86 IPOTG Julien Gauthier Player Review

86 IPOTG Julien Gauthier

Played on this team (https://hutdb.net/17/builder/72491). Got him when the NHL Rewards were released. Stuck him next to Gilmour on Line 1 and haven’t changed since.

Active Synergies: TT, CG, PP, B

Notable Stats w/ Synergy boosts: 94 Agility, 93 Offensive Awareness, 93 Speed, 86/100 Slap Shot

Game stats: 90 GP, 27 G, 27 A, 54 PTS, 20 +/-

Skating

Rating on card: 91

My rating: 92

Sneaky speed from the big guy! Initially when I used Julien Gauthier through the neutral zone I would see the 6’3 frame and slow up for a more controlled zone entry, but recently I’ve discovered his 92 Acceleration and 93 Speed and the young lad can really jet. This combined with his very solid possession skills on the offensive end make him a slightly underrated skater.

Shooting

Rating on card: 88

My rating: 84

And here’s where things go downhill. Initially I saw the 100 Slap Shot power on HUTDB and couldn’t wait to unload with this guy. I was very disappointed. The 86 Slap Shot accuracy really holds him back as he probably leads my team in dents on the back boards after a missed clapper. Instead, a lot of his goals are probably just the product of 93 Offensive Awareness and playing on a line with Gilmour/Marner.

Hands

Rating on card: 83

My rating: 85

This is probably biased because of the onslaught of passing synergies I have active on him, but his skating/size make him a fairly underrated playmaker in the offensive zone. His low puck control(86) hasn’t really shown to be much of a problem for me. His 80 Deking and terrible shot accuracies are probably what lead to him being such a poor finisher.

Checking

Rating on card: 88

My rating: 83

How the f*#k did they come up with this rating. At 6’3 with 88 checking I was giddy as hell to crunch defensemen on the forecheck. Again, I was very disappointed. He has 83 Body Checking that feels like 73 at times. I guess his 92 Strength and 97 Durability make this what it is but don’t be fooled, he’s not an elite physical player.

Defense

Rating on card: 80

My rating: 80

Gauthier can’t really consistently use the body to bump strong d-men off the puck on the forecheck. His defensive stick is nothing to call home about. His 80 defensive awareness tells the story as he doesn’t really become much of a factor on the defensive end at all.

Overall

Rating on card: 86

My rating: 86

Gauthier is a 6’3 Power Forward who plays like a 5’6 Sniper that can’t hit the net. His elite skating and decent playmaking do not make up for the fact that he has an incredibly inaccurate shot and disappointing physical game. I would probably be looking to replace him if he wasn’t untradable with 3 synergies.

Player Comparison:

For the rich: A 17 year old Alexander Ovechkin. But seriously, if you want a cannon right-handed shot with good skating and physical play, Ovi is the way to go here.

For the not so rich: I had to do a little bit of research for this one. Chris Kreider is a good skater that throws the body well and misses the net a ton. For a more refined player, Wayne Simmonds, Patrik Laine, and Evander Kane are good at skating, shooting, and physical play enough to resemble Gauthier.