Toronto Maple Leafs 2018-19 Player Grades

Frederik Gauthier by James Tanner

Frederik Gauthier played in 70 games as the Leafs fourth line centre. This is a place in which the team could easily improve in the off-season.

As much as I want to like this player for his determination and perseverance, I just cannot come around because the stats are too bad.

Three goals in 70 games?  That’s bad.  Only 14 points in total, which is worse. Gauthier also had the worst Corsi relative to his team, at -6.65%.

So to be clear: he doesn’t score, and he doesn’t stop the other team from scoring.  Tyler Ennis went from a 45% player with Gauthier to a 65% player without him.

The only thing stopping Gauthier from being the worst player on the team was the existence of Patrick Marleau.  Gauthier is not an NHL player, that much is apparent. He doesn’t have any business playing on a contending team like the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I like Guathier, I’d like to give him a higher grade.  I wish he was the player he looks every couple games like he could be.  But he isn’t and if he is, he’s going to have to become that player playing on a different team.

What I don’t understand about the NHL, is why does the fourth line need to feature players like this? They generally play against the other team’s 4th line, and they get, maybe, ten minutes per night.  You don’t dress a defensive fourth liner and play him against other team’s first lines. So why not give the role to a player who might score a few extra goals?

I really liked Tyler Ennis on the fourth line. I’d like to see two other Tyler Ennises make up the rest of it.