While the Senators will have multiple prospects headed to the World Junior Championship this week, there will be one notable prospect that will not be playing. That would be Tyler Boucher, who was not selected for the United States final roster.
Once again, the Tyler Boucher discussion was alive once again in Sens land. On one hand, many think he will be a solid NHL forward. A rough year with injuries and transferring from College to the OHL midway through the season are some of the reasons he could be given a pass for last year. On the other hand, his critics believe he may never step foot into the NHL and was a reach in every sense of the word. As usual, each camp has its share of valid points, but there’s no sense in giving up on this polarizing prospect anytime soon.
The elephant in the room
Just about everyone can understand that Boucher wasn’t expected to be picked at #10 in the 2021 NHL draft. In all the mock drafts, Boucher was drafted in the 2nd or the 3rd round pick. He had some good attributes to bring to an NHL club, just not with a top 10 pick.
There were still plenty of players on the draft board that felt like a player the Sens would have liked. Cole Sillinger, Chaz Lucius, and goaltender Jesper Wallstedt felt like realistic picks at the time. But the thing is, the 2021 NHL draft was filled with skill first forwards. After Boucher, the next Boucher-esque player picked was, oddly enough, Zach Ostapchuk at 39th overall.
While many could argue he wasn’t worth the 10th overall billing, the Sens obviously felt they had a need to address and went with fit over “best available” when they made the choice. It also bears repeating that Boucher had zero control over where he was selected, so any vitriol over the pick should be directed at the front office and not the teenage prospect.
Boucher is a unique player
In recent memory, there haven’t been many players built in the mold of Tyler Boucher that have played for the Senators. He is not only a power forward, but oozes physical maturity. Not only was the most physical player in the draft, but he also had an extremely high motor that threw thunderous checks.
While you certainly don’t need twelve of these forwards on an NHL team, there are only two players on the Senators that play a similar style to Boucher. Those are Brady Tkachuk and Austin Watson. Tkachuk is definitely physical but brings skill and leadership to the table. Watson has 1 more year on his contract, and we will see if he gets extended. But at 30 years of age, you could argue his best years are behind him.
Why the critics are vocal
Even if they were vocal when Boucher was picked, there’s still years before you can realistically judge the pick. After all, the Sens have always had a good record on amateur scouting. He had an injury riddled 2020-21 season, limited to 5 games. So, he would have a full 2021-22 season to play for Boston University in the NCAA. However, it was a bad fit right from the start. He was limited to 3 points in 17 games and took 12 minor penalties. He started out in the top six, then was quickly pushed down the lineup and eventually onto the fourth line.
So, after his first semester, he transferred from BU to the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL. While it may take a little longer to develop chemistry with his linemates, the competition would also be weaker. He would go from playing collegiate aged players to 16–20-year old’s. Which is why a large chunk of the fanbase thought he would have produced more offense than he did. In 24 games, he recorded 14 points in a top six role for the 67’s. His penalty control improved slightly, but the lack of offensive production stood out to many. A year after being drafted, a first-round pick should ideally be producing at close to a point per game rate in junior hockey.
2022 is a great year for Boucher to “regroup”
Boucher will be 20 once the new year rolls around and will be one of the older players in the OHL. He is already more physically mature than his peers, so rounding out his offensive game should be a priority. Assuming he is a top line player, he should at least be a point per game contributor for a 67’s that should push for a playoff spot.
However, the Senators forward group is in a very good spot right now. Last year, the right-wing depth for the Senators was: Drake Batherson, Connor Brown, Colin White, and Austin Watson. The Senators now have a right side of: Drake Batherson, Claude Giroux, Mathieu Joseph, and Austin Watson.
Batherson, Giroux and Joseph are under contract for at least 3 more seasons. Which means the Senators have their right side in place for the foreseeable future, which should ease the pressure on Boucher being an impact NHL player right away. Now that the Senators have good NHL pieces locked up, Boucher can take a couple of years developing.
When Boucher was drafted in 2021, it was possible the Senators saw him one day being a top six forward on a line with Tim Stutzle. But with the acquisitions of Alex Debrincat and Claude Giroux, the Senators don’t need Boucher to be a Tom Wilson clone immediately.
Overall, there is still a long way to go with this player. Fans should be able to throwaway, the 10th overall pick debate and just let him progress. If the Senators develop him properly, there will be a day where Boucher rewards them. In a deep playoff run down the line, Boucher could be a player that thrives in the hard hitting postseason environment, and could regularly bring fans to their feet.
-Damian Smith
Twitter: @Damian__Smith