Vancouver Canucks: 5 Early Targets for the 2016 NHL Draft

RW Julien Gauthier

Ranked #16 by Hockeyprospect.com
Ranked #12 by ISS Hockey
Ranked #8 by Future Considerations
Ranked #11 by McKeen’s Hockey

If there is one player who can prevent Dubois from being the highest-picked QMJHL player in 2016, it is Julien Gauthier — and he is seen as the better of the two by many scouts. Gauthier is slightly bigger than Dubois, at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, and plays a similar style.

From FutureConsiderations.ca:

"“Gauthier plays a very simple game; doing a great job consistently making the smart play and showing solid maturity for his age. He is very physically strong and uses his size/strength effectively in puck battles and when getting off a shot. He has the frame and raw skills to develop into a real solid NHL player.”"

The mentioned maturity is a big factor in the draft decision for many teams. Gauthier is a typical example for a player who looks like a man playing against boys, simply because of his large frame and his playing style. As opposed to Dubois, Gauthier is already in his third season with the Val-d’Or Foreurs

As opposed to Dubois, Gauthier is already in his third QMJHL campaign, with the Val-d’Or Foreurs, and he played on the club’s first line for the first time when he was still 15. Today, he bounces around between the Foreurs’ top-two lines, thanks to the team’s incredible scoring depth — which Gauthier is certainly a big part of. In 165 regular season games for the club, he has 79 goals and 145 points — 33 goals and 43 points in 35 games this season. He added 17 points in 41 playoff contests.

Gauthier also represented Team Canada at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge two seasons ago and at the 2016 World Junior Championship.

Potential: Top-6 Forward

Draft Range: 10-20

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Who do you think the Canucks should target? Let us know in the comments!