article: Can Julien Gauthier Adapt and Carve Out a Role?

The talented 23-year-old had been a healthy scratch for five consecutive games before re-entering the lineup Monday and playing less than 10 minutes, which may have prompted the player-coach conversation.

 

"He?s a young player still trying to find his way," Quinn said. "He?s got a lot of great qualities, and it?s our job to draw it out of him consistently."

 

Since being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman prospect Joey Keane last year, the former first-round pick has struggled to find his footing.

Clearly, he's yet to earn Quinn's trust, raising questions about whether he's capable of carving out a role on this team.

 

"The guy?s a scorer his whole life, he?s been a top-two line player ? but, in the history of this league, the guys that have played on the third or fourth line have always been top-two line players most of their lives," Quinn said. "It?s a role they have to adapt to."

The scoring knack Gauthier showed in the AHL, where he posted 26 goals in 44 games for the Charlotte Checkers last season, has yet to translate. And while the 6-foot-4, 230-pound forward has the size, speed and strength to contribute in the more physical aspects of the game, the Rangers have been disappointed with his unstructured play, defensive deficiencies and all-around awareness.

"It's not a magic pill we can give our players to give them confidence," Quinn said. "Confidence comes from doing the right thing over and over again, and getting rewarded for it."

https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/nhl/rangers/2021/02/04/ny-rangers-projected-lineup-julien-gauthiers-role-remains-uncertain/4387039001/

Another player Quinn has been doing a poor job with.

This.

I played for a coach that basically benched you if you made a mistake and guess what.... it made you terrified to play the game and it made you make mistakes!

Everyone laughed when he took that penalty last game and someone said "see you in three weeks." It's a fucking shame.

He?s got skill, speed, and size - really pulling for him even in a bottom 6 role

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"He’s a young player still trying to find his way," Quinn said. "He’s got a lot of great qualities, and it’s our job to draw it out of him consistently."

Scratching his ass will surely help with this.

"It's not a magic pill we can give our players to give them confidence," Quinn said. "Confidence comes from doing the right thing over and over again, and getting rewarded for it."

Scratching his ass will definitely help with this.

Scratching his ass will surely help with this.

 

 

Scratching his ass will definitely help with this.

:rofl:

on one hand i get it, hes trying to get wins and has bona-fide stars that need time but you gotta play these kids at some point. Otherwise what the hell is all this even about.

Scratching his ass will surely help with this.

 

 

Scratching his ass will definitely help with this.

Perhaps if Gauthier stopped scratching his ass and started putting pucks in the net...

At 6'4 230 I get that there's a good deal of ass to scratch here, but cmon.

I think he's the most snake bitten player ever. How many times has this guy created some really good scoring chances for himself and hit the post? It's uncanny.

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About the same number of times he's taken a bad penalty at a terrible time?

 

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lol Yes.

About the same number of times he's taken a bad penalty at a terrible time?

 

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He's a Ranger though.. thats what they do. Miss the net and take stupid penalties at horrible times.

In that case, Julien Gauthier as one of the greatest Rangers of all time, CONFIRMED.

And the rebuild is over

Hmm, so why was Carolina willing to part with him in exchange for that force of nature known as Joey Keane?

Fair point as well, Carolina gave him a whopping 5 games at the NHL level. That's not even a cup of coffee for a homegrown kid who supposedly has all this potential. The return in the deal as you point out was let's say minimal. On the brightside his minimal ice time has limited him to only 1 bad penalty.

It's hard for someone his size, with his speed, to be as invisible as he is, expect when taking a penalty.

But then again, he looks just like February Kreider, so...

It's hard for someone his size, with his speed, to be as invisible as he is, expect when taking a penalty.

 

But then again, he looks just like February Kreider, so...

I actually think in the few games he's played he's looked quite good and noticeable on every shift. Much more so than last year. He's hit the post at least three times. A 1/4 of an inch the other way and the puck goes in, according to Coach Bombay.

I thought he was the best player on the ice by a mile in game one which got him demoted to the 4th line and then off the bench entirely. So what do I know?

I actually think in the few games he's played he's looked quite good and noticeable on every shift. Much more so than last year. He's hit the post at least three times. A 1/4 of an inch the other way and the puck goes in, according to Coach Bombay.

 

I thought he was the best player on the ice by a mile in game one which got him demoted to the 4th line and then off the bench entirely. So what do I know?

Right there with you. I don't understand the treatment. Meanwhile he jammed a much lesser talented Howden in our face for 2 straight years.

The guy’s a scorer his whole life, he’s been a top-two line player — but, in the history of this league, the guys that have played on the third or fourth line have always been top-two line players most of their lives," Quinn said. "It’s a role they have to adapt to"

Translation.

"I will not use him the way he should be used. The way he was used to get drafted. As a scorer. A top two line player.. I'd rather play head games and force a square peg through a round hole. So, I'll just say he plays an "unstructured " game. Meanwhile I have instilled an unstructured playing style. Go figure. I'll use career AHLers over this guy instead ".

Is the problem we have way too many guys who in spite of not having done anything at this level can only play on the top two lines? Seems like it.

There are plenty of players in the NHL who were top scorers when they were drafted and were never anything more than grinders in the NHL. Look at Boyle.

Someone with Goat's size and speed should be able to adjust his game for that role.

Trying to put blame on Quinn for anything is just silly. He's got 4 top four wing spots available and Goat is the 6th or 7th "best" winger. If Kreider or Buch move down due to performance, Laf and Kakko would move up. That's just common sense.

To the folks making baseless claims, what career AHLers are playing a scoring role over Goat? PDG for 2 games?

Come on. If we want to have a debate then let's start in reality here.

Hey, i posted all summer a lineup with Lafreniere on the third line.

Gauthier is similar to a young Kreider. He's big, strong, and dumb. All the tools, no tool box. He's struggling to adapt to the Quinn system. Kreider had the same issues coming into the league and was up and down, and inconsistent. That's Gauthier.

Saying Quinn is NOT to blame for any thing is just silly. You need to put players in a place where they will be successful, especially young players. He continually fails to do this with offensive players, and that's why none of the young offensive players have shown any offense.

Pete completely denies that players overthink things when the coach is in their head, but Kakko confirmed this over the summer, and again, its obvious among those young players, yet again, and here we go, bitching about young players not producing.

Hey, i posted all summer a lineup with Lafreniere on the third line.

 

 

Gauthier is similar to a young Kreider. He's big, strong, and dumb. All the tools, no tool box. He's struggling to adapt to the Quinn system. Kreider had the same issues coming into the league and was up and down, and inconsistent. That's Gauthier.

 

 

Saying Quinn is NOT to blame for any thing is just silly. You need to put players in a place where they will be successful, especially young players. He continually fails to do this with offensive players, and that's why none of the young offensive players have shown any offense.

Pete completely denies that players overthink things when the coach is in their head, but Kakko confirmed this over the summer, and again, its obvious among those young players, yet again, and here we go, bitching about young players not producing.

So which wing spot should Goat play to be put in a position to succeed? Should he play over Buchnevich? Or Kakko?

Then will you complain that Kakko and Laf are playing with Howden?

Which one is it, has Quinn lost the room? Or is he in the players' heads? He doesn't seem to be in Fox or Miller's heads...

Maybe you can define overthinking for us, coach? If you're saying that they're overthinking because there's no system or structure, they don't know where to be or where the puck should go next, I could understand that. But then "overthinking" would be a team-wide problem, and it's not.

Maybe you should enlighten us all, since you know exactly what's going on in all of their heads, and you "think the game".

Or...maybe there's a reason this guy only cost us Joey Keane?