Photo Credit: Zack Hill
The mock drafts are over. The prospect rankings can stop. The first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft is in the books. Following a night in which we saw a top-rated prospect slip from one to four, a few trades, and a draft that not a lot of people saw coming. Including myself, in my latest article, I said not to buy into the belief that Shane Wright would fall, and boy was I wrong. Anyway, here’s a quick breakdown of the newest Flyer.Â
The person, Cutter Gauthier turned 18 on January 19, 2022. He stands at 6’2” and weighs in at 189lbs. This is a solid build for a pro hockey player and gives him a bit of room should he want to add strength this summer. Gauthier, although American, was born in Sweden. His father, Sean, was a goalie in the Swedish Elite League. The first name Cutter came from a Swedish cookbook. Yes, seriously. In all fairness, it is a pretty sick name. Paired with that epic name is the last name which is pronounced: “Goo-T-A.”
Now more on the player, Cutter Gauthier here. The Flyers ended up coming away with the guy they wanted all along. Wright dropped, but not far enough. Cooley was always going to the Coyotes. Gauthier was always the guy the Flyers wanted. They loved his shot, size, and skating. They love what he can turn into. They also confirmed the idea that they are now targeting shoot-first players in recent drafts. Tyson Foerster’s best ability is his shot. Samu Tuomaala, although he was a second-rounder in 2021, he is a guy that can skate and shoot the puck. And tonight, with the selection of Cutter Gauthier, the Flyers are now piling up young players who can fire the puck at the net.
Gauthier, or “G”, as he should now be called, is a great fit for the Flyers. He tallied 34 goals and 31 assists with the US Program in 54 games in 2021-22. The 34 goals were good for second on the team. 2021-22 was also his first full season with the program. He posted nine points in six games (3g, 6a) during the IIHF U-18 Worlds which helped the US capture a silver medal. His shot is already close to being NHL-ready. He plans to spend a year at Boston College, the same school that current Flyers, Kevin Hayes and Cam Atkinson attended, and be ready to turn pro as soon as opening night in 2023-24. Gauthier also said he was most excited to meet Kevin Hayes (who isn’t?) since they are both “BC guys.” There’s a free agent that played with Hayes at BC who also happens to be a local guy, but I won’t get into that here.
Gauthier’s confidence level is extremely high. He mentioned many times the amount of work he put in to be able to wear the Flyers’ sweater and be taken as high as he was. He said he also slept “like a baby” because he wasn’t worried about where he would be taken. This kid is a great fit for the Flyers. He may have been taken a bit high, but based on how the draft board fell, there were going to be no guarantees at any spot.
Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher mentioned Gauthier’s speed and shot as premium abilities the Flyers were looking for. Fletcher also said Gauthier’s versatility being able to play both wing and center was something the team valued as well.
To go along with these attributes, Fletcher said that Philadelphia had been looking for “forwards with offensive upside,” in regards to their selections of Gauthier tonight and their second most recent first-round pick, Tyson Foerster, back in 2020. Both are shoot-first players, though Flethcer thinks Gauthier is a better skater now than Foerster was when he was drafted.
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Gauthier’s overall outlook is a strong power forward whose best skill will be shooting the puck. “He very high on our list,” said Fletcher during his media session. The Flyers are very excited to have Gauthier in the organization now. Gauthier, or the new “G,” should be a major, major part of the Flyers’ organization sooner rather than later. For now, G can enjoy the hard work he’s put in and appreciate everyone who helped him get to this moment.
He is expected to be present at Flyers’ Development Camp next week in Voorhees, NJ.
