It's really hard to project Gaudreau. He can blow around guys in the NCAA and not get touched, but is he fast enough to do that to NHL defensemen?
As for his size, it's not just his height, it's his small frame. St. Louis has legs like tree trunks. So did Fleury. Kariya had a small frame, but he had excellent conditioning (and he settled in at 5'10 and 180 lbs). Patrick Kane is also 5'10, 180. Gaudreau makes Kane look like Alexander Ovechkin.
It's impossible to say how he'll stand up against NHL players until he's on the ice with them. I'm guessing he'll need at least a season in the AHL to bulk up.
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