Bill Meltzer: Flyers Draft Day 2: Flyers Picks, Night One Interview Transcripts

love players with lots of juice

Size and physicality mentioned by chuck several times. Gotta love it, flyers hockey is back.

Would’ve been nice to have Wright fall to us, but it sounds like Gauthier has some real nice upside. Best of luck to the kid.

If Wright fell to #5, who do the Flyers take then?

pulled this over from last thread posted by MB, seems like it is a good pick to me, speed, size, skill and compete and should be able to C/W



Today @ 9:30 AM ET
Saw a few scouting reports that give CG a floor of 3rd line center and ceiling of 1st line forward.
Even if he tops out in the middle and is a pretty good 2C it is a good pick.
To be honest no one knows yet.
It’s up to the flyers to prove they can develop talent.
So far in recent history that’s a sore spot.
Oh and please keep the current training staff away from this kid.
- bird_dog_pa



By all accounts CG should BE the training staff. They say he is a gym and fitness monster.


https://theathletic.com/3...utter-gauthier-nhl-draft/

Gauthier put on a show in early June at this year’s draft combine in Buffalo, finishing near the top of the field in several tests of athleticism. He beat out all 85 participants in the Wingate ergometer bike test, which is a 30-second all-out sprint on a stationary bike that simulates a shift for a skater. Gauthier’s 18.3 watts of output per kilogram of body weight was the best in class.

“He’s always been kind of off the charts,” said Nick Fohr, who coached Gauthier for the last two seasons in the U.S. National Team Development Program. “We’ve had two guys with that birth year (2004) that were head and shoulders above the other guys as far as strength and power went. Cutter was one of them, and the other was Charlie Stramel (who projects as a first-round pick in the 2023 draft class). They were on a different stratosphere than the other guys when it came to pure power.”

Gauthier finished fourth at the combine in the standing long jump drill, eighth in the pro-agility shuttle run, ninth in pull-ups and eighth in the force-plate vertical jump.

“He’s a prototypical pro,” Fohr said. “He’s big, strong, fast, and can shoot a puck. When you think of that prototypical power forward type of hockey player, Cutter Gauthier has all of those physical attributes to him that scream that he’s going to be a pro hockey player.”

Gauthier’s strength doesn’t just help him battle for pucks in the corners. It also translates to a powerful skating stride.

“There’s a lot of power there,” Fohr said. “With the mechanics of how he skates, it correlates into being a fast skater. He can really go. His quickness isn’t bad, but his overall top speed is really good. He gets that head of steam going and it’s impressive to see a kid that size move that quickly. It’s hard to defend.”

If Wright fell to #5, who do the Flyers take then?
- hello it's me 2050

I would have to think Wright would’ve been the pick…it’s hard to see Gauthier higher on their board than Wright.

Reading Gauthier's transcript, he does have confidence about him. Not arrogance though.

If Wright fell to #5, who do the Flyers take then?
- hello it's me 2050

I was hoping AZ was going to announce Gauthier and then Wright and Cooley would drop.

They really need to take a big step forward on their development. I actually like the drafting by CF.

Cutter, Cam York, Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, Elliot Desnoyers, Attard, SAmu Tuomaala, Andrae and even signing Avon has some opportunity.

On paper it is a good mix of skill, skating and hockey IQ, some real shooters and some play makers.

attached the last 5 drafts, the last draft for Hexy made me do a double take, ouch

https://www.hockeydb.com/...aft/teams/dr00007439.html

I see Gauthier more as a LW than a C. Strong down low, skates well and is a good shooter but strictly average stick handler and not a playmaker. JVR, who has underrated puck skills was, was tried at C one year in college and also for awhile in Toronto, too. Ended up back on wing. But we will see.

I see Gauthier more as a LW than a C. Strong down low, skates well and is a good shooter but strictly average stick handler and not a playmaker. JVR, who has underrated puck skills was, was tried at C one year in college and also for awhile in Toronto, too. Ended up back on wing. But we will see.
- bmeltzer

Hey, you mentioned briefly on yesterdays blog the changes in the development side for the Flyers, can you give more detail/recap?

Devils jump in draft order pushing Flyers to 5 and get Nemec. Lol

They really need to take a big step forward on their development. I actually like the drafting by CF.

Cutter, Cam York, Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, Elliot Desnoyers, Attard, SAmu Tuomaala, Andrae and even signing Avon has some opportunity.

On paper it is a good mix of skill, skating and hockey IQ, some real shooters and some play makers.

attached the last 5 drafts, the last draft for Hexy made me do a double take, ouch

https://www.hockeydb.com/...aft/teams/dr00007439.html
- wcorvette

How is Jay O'Brien these days?

I see Gauthier more as a LW than a C. Strong down low, skates well and is a good shooter but strictly average stick handler and not a playmaker. JVR, who has underrated puck skills was, was tried at C one year in college and also for awhile in Toronto, too. Ended up back on wing. But we will see.
- bmeltzer

Wasn’t his willingness to move to Center pretty much the entire reason he jumped up in the rankings so late???

If he ends up as a winger it’s hard to see him being a better prospect than the other wing options that were available.

I still would’ve went Jiricek or one of the speedy skill forwards. Not a fan of this pick at all.

I see Gauthier more as a LW than a C. Strong down low, skates well and is a good shooter but strictly average stick handler and not a playmaker. JVR, who has underrated puck skills was, was tried at C one year in college and also for awhile in Toronto, too. Ended up back on wing. But we will see.
- bmeltzer

This is what I don't like, if they start moving him back and forth. To me pick a spot and work with him

Bill Meltzer: Flyers Draft Day 2: Flyers Picks, Night One Interview Transcripts
- bmeltzer

Can’t wait for the crack development staff to neuter his offensive upside and turn him into a 200-ft player

Wasn’t his willingness to move to Center pretty much the entire reason he jumped up in the rankings so late???

If he ends up as a winger it’s hard to see him being a better prospect than the other wing options that were available.

I still would’ve went Jiricek or one of the speedy skill forwards. Not a fan of this pick at all.
- hereticpride

Fletcher's comments his ability to make the transition to center was a big factor. If he can't make the transition then I agree a prospect like Jiricek made more sense.

attached the last 5 drafts, the last draft for Hexy made me do a double take, ouch

https://www.hockeydb.com/...aft/teams/dr00007439.html

Actually 2016, 2017 and 2018 pretty barren. Hextall is largely responsible for the mess this club is in. Hope he does same to Pens.

So when is the Jersey kid coming home to play for the Flyers? Tony DeAngelo.

So when is the Jersey kid coming home to play for the Flyers? Tony DeAngelo.
- Trox88

I saw something about this on Twitter. It would be the last straw for me.

attached the last 5 drafts, the last draft for Hexy made me do a double take, ouch

https://www.hockeydb.com/...aft/teams/dr00007439.html

Actually 2016, 2017 and 2018 pretty barren. Hextall is largely responsible for the mess this club is in. Hope he does same to Pens.
- backfire

The club is in this mess due to flawed strategy of trying to make moves to win now and poor management of the salary cap. That is not due to Hextall. Hextall added Provorov, Sanheim, Konecny, Hart and Lindblom. Which makes up the bulk of the Flyers top players.

So when is the Jersey kid coming home to play for the Flyers? Tony DeAngelo.
- Trox88

love Tony D. Pillar in the community.

I see Gauthier more as a LW than a C. Strong down low, skates well and is a good shooter but strictly average stick handler and not a playmaker. JVR, who has underrated puck skills was, was tried at C one year in college and also for awhile in Toronto, too. Ended up back on wing. But we will see.
- bmeltzer

It’s comments like this one that gives me caution to get too excited. I’m hoping for the best but this group of fans on this board today are likely complaining about the same things in five years from now.

The club is in this mess due to flawed strategy of trying to make moves to win now and poor management of the salary cap. That is not due to Hextall. Hextall added Provorov, Sanheim, Konecny, Hart and Lindblom. Which makes up the bulk of the Flyers top players.
- MJL

Defend to the end. Pure entertainment. He added mid level players, just like pretty much every GM does to their team

Bulk of their top players. There lies the issue Cliff.

Yep cant blame The Saint in any way. He is off the hook.

attached the last 5 drafts, the last draft for Hexy made me do a double take, ouch

https://www.hockeydb.com/...aft/teams/dr00007439.html

Actually 2016, 2017 and 2018 pretty barren. Hextall is largely responsible for the mess this club is in. Hope he does same to Pens.
- backfire

seems 2015 was Hexy's only above average draft.

IF- CF's picks can hit and some of Hexy's finally stay healthy/take step forward (Allison, Fedotov, Sandstrom, Tanner L, Frost, Cates Ratcliffe and even O'Brien) the Flyers will have a good bottom 6, with TK and Farabee playing they will have a decent middle 6. As we all know that still leaves high end talent needed.

Hell, if they can just stay healthy but that leaves us just below the middle of the pack in the NHL, stuck in neutral