Detroit Red Wings Mock Draft: Fixing the Top Six
1.08: Cutter Gauthier, C/LW, US NTDP
The Red Wings are in no way, shape or form ready to compete right now. They have 11 players that are without a contract for next season. Furthermore, next off-season, they have 11 more players without contracts. That’s not necessarily a problem they have to worry about right now per say, but they need to consider finding replacements for some of these players. I like Cutter Gauthier here for that role.
Birthday: January 19, 2004
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 194 lbs.
Shoots: Left
Where does Cutter Gauthier rank amongst other sites?
- Ranked #3 by NHL Central Scouting(NA Skaters)
- Ranked #7 by TSN/Craig Button
- Ranked #7 by Sportsnet
- Ranked #11 by Eliteprospects.com
- Ranked #13 by TSN/Bob McKenzie
- Ranked #15 by Draft Pospects Hockey
- Ranked #28 by The Puck Authority
What Are the Scouts Saying?
Corey Pronman of The Athletic:
“Gauthier has the tools that can make you easily envision him in the NHL. He has a thick 6-foot-2 frame and can skate like an NHL player. With his size and speed he can overpower opponents to force turnovers or in how he attacks the net and it makes him an asset on the PK. Gauthier can create with his skating and skill, but his main offensive weapon is his shot. He can pick corners from distance with a powerful wrist shot. I didn’t love his playmaking early on but that part of his game grew on me as the season went on especially how he made passes on the move. I see a potential very good top-six forward whether at center or the wing with a chance to pop and become a true top-of-the-lineup type.”
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic:
“As the season progressed, Gauthier’s athletic build and pro-built game pushed him from projected first-rounder to top-10 consideration for some teams. And while I’m not quite there, the appeal is obvious. “Gauthier has always been a net-focused shooter but he has worked to turn himself into a net-driven one, playing a more intentional game that knows what it is. On the puck, he uses inside body positioning to get to the middle off the cycle or the rush. Off of it, he finishes his checks and looks to help his line get it back. I wouldn’t say he’s a menacing power forward type, but he has learned to play a very engaged, imposing, speed game. “Gauthier’s a decently-smooth skater and despite his heavy skew toward shooting and goals, I find he sees the ice well, hits seams when they’re there, and makes a lot of short little plays as a passer off the wall (including off his backhand). “His greatest strength is his catch-and-release. He can sling it. I do think he shoots a bit too much (a lot of his shots miss the net or are taken from low-percentage areas), but you can live with that and that should drop out as he gets even strong over his NHL frame. He’s a favourite among scouts for the readymade projectability of his tools and his ability to put the puck in the net. “Though Gauthier played mostly the wing at the national program, he’s set to play centre at Boston College next season and several NHL clubs that interviewed him at the scouting combine believe that’s where he’s best suited.”
My Analysis
Cutter Gauthier is one of the biggest risers in this draft class. He went from being a name that I didn’t really know, to becoming one of the guys I truly feel could be a top pick in the draft. Moreover, I feel like he is going to succeed at the next level.
Now, full disclosure, I’m not saying that he is Connor McDavid by my next statement, but I see similarities in how they’ve developed and grown as players.
McDavid before this post-season, was always avoiding going into the dirty areas of the net, making big hits, taking big hits to make plays, he just wasn’t that guy. However, this post-season, he was doing things I’d never seen from him before. He was going after guys and putting some hits on the opposition. He was going inside with force instead of speed. He grew as a player because he learned how to expand his game and that is exactly what I’ve seen of Gauthier.
Gauthier is a very quick skater which is what he primarily relied on before this season. He relied on his speed and a great wrist shot that has been compared to Vegas Golden Knights winger, Max Pacioretty. And if I’m Gauthier, I’d take that compliment without a doubt. And if I’m a Red Wings fan, that is getting me excited about what he could one day be.
Now, to move off that topic and explain why I made this selection here- we need to revist what I said earlier in this article.
Earlier I said that the Red Wings need to find a center two and a elite goal scorer. Well, with Gauthier, you got a two in one combo for the price of one pick(and about $900,000 for three years).
Gauthier has the elite shot that could be the thing we have been missing. The wrister that he has could allow him to become a perennial goal scorer and that be his identity. Now, he will probably never get to the Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak, Max Pacioretty level because, well that’s just unfair to compare him too. I mean, he hasn’t even played in an AHL game little lone a NHL game. Comparing him to proven players is an unfair statement. But what I will say is that with his skillset, the sky is the limit for him.
Learning and playing alongside guys like Lucas Raymond, Jakub Vrana, Dylan Larkin, Joe Veleno, and many more, they could truly become one of the best generational teams if they can add his speed and shot into their lineup along with everyone else they have.
2.40: Simon Forsmark, LHD, Orebro HK
Simon Forsmark has kind of fallen in my opinion not because of his lack of play but because other people have been on a bigger stage and done better on said stage. That’s not said to discredit Forsmark but to explain why he is going in the second-round because in my eyes, he is a first-round talent that we just got at pick 40 in this mock draft.
Birthday: October 17, 2003
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 194 lbs.
Shot: Left
Where Does Simon Forsmark Rank?
- Ranked #33 by NHL Central Scouting(EU Skaters)
- Ranked #33 by Draft Prospects Hockey
- Ranked #37 by The Puck Authority
- Ranked #60 by Eliteprospects.com
- Ranked #77 by TSN/BOB McKENZIE
- Ranked #83 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
What Are the Scouts Saying?
Corey Pronman of The Athletic:
“Forsmark is a solid two-way defenseman who doesn’t offer a ton of flash. He makes good decisions with the puck at both ends, using his brain and size to make stops. I don’t think his skating is a strength, but I’ve seen worse feet and have seen him get past checks and escape pressure well enough. There are flashes of skill and legit offense with him, but it’s not consistent. There’s enough to his tool kit to potentially be a third-pair defender.”
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic:
“Forsmark is a mobile, pro-built, offensively-inclined defender who plays an active, engaged style that involves himself in all three zones. He’s eager to join and lead rushes in transition with his long stride (though there is some work to do on his footwork and timing). He gaps well back the other way. He’s physical and uses his size to win battles and leverage pucks away from opposing carriers. And he has learned to manage the game and the puck with more poise and efficiency. His October 2003 birthday makes him one of the older players in the draft, but he’s also further down his pro trajectory in the SHL to reflect that. He’s got some work to do on his shot (which is a little stilted). I like the components of his game and frame a lot, though. If Örebro use him in a more offensive role next season, I think he’s capable of making a statement in them.”
My Analysis
Similar to what I said about Cutter Gauthier, my reasoning behind this selection has to do with what I said to start this article: What the Red Wings need is a goal scorer, a center behind Dylan Larkin, and a left-handed defenseman to play with Filip Hronek. That’s where Simon Forsmark comes into play.
Forsmark is nothing too fancy, nothing flashy, he’s just a solid all around two-way defenseman and honestly, that’s all we need. We need consistency, dependability, and most importantly, and I can’t stress this enough- a capable player.
We’ve seen too many defenseman come and go because they can’t play the position to a high enough standard and then when we decide to get rid of them, or trade them away, we are at a loss trying to fill that hole. I don’t expect that problem with Forsmark. In fact, I think he could truly surprise some people.
In this past season he did not produce because he didn’t have the shot or chance to play in the offensive zone. He is an offensive defenseman which is something that I feel we don’t really have. I mean, Seider is a very good defenseman and can do spectacular things in transition and in the O-zone, but he needs someone who can complement him on the back-end of the defense. Someone that can keep momentum otherwise the Red Wings will be chasing the puck around all night and no one likes to see that. They need to find a way to fill out their defense and Forsmark could be a good depth piece for the time being.
Now, with me saying that I’m sure you’re saying “why am I drafting a depth piece with a second-round pick?” Well, that’s easy.
As you probably read in the earlier scouting reports on him, he’s a solid two-way defenseman. However, if you read even closer, pretty much both scouts talk about him being an offensive minded defenseman and I’ve even mentioned that multiple times and it’s because he’s not much of a defenseman.
His lack of skating and ability to move his feet at ease makes him a liability at the blue line when drawn out to the perimeter. He doesn’t have the speed or agility to catch up to a player when they make a move around him. Therefore, his first year with the team would be working and questioning which path they want to go with him.
First, they could develop his skating in order to make him more of an complete two-way defenseman. Or second, they could use his size to the clubs advantage and use him along the lines of how Zdeno Chara is currently used. Be an enforcer down near the crease and make sure that nobody screens the goalie.
Deciding between those two things is why I said he could be a depth piece for a couple years. But, I do feel that with some coaching and working with some of the other players in the locker room and the professional coaches, he could turn into a very good player for the Wings.