RW Tyler Boucher - Belleville Senators, AHL (2021, 10th, OTT)

[WarriorofTime]

You may want to check the statistics, you’re woefully wrong on this.

I only skimmed back to 2000, but in every draft year from 2000 to 2019 over 50% of 2nd round picks each draft played at least one NHL game.

The 2020 draft class is currently at 15 of the 32 players drafted in the 2nd round with a NHL game to their credit.

and I reckon at least a decent portion of the others are Russians that those that played 1 season in the AHL or 0 seasons in North America and then stayed in Russia their entire career

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I'm guessing he's hurt again?

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Any Belleville/Ottawa people know what's the deal with him?

 

[BondraTime]

Any Belleville/Ottawa people know what's the deal with him?

Shoulder injury

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Will be interested to see how his 2024-25 season goes. Wonder if he may be traded before he ever reaches the NHL

 

[PlayersLtd]

Considering his future is as much in doubt now due to injury proneness as it is skill I don't think there is much trade value there so Ottawa might as well just ride it out.

I'm still hopeful he carves out a role as an energy guy. His skating, motor and athleticism was noticeable in the handful of Belleville games I watched him in.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Ottawa just needs to ride it out and see if he can get beyond his injuries.

 

[BondraTime]

Only thing to do is ride it out.

Wouldn’t get more than a late pick if traded, and at this point better to just hope he carves out a 4th line role.

 

[Dead Coyote]

Can't really speak for how he looks in the AHL, but I thought he looked great last year in the WJC. He was a force the whole tournament and showed how his skills can blend together to create a guy who can bulldoze through the defense, supplement his teammates with his forecheck, has a decent to great shot, and does all the little things right.

I think it's too early to write him off completely. Hopefully next year he has no injuries and gets plenty of play time in different situations.

 

[99ovr]

Can't really speak for how he looks in the AHL, but I thought he looked great last year in the WJC. He was a force the whole tournament and showed how his skills can blend together to create a guy who can bulldoze through the defense, supplement his teammates with his forecheck, has a decent to great shot, and does all the little things right.

I think it's too early to write him off completely. Hopefully next year he has no injuries and gets plenty of play time in different situations.

100% agree, he looked dominant in the WJC and showcased his skill. People that are writing off his raw upside have probably never seen a single highlight or shift-by-shift and just look at numbers.

The reason his AHL numbers were so poor as well was because he's missed the majority of the last 4 seasons and Belleville plugged him on the 4th line with lower minutes so he can actually get adjusted to pro hockey after missing so much time (then he gets hurt again).

He's also the kind of player that will produce well with skilled players. Just to give an example, if you play Austin Watson with Tim Stutzle, Watson will not produce. If you play Boucher with Stutzle, Boucher will put up 60 points.

He legitimately has 2nd line skill, speed and IQ (along with a good compete level) but has never played on a line with skilled players in his life to showcase it. The dumbest thing Ottawa could do would be to trade him for a late round pick now, ride it out, see if he can at least be a good bottom 6 option in a couple years and go from there.

 

[BondraTime]

100% agree, he looked dominant in the WJC and showcased his skill. People that are writing off his raw upside have probably never seen a single highlight or shift-by-shift and just look at numbers.

The reason his AHL numbers were so poor as well was because he's missed the majority of the last 4 seasons and Belleville plugged him on the 4th line with lower minutes so he can actually get adjusted to pro hockey after missing so much time (then he gets hurt again).

He's also the kind of player that will produce well with skilled players. Just to give an example, if you play Austin Watson with Tim Stutzle, Watson will not produce. If you play Boucher with Stutzle, Boucher will put up 60 points.

He legitimately has 2nd line skill, speed and IQ (along with a good compete level) but has never played on a line with skilled players in his life to showcase it. The dumbest thing Ottawa could do would be to trade him for a late round pick now, ride it out, see if he can at least be a good bottom 6 option in a couple years and go from there.

Still not sleeping on Tyler Boucher, way to stick to your guns

And Belleville never plugged him on the 4th and kept him there, he was given tons of chanecs on the top 3 lines. He was on the 4th line in Belleville a total of 3 times in 21 games

https://x.com/i/web/status/1751024719388987563

https://x.com/i/web/status/1750315044154532167

 

[99ovr]

Still not sleeping on Tyler Boucher, way to stick to your guns

And Belleville never plugged him on the 4th and kept him there, he was given tons of chanecs on the top 3 lines. He was on the 4th line in Belleville a total of 3 times in 21 games

https://x.com/i/web/status/1751024719388987563

https://x.com/i/web/status/1750315044154532167

View attachment 877859

Will not stop and wont stop (on sleeping on tyler boucher )

 

[Hale The Villain]

Injuries or not, 3 years now with awful production at various levels.

People weren't off base about the tools and skill. He's big, skates well and his hands aren't bad. Obviously has a hard shot as well.

But it was always a lie that he was a smart player with good hockey sense. He's never been able to get anything out of his tools and I don't think that's going to change now after only playing a single season's worth of games since being drafted 3 years ago.

 

[Sticktape]

I don't recall him "dominating" the WJC but he had a good tournament and those rooting for him were pleased. You could see some of the potential and it was a good sign of progress in the right direction.

 

[PlayersLtd]

100% agree, he looked dominant in the WJC and showcased his skill. People that are writing off his raw upside have probably never seen a single highlight or shift-by-shift and just look at numbers.

The reason his AHL numbers were so poor as well was because he's missed the majority of the last 4 seasons and Belleville plugged him on the 4th line with lower minutes so he can actually get adjusted to pro hockey after missing so much time (then he gets hurt again).

He's also the kind of player that will produce well with skilled players. Just to give an example, if you play Austin Watson with Tim Stutzle, Watson will not produce. If you play Boucher with Stutzle, Boucher will put up 60 points.

He legitimately has 2nd line skill, speed and IQ (along with a good compete level) but has never played on a line with skilled players in his life to showcase it. The dumbest thing Ottawa could do would be to trade him for a late round pick now, ride it out, see if he can at least be a good bottom 6 option in a couple years and go from there.

He was on the second PP unit during most of his time in Belleville this season and was used up and down the lineup including some opportunities on the top line.

I'm as hopeful about Boucher as anyone but let's be realistic with our assessments.

 

[Leafshater67]

I was really surprised they picked a guy with bottom 6’er as his ceiling at 10th overall and it looks even stupider now. People have hated this pick from day 1. The injuries suck but what a dumb pick in the first place.

This team would probably kill to have a Cossa, Wallstadt or even L’Hereux in waiting

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I was really surprised they picked a guy with bottom 6’er as his ceiling at 10th overall and it looks even stupider now. People have hated this pick from day 1. The injuries suck but what a dumb pick in the first place.

This team would probably kill to have a Cossa, Wallstadt or even L’Hereux in waiting

I promise you a team isn't picking a player that high if they think thats his ceiling.

 

[Leafshater67]

I promise you a team isn't picking a player that high if they think thats his ceiling.

They were the only ones who saw more in him. Most were shocked by this pick and it was criticized from day 1. If that really was their guy, they should have traded down 5-10 spots at least. He was a projected second rounder. There’s a reason why the sens aren’t good

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

They were the only ones who saw more in him. Most were shocked by this pick and it was criticized from day 1. If that really was their guy, they should have traded down 5-10 spots at least. He was a projected second rounder. There’s a reason why the sens aren’t good

I don't think he was projected second rounder. Projected second rounder to the public. The people with connections in the league who speak about this stuff in the media were saying he'd be a first rounder. It was a matter of how high would a team be willing to pick him.

 

[Leafshater67]

I don't think he was projected second rounder. Projected second rounder to the public. The people with connections in the league who speak about this stuff in the media were saying he'd be a first rounder. It was a matter of how high would a team be willing to pick him.

Oh ok so projections don’t matter because there’s some top secret projection list we can’t see. Got it. Cope harder. Everybody almost universally hated this pick when it’s happened and it’s gone even worse than expected.

 

[BondraTime]

Oh ok so projections don’t matter because there’s some top secret projection list we can’t see. Got it. Cope harder. Everybody almost universally hated this pick when it’s happened and it’s gone even worse than expected.

The pick was bad, and most hated it. Definitely spot on there.

It wasn’t a top secrete projection list. McKenzie told us all the way up to the draft he was expected to go in the 1st, and that some teams had him very high, which is why he was rated in the 1st round. Some teams had him high in the first, some had him far outside the first.

Those who had him high in the 1st were very wrong, but it wasn’t a shock he was taken that high, he was always expected to somewhere in the 1st. Sens were just unfortunate enough ti jump on that grenade very early.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

The pick was bad, and most hated it. Definitely spot on there.

It wasn’t a top secrete projection list. McKenzie told us all the way up to the draft he was expected to go in the 1st, and that some teams had him very high, which is why he was rated in the 1st round. Some teams had him high in the first, some had him far outside the first.

Those who had him high in the 1st were very wrong, but it wasn’t a shock he was taken that high, he was always expected to somewhere in the 1st. Sens were just unfortunate enough ti jump on that grenade very early.

Rangers were apparently very interested which is why the Senators took him early. So the Rangers baited the Senators into taking Boucher way too early and baited the Flyers into taking Jay O'Brien way too early LMFAO.

 

[DJB]

At this point I just hope he can become a 4th liner