The Chicago Blackhawks have two first-round picks in the 2023 NHL Draft (currently), including the first overall pick. The consensus is that Conor Bedard will go first overall, but whoever the Blackhawks pick 19th overall will be up for grabs. This year’s draft class is loaded with position depth, even in the late spots, so it would be easy to assume that the team could switch to the position if that position was the best available player. However, there must be an emphasis on the right side. Chicago doesn’t have a lot of solid prospects right in their pipeline or current roster, so if they want to target that side, they could appeal to one name in the first round: Ethan Gauthier.
Gauthier has desirable traits
In this year’s draft, the Blackhawks are sticking to a certain script when targeting players beyond first overall. Amateur Scout Manager Mike Downey stated, “Hopefully we’ll get a guy who can skate really fast, has fast hands, has a high hockey IQ, and is competitive.” Well, job done. Look no further than Gauthier. The 18-year-old has been with the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the Quebec Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the past two seasons. This season he was the third leading scorer with 69 points in 66 games (30 goals, 39 assists) and was a plus-29. He was the first overall pick for Phoenix and also received the Michael Bossey Award, which is awarded to the highest QMJHL prospect for the upcoming NHL draft.
He’s taken a leap this year, as during Gauthier’s first season at Sherbrooke, he tallied 39 points in 65 games (18 goals, 21 assists). Furthermore, getting extra time to play in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup for Team Canada U18 where he scored seven points in five games in August 2022 likely helped his points and development, and he is now considered a great first-round talent. There is a reason for that.
Gauthier isn’t the biggest player on the ice at 5-foot-11 and a weight of 176 pounds, but he makes up for it. When watching the highlights of his film, he is so witty and cunning that he almost looks disingenuous. He can avoid difficult situations with his feet and hands. It is very difficult to defend him when he rolls because he is able to evade defenders and reach the net. It has a very strong front-end presence that full-timers seem to find seamlessly. He has a very fast shot and is not a first passer by any means. Once it gets the disk, it launches within seconds.
Related: Ethan Gauthier – 2023 NHL Draft Profile
Most survey reports on Gauthier center around his hockey smarts, and he is Sherbrooke’s head coach Stefan mentioned Julian when he spoke about his strongest qualities. “I think it’s his offensive game as well as his net dominance. He makes many of the plays that you notice most on video and does all the details well. His above-average hockey sense ensures he’ll always have a place to play, and he really has an NHL-caliber shot.”
When speaking to Logan Horn, THW’s director of odds coverage, he mentioned that Gauthier has the meanness of his game, which is a big part of his level of competition and physical play. This is one of the best compliments in hockey and helps tie his game together. Horn noted that the only problem with his game is that he tends to rush into play under pressure and needs to smooth things out at the NHL level. It immediately reminded me of potential Lukas Reichel. When he made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in 2022, he tended to panic and tried to do too much at first, sometimes resulting in costly mistakes. But last season, it was A completely different player who was much more confident. So, I don’t think that’s going to be a long-term concern and he’ll learn it.
Gautier fit with Blackhawk
What makes Gauthier a good fit for the Blackhawks is precisely for the reasons listed above. His NHL Comparable Player is listed as Calle Järnkrok (Toronto Maple Leafs) (From “2023 NHL Draft Rankings: Connor Bedard Leads Corey Brunman Among 142 Top Prospects,” the athlete, 5/30/2023). Players like him are the types you need on your team to win – players who compete hard every shift and show up in the big moments – which is why Järnkrok is such a highly sought-after player in the NHL. Gautier He stated that he is designing his game after Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators) because of his competitiveness, his physical play, and the difficulty of playing against him.
He may not be a player who would be the “elite”, but that’s totally fine because he has a skill set that not many players have. However, he can appear significantly with the Blackhawks’ depth. They’ll likely build their top six around Bedard and Reichel, so Gauthier could make a great addition as a smart, tenacious hockey player who can get a puck but also create chances on his own. He can be hard to play against, and you can’t have too many players like that in the pipeline.
Related: 6 Players to Watch at the 2023 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game
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Overall, some of the Blackhawks’ right-wing group includes Ryder Rolston, Joey Anderson, Brett Signe, MacKenzie Entwistle, Taylor Radish, Reese Johnson, Colin Blackwell, and Anders Bjork. Besides the fact that some of these players are free agents and may not return, the squad needs an adjustment, and Gauthier could add some immediate talent for the future.
The Blackhawks will not miss out by adding Gauthier to their pool of prospects. He has all the quality they are looking for and he has the “mean” streak that Chicago fans love. He can be a fun guy to watch grow at the NHL level, and with a hungry young team like Chicago, he could be a perfect fit.