More Draft thoughts:
-Here's another one I like, Denis Gauthier's son, and Julien Gauthier's nephew, Ethan. 30 goals and 69 points in 66 games for Sherbrooke in the Q, who drafted the RW first overall in 2021. 11 points in 11 games in the playoffs. Ethan is only 5'11, 176lbs, but he's a fearless buzzsaw, constantly in his opponents' face, and a thorn in their side, and he backs down from nobody. Kinda reminds me of Mike Peca in that regard. Since he's part of the Gauthier clan, you can bet he spends a lot of time in the gym, and that he's stronger than he looks, and physically fit. He was well over a ppg until December, and then his offensive production slowed down- 29 points in his last 31 games. Part of that is the team he plays for- he's 4th on the Pheonix for forwards in ice-time. Whether he's on the scoreboard or not, he's still affecting the game in every way possible- he's a responsible 200-ft player, a hellacious forechecker, relentlessly physical, and his off-puck game is tip-top. He's the embodiment of the adage, "a guy you love to have on your team, but hate to play against". EG has smarts and IQ in all facets of the game, and when he doesn't have the puck, he's getting in position to make himself an option for a play, and he has an excellent shot with a wicked release, he's good in tight to the net, and he has playmaking acumen. He's a guy who doesn't need flash to get the job done. Skating-wise, he's excellent, can change pace and direction quickly, but there's room to grow in this area. His transition game is a bit inconsistent, and sometimes non-existent- some say he needs to play with better pace, although he seems to have no problem handling the puck at high speeds. He's still considered raw with room to grow, particularly in his offensive game. Look for him in the late 20's.
|