With the No. 21 pick of the 2013 NHL Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs select center Frederik Gauthier from Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL.
2013 NHL Draft: Maple Leafs select Frederik Gauthier with No. 21 pick
Frederik Gauthier joins the Toronto Maple Leafs, selected at No. 21 overall.
Gauthier, who stands 6’5”, 214 pounds at age 18, had a solid first season in the Quebec League. He put up 60 points in 62 games for the well regarded Rimouski Oceanic club. He was held to just two assists in six post-season games. He’s known as a hard worker, but needs to use his size a little better.
The Mascouche, Quebec native is ranked No. 18 by ISS among all skaters, and No. 21 by TSN analyst Craig Button among all prospects. He is ranked No. 7 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Prospect Profiles
He took the rare step of playing an extra year of midget hockey in Quebec, meaning he was a rookie in the QMJHL this past season. Another year in the Q will allow him to develop his offensive game, and if he can add consistency with scoring to his defensive abilities he may turn into a steal for the team that drafts him later this month.
Gauthier, at 6-5 and 215 lbs, is one of the biggest centers in the draft and already well known for his incredible hockey smarts. Coming out of midget and prep-school hockey in Canada, Gauthier was heavily recruited by Harvard before deciding to continue his hockey career in the QMJHL. He had a bit of an up and down season with Rimouski and while there were certainly flashes of brilliance, he was more of a streaky player in regards to offensive production than many want to see in a sure-fire first round pick.
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