Toronto Maple Leafs: A Look at Frederik Gauthier

Frederik Gauthier played in his first game of the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs in Monday night’s 3-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks after being called up from the Toronto Marlies to replace Ben Smith.

The following game on Thursday night, he was able to notch a goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Colorado Avalanche. It’s been a long road for Gauthier, and even though his role as an NHL player has not yet necessarily been determined, Gauthier has many aspects to his game that can help a team out.

Take this piece as an introduction to Frederik Gauthier, another one of the young Leafs getting their shot at the NHL this year. With that said, let’s take a look at Frederik Gauthier as a player and what can be expected of him for the Maple Leafs.

The Road to the Bigs

Frederik Gauthier was drafted 21st overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. Going into the draft, he had just come off of an excellent season for the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL in which he put up 60 points in 62 games.

The following season featured Gauthier being sent back down to Rimouski, in which he put up 52 points in 54 games. With numbers like this, Gauthier seemed to be a player who can consistently produce at a pretty good rate. The only question remaining was whether or not he can make a successful transition to the NHL.

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After two seasons in the QMJHL, Gauthier still did not get his chance at professional hockey yet, and was sent back to juniors. In his third season in the Q, Gauthier was once again consistent, scoring 32 points in 37 games. Although his season was shortened, he was able to make the most of the time he had.

Consistency is an important aspect to a player’s game. Gauthier’s offensive prowess may not be the most obvious aspect of his game, but it does help make him more of an interesting, complete player who can develop well into a strong NHL player.

Strength in Defence

Gauthier’s clearest strength in his play is the defensive aspect of his game. Coming in at 6 foot 5 inches and 214 pounds, Gauthier can play a strong physical game that really works in wearing the opposing players down.

By far, Gauthier’s strongest aspect of his game that should be utilized by the team is the fact that he is very strong at faceoffs. He has always had a knack for faceoffs, and it is definitely something the Leafs should take advantage of. With a 50% faceoff percentage currently, it’s easy to see that he can easily become one of the Leafs top go-to faceoff guys.

In last Monday’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Gauthier was actually Toronto’s winningest faceoff man, winning seven of the 17 he took. To put things in perspective, Nazem Kadri won five of 17, William Nylander won four of 12, and Auston Matthews won five of 15. These strong faceoff numbers can come handy on the Leafs penalty kill and at other crucial times where faceoffs are needed to be won.

Also as mentioned before, Gauthier still holds some scoring prowess. As shown in his first NHL goal, Gauthier is skillful enough to still possibly put up a decent amount of points in the NHL.

On the other hand, Gauthier still has much to work on when it comes to his overall game. Coach Mike Babcock would definitely like Gauthier to improve his skating among other things, but if he Gauthier does happen to make the team now, it will mainly be due to his strong defensive play.

So where does this place Gauthier?

Gauthier can easily be a tremendously useful player for this young and developing Leafs team. Looking at the Leafs current centre depth, it’s difficult to say exactly where he might slot in:

Leafs Centre Depth

Auston Matthews

William Nylander

Nazem Kadri

Tyler Bozak

Frederik Gauthier/Ben Smith/Byron Froese

Brooks Laich

Gauthier would have quite the difficult time slotting in ahead of Matthews, Nylander, Kadri or Bozak, but this is absolutely okay. Gauthier can easily utilize his physical strength and defensive skills to be a strong fourth line centre on this Leafs team. A strong fourth line centre, who can also play bigger minutes on the penalty kill is exactly what every championship contending team needs, which is what the Leafs hope to build towards.

Playing big minutes on the penalty kill can be the perfect role for Frederik Gauthier. He can be used to matchup against opposing team’s strong players, which other centres on the Leafs may not be as good at.

Looking at other prospects that Gauthier may have to battle against for a roster spot, it can be safe to say that he may be more useful than them in that fourth line centre spot. Gauthier’s defensive game is already much better than Smith’s or Froese’s.

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Brooks Laich is also a curious case in the minors. It looks as if he will either get swapped or play there until his contract expires, so there is not too much to worry about in that department.

Overall, Leafs Nation should welcome Gauthier with open arms. Every position in hockey is crucial, and a strong defensively gifted fourth line centre is not too easy to come by. If Frederik Gauthier is able to fill this role for the Leafs, like he is projected to, he will definitely be doing more than enough for the team.