Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The NHL has already served some of hockey’s best prospects a cold reminder of how tough this league is this season. Just ask the Anaheim Ducks’ Cutter Gauthier and Pittsburgh Penguins’ Rutger McGroarty.
Even if you’re fortunate and talented enough to be welcomed into hockey’s top league, you can quickly be reminded of how things can change. But Gauthier and McGroarty, who both signed NHL contracts after being traded from the teams that drafted them, still have a strong future ahead. These reminders could work to their benefit in the long run.
Left winger Gauthier was benched for a good chunk of the Ducks’ 5-4 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday. Gauthier has seen limited minutes this season, averaging 13:59 of ice time through his first three games. His main line with young center Leo Carlsson and veteran right winger Alex Killorn has given up more quality chances than they’ve produced, according to moneypuck.com’s expected goals data.
Ducks coach Greg Cronin made it clear after Anaheim’s win that Gauthier has had issues adapting to the NHL game.
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“He’s an amazing teammate, he’s an amazing player, and we all love him here, so it’s all good.” -Trevor Zegras
How will Gauthier respond after seeing three shifts in the final 30 minutes of Wednesday’s game?⤵️@TheHockeyNews | #flytogether https://t.co/OxFBz8FIxo
— Patrick Present (@PatrickCPresent) October 18, 2024
“He was struggling a bit,” Cronin told reporters. “A 20-year-old kid, it’s his (fourth) game in the league. As a coach, you’re trying to change a little bit of chemistry. I stuck (Frank Vatrano) out there for a little bit, and then I went with (Brock) McGinn in the third period.
“Brock’s been around a while – he’s a 30-year-old guy. He kills penalties, and I think he’s going to be able to make some plays under pressure, and Cutter’s going to learn that over the course of the season. Sometimes, it’s good to learn by watching.”
Related: NHL Prospect Pool Overview 2024-25: Catching Up on All 32 Teams
Meanwhile, the Penguins assigned highly touted center McGroarty to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday. McGroarty failed to register a point in his first three NHL games, and he was a healthy scratch for Monday’s match against the Montreal Canadiens.
The 20-year-old – acquired from Winnipeg this summer in return for prospect Brayden Yager – averaged just 11:37 of ice time before the demotion, but he’s far from the only top prospect to need time in the AHL to hone his craft. He should get much more ice time and repetitions with the Baby Penguins, which could work wonders for his development.
Indeed, the roadblocks Gauthier and McGroarty hit this week are part of the journey tons of NHL players face at one point or another in their on-ice career. Many players need time in the minors to sharpen their skills and give them the confidence they need to succeed in the NHL, and many players have been benched by their coach when they don’t deliver on what’s expected of them. The old adage about “the key to success is not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up” is true in these cases.
Very few NHLers manage to thrive right out of the gate, so McGroarty and Gauthier shouldn’t get too down on their current status. Instead, they need to embrace the changes they’re dealing with at the moment and get back on a proper track to success. The sooner they do so, the longer they’ll thrive in the NHL.
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Related: The McGroarty-Yager Debate Begins: Which Team Won the Jets-Penguins Trade?
