pounds. He’s also committed to Boston College for next season, which is an incredible hockey program. Playing for such a renowned college hockey program should be a benefit to his developmental process. As the Boston College hockey program has had a knack for producing skilled forwards. Such as, Johnny Gaudreau, Kevin Hayes, Cam Atkinson, Brian Gionta and Chris Kreider. Being an integral part of the Boston College hockey program should enable Gauthier to develop the skills needed to effectively transition his game to the NHL level.
Strengths:
In terms of what makes Gauthier such a fascinating prospect to select with the 5th overall pick in the Draft, there are a multitude of skills the young player possesses.
For example, the most interesting quality of the forwards game would have to be his skating prowess, especially for his size. Gauthier is not the fastest skater when it comes to top end speed however, his ability to stop and start on a dime is quite impressive. He has the capability to reach high speeds through the first step in his skating stride due to his top tier acceleration.
Such skating proficiencies give Gauthier the inside track on the majority of races to loose pucks on the ice. It also comes in handy when the prospect is attempting to separate himself from defenders. While using his frame to take the puck to the net and high danger scoring areas. As a result of his skating ability and quickness with the puck in tight situations Gauthier is able to drive the net quite frequently.
His size and frame allows him to power through defenders and get in on goalies for 1 on 1 scoring opportunities. Gauthier’s puck control abilities in close to the net are also an asset in these situations. He regularly makes maneuvers with the puck that will beat and confuse goaltenders when he has these types of scoring chances.
As a prototypical power forward customarily does, Cutter has no issues creating havoc in front of a goaltender. His size and frame make him a perfect screen that can impair a goaltenders vision. Which also makes him a useful netfront Power-Play presence. Along with this, he’s shown that he can score in tight to the net through utilizing deflections and banging in rebounds.
In regards to how Gauthier pots the majority of his goals, that would usually ensue through his snapshot and wrist shot. The young forward has a great deal of velocity behind both shots, and is capable of beating goalies from beyond the faceoff circles, as well as, in close. Exhibiting the versatility within his offensive game.
He also possesses the ability to shoot while leaning off the opposite foot with a great deal of accuracy and power. Further exemplifying another dangerous facet to his game. This can often surprise goalies due to his quick release of the puck and the fact that he can release the puck at various different points within his shot technique. Coupling that with the quickness in which Gauthier typically gets his shot off and it’s apparent that he is an offensive weapon when he is given time and space within the offensive zone.
Another strength to Gauthier’s game that should allow him to make a smoother transition to the NHL than most prospects is his versatility. He was able to almost seamlessly switch between the left wing and center position for the second half of this past season while playing for the USNTDP.
He also was placed in vital roles being both a Penalty killer that was leaned on and a Power-Play mainstay. One statistic highlighting exactly how versatile Gauthier is would be his per-game scoring rate. During the second half of his season after his transition to center the prospect posted over a half point higher than his first half production while playing the left wing position. Clearly indicating that the forward can play multiple positions and still be greatly effective if need be.
Lastly, Gauthier’s stats while playing for the USNTDP only cement how much of a weapon the player can be offensively and the potential upside that is present moving forward. In 54 games total while playing for the USNTDP the young forward posted a notable 31 goals and 18 assists for a total of 49 points in 54 games. Almost a point a game pace. Not to mention he was an integral facet of the U.S team that won a silver medal at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships. The prospect potted 3 goals, along with 6 assists for 9 points in six games throughout the tournament.
Areas To Improve:
With any young prospect, even the most talented there are always areas of improvement that can be focused on and targeted. When assessing Cutter Gauthier’s game one attribute the prospect could refine would be his conditioning and consistency with his shift to shift effort and energy levels. There are certain situations where the forward may not always be the most involved in the play and can be found standing still at times. In the lower levels of hockey this is something that he can get away with, but at the NHL level this is certainly a trait within his game that will need to be worked on and corrected. This will be a crucial part of Gauthier’s play that needs improvement in order for the prospect to gain the trust of his coaches at the pro level, as well as, his teammates.
Offensively, Gauthier is very close to the whole package. He has the size, speed, tenacity, hockey IQ and a hard and accurate shot. One aspect of his offensive game that could use some adjustment would be his imagination and creativity.
He does not make many creative passes that open up the opposition to defensive lapses which in turn creates scoring chances. This is not necessarily a bad thing as Gauthier tends to look for higher percentage passes to limit turnovers. Though in certain situations playing it safe could be seen as a detriment to his team. Especially when there are offensive plays and scoring chances to be created through showing a little more risk tolerance.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, it’s evident that Cutter Gauthier boasts a high level of talent. His size and speed is not only one of the most intriguing packages of skill in the upcoming Draft but the prospect arguably has one of the best shots in this Draft class as well.
All of the above surely places the forward as a clear cut top 10 selection during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. At this point the only question that remains is which team selects Gauthier and how high of a pick he will be.
