BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ranked third among North American skaters eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft, Cutter Gauthier has largely been projected as a top 10 selection — but selling himself as a center could skyrocket him to the top three.

What You Need To Know

  • Gauthier was second on the USNTDP team last season with 34 goals
  • The 6’3” power forward will play center at BC this fall
  • Gauthier was raised in Scottsdale until age 10, when he moved to Michigan to pursue hockey

“He’s a player I think that NHL clubs will covet,” Dan Marr, director of NHL’s Central Scouting said at the Combine. “And again, it’s just going to depend on how they want to put their list together. But he belongs in that conversation. His play during the course of the year was very consistent, and he’s a player that competes with all of his assets.”

Gauthier expressed comfort at wing and up the middle, but is focusing on playing center for now.

“I felt pretty dominant over the past two years when I was at the center position, controlling the pace of play defensively as well as offensively, and that’s something I’m looking forward to doing,” Gauthier said of his freshman year plans for Boston College.

Last year, Gauthier had 34 goals and 65 points through 54 games with a +33 rating on the U.S. National Team Development Program.

The 6’3” Swedish-born forward is no doubt at the top of team’s lists, with his 200-lb frame and quick shot with great range around the offensive zone. He is a decently fast skater for his size, expected to be a skill sharpened in the NCAA.

There’s a chance he’s available when the Sabres have their first selection of the 2022 NHL Draft at ninth overall. If still on the board, the question would be up to Buffalo’s front office to take the best player available.