NHL Draft 2012 Prospects: #14 Brendan Gaunce

The draft, hands down, is the best time of the hockey season. Maybe I'm just saying that because the Wild haven't been seen post-season action since 2008, but that is besides the point.

So, on June 22nd-23rd, we will all sit down in front of the television/computer and watch the draft. But if you are wondering, "who's who", then you haven't been reading HW because thats my job.

So without further ado:

Introducing our 2012 NHL #14 Draft Prospect - Brendan Gaunce

Accomplishments & Awards:

Prospect Jersey (What Would They Look Like In a Wild Jersey?)

Summarized Scouting Report

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

HW Projection:

Video Evidence:

Where Does He Fit In The Wild?

If we lacked a center with size and skill and tons of intangibles, Gaunce would be at the top of my list of who I want. But seeing that we already have a guy like Charlie Coyle and to a lesser extent Johan Larsson, I think we should be fine in that department.

Conclusion

Some may see Gaunce as a safe thirdliner who's skating is lacking, making him a very unpopular choice in the top 15 range, but I feel there is more to Gaunce than just that.

First and foremost, he has size and uses that size very well. He is a pain trying to win the puck over as he uses his size to protect the puck very well, whether that be along the boards or when he is driving to the net. When he doesn't have the puck, he uses his size to give a solid hit or to push off players to win the puck.

While he doesn't play with much flash, his skill with his size helps him create offense when driving the net, continuing the cycle, or just winning puck battles. But lets not forget that he has a solid shot that he compliments his physical play with, making him a dangerous forward in the offensive zone.

No, he may not be the fastest forward, but from what I could tell in the U-18 tournament with Canada, he was efficient and while he did lack jump and speed, he still managed to constantly be an effective forechecking forward, dishing out hits or just putting pressure of the puck carrier. He may not be the fastest player at doing so, but he still managed to do so.

All that with his strong character and willingness to improve, I think Gaunce can be one solid player at the NHL level.

Special thanks to HFBoards, Future Considerations, The Hockey Writers, TSN, OHLProspeccts and The Scouting Report