Can you believe it? We’ve made it to the top five prospects in the organization. Well, at least in our eyes (and yours!). Ethan Gauthier, who is still in training camp as of this posting, is in at number 5 this season after debuting in the fourth spot next season.
| Name | Ethan Gauthier |
| Position | Right Wing |
| Age (as of October 1) | 19 |
| Height/Weight | 5’11”, 181 lbs. |
| Expected 2024-25 Team | Drummondville (QMJHL) |
| Draft – Year, Round | 2023, Round 2, #37 |
| Previous Rankings | #4 (2023) |
| Writer’s Ranking | 4 |
| Reader’s Ranking | 5 |
| Final Rank | 5 |
Stats
Our Thoughts
Look, we know that Ethan Gauthier is probably spending the season in Drummondville. We know they’re expecting him to, or else they wouldn’t have named him to their leadership team. Still, wouldn’t it be nice if the 19-year-old forced his way onto the roster this year? It’s been so long since a teenager played meaningful games with the Bolts. As they look to transition to their next Stanley Cup winning team, why not start now with a responsible two-way forward?
To answer our own question, because it’s not best for his development. Yes, the kid had a really good season in the QMJHL last year with 71 points in 64 games. Then he followed that up with an outstanding playoff run in which he had 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in 19 games to lead Drummondville to the QMJHL championship. While there might be a feeling that he doesn’t have anything left to prove at the junior hockey level, that doesn’t mean he’s ready for the NHL just yet.
In a sense, Gauthier is a victim of the current agreements between the CHL, NHL, and AHL which doesn’t allow for CHL players under the age of 20 to suit up in the AHL. Gauthier probably would benefit more playing with the Crunch than he would spending another season with Drummondville (or another QMJHL team if he gets traded). However, in the world we live in now, his best option is with the Voltigeurs.
For now, he remains in the Lightning’s preseason training camp, soaking up knowledge from veterans like Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. He gets to practice against Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh while testing his shot against Andrei Vasilevskiy. That is some really good in-house competition to hone one’s skills against before heading back to junior hockey at some point.
We have raised the possibility that the Lightning keep him on the roster at the beginning of the season, especially if Mikey Eyssimont isn’t quite ready to go on opening night. The Bolts have 10 games to send him back to Drummondville before burning a year off of his ELC, so if they feel he’s ready for a taste of the NHL, they may go that route.
In all likelihood we’ll have to wait another full season before seriously considering a roster spot for him with the Lightning. When he does make that leap, he should jump right into a middle-six role and play some decent minutes. His brings a smart, 200-foot game that pairs responsible defense with a little offense. Like so many of the other forwards we’ve talked about in this series, he’s strong on the forecheck and can be a menace harassing opponents trying to get the puck out of their own zone.
Gauthier also has the speed to play a pretty strong transition game and does well in turning neutral zone defense into offensive opportunities. He can strip an opponent at the sideboards and be on the attack in a flash. While he doesn’t have the flashiest moves in the system, he brings a certain type of relentless consistency that should translate to a long NHL career.
It’s been a pretty good summer for him so far. He was invited to the IIHF Summer Showcase for Team Canada and is on their radar for the Under-20 World Championships at the end of the year. Then, after a slow start to the Lightning’s Rookie Showcase, he finished strong with two goals in the tournament. He hasn’t suited up for a preseason game yet, but with the reduced numbers in camp, there is a chance we see him at some point this week.
There are times we get a little ahead of ourselves with prospects and want to see them on the ice when they aren’t quite ready. It’s the Shiny New Toy Syndrome. Since we haven’t seen him fail at the NHL level yet, we can think only good things about him. While it would be a really cool narrative if he makes the squad this year, let’s give him one more season before saying he’s ready for the NHL.
Highlight Videos
Win face-offs and shoot the puck. It seems so simple sometimes. This is a nice example of Gauthier’s wristshot. It plays well at all levels, and he can get it off pretty quickly.
Defense into offense. Gauthier helped bottle up the play in the neutral zone and then made a nice move to open up space in the offensive zone before he dished the puck off to an open teammate for the goal. Well done.
This just a really nice job of getting to the slot and firing off a one-timer. There is nothing super sexy about this play, but excellent execution of a transition play.
With how good goaltenders are these days, scoring from distance is becoming a lost art. Here Gauthier put himself in a shooting position and ripped home the one-timer through a screen.
Big time players make big time plays. Gauthier, from the left side of the ice this time wristed home an overtime-winner in the playoffs.
This is just a really nice pass. I like really nice passes. It’s one thing to see the opening, but it’s another to make the pass and put it right on the stick of your teammate so that they can shoot it before the defense adjusts.
