Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects: Top 20 Young Leafs #6-10

Jun 30, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; Frederik Gauthier walks to the stage after being introduced as the number twenty-one overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

No.06 – FREDERIK GAUTHIER

At No.06 we have probably one of the Leafs most controversial prospects in the 6ft5 214lb behemoth that is Frederik Gauthier. Freddie “The Goat” as he is affectionately called by teammates was drafted 21st overall in the 2013 draft by the Leafs and many analysts felt it was a reach at the time, and “The Goat” hasn’t necessarily done anything to dissuade them otherwise so far.

When he was drafted he fit the Brian Burke model of Truculence, Testosterone and Belligerence that the former Leafs GM preached would lead Toronto to it’s next Stanley Cup. He was big, he was strong, he was an ace on face-offs and excellent in his own end and everyone though his offence would come along with time… that time has not yet arrived.

Here’s what HockeysFuture.com had to say about The Goat:

"“Gauthier is a polished prospect who combines great size with a mature game at both ends of the ice. The same on-ice vision and hockey sense that makes him a dangerous contributor at the offensive side of the game serves him well in breaking up opposing plays in his own zone. He is strong on the cycle, skates well and uses his size to win battles. Gauthier is very good in the face-off circle. Though he may never be a top offensive threat, he has too many tools to ignore.”"

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We had a nice run of agreement with Hyman, Percy and Leipsic, but here we have again a player that made four of our Top 10 lists and then didn’t even make the Top 20 ranking for another staffer.

Frederik Gauthier is an elite defensive player and an ace in the face-off circle. He uses his size effectively down low and in the corners and is great running the cycle, as he demonstrated paired with Lawson Crouse and Nick Ritchie for Team Canada at last years U20 WJHC in Toronto/Montreal. He sets up shop behind the net and has enough play making vision to make plays happen, offence doesn’t go to die on his stick by any means, he just isn’t an offensive powerhouse ala Mitch Marner or William Nylander.

Gauthier still has time, and will be given as much as he needs to maximize his development, because if there is even the slightest chance that he can develop the offence to become a Top 6 Center than the Leafs have to explore every inch of that possibility. He should start as the No.1 Center for the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears and will be brought along slowly, but realistically he is the No.3 Center of the future for the Leafs.

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