CA Prospect Profiles: #4 Brendan Gaunce

He finished the tournament on a very strong note. His goal (Sunday) was a typical, hard, power-type goal, which is what a lot of people like about his game. He was dominant in the faceoff circle and defensively strong, and that’s what a lot of people are evaluating right now.

At the February showcase game in beautiful Kelowna, Gaunce finished first in nine categories of testing while scouts witness him rack up twelve top 10 finishes at the recent 2012 NHL Combine. His commitment to all aspects of hockey has paid off as Bulls’ Head Coach Burnett leaned heavily on his star forward using him in all situations. Additionally, the second year center was named an assistant captain adopting a leadership role that Gaunce was born to fill.

Teams will gravitate towards Gaunce’s character, as he plays a 200-foot game and shows consistent efforts both with and without the puck. His hand skills and passing skills are above average and he has an underrated shot. Gaunce can make plays on either his strong side or weak side and provides the requisite size and smarts to play up the middle. Gaunce brings many intangibles to the table including his size, character, hockey sense and ability to do the little things well, which should make him a very effective two-way player at the NHL level.

Everything about him is good. Good parents, good potential, good leadership. Captain material. Lots of character and a hard worker. There’s a really good foundation, and if we can do something with it, we think we’ll have a player.

I think it does, to an extent. There’s no question Brendan is first and foremost a two-way presence. He’s actually been criticized in the past for caring too much about his own end (if that’s possible) when he should be thinking about putting one by the opposing goalie. But, at the core, statistics don’t lie. Brendan averaged a point per game on a lower tier squad last year whose main problem was scoring goals. His offensive upside is underestimated, in my opinion. He can distribute the puck better than most in the CHL.

I don’t know the inner workings of the Canucks organization, and plenty can happen in the near future, but I’d say he’ll get nine games next season (2013-14). I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up playing a regular NHL shift to start the 2014-15 season. Vancouver has little depth down the middle in their system at this point in time, which can only help Gaunce move up the ranks.

Lots of people ask me this and my answer is always the same: Brendan is a prototypical coaches’ player. He’ll win a face off in the final minute, kill penalties as a three or four-man unit, battle on the sideboards and in the corner night in and night out, and generally just be your dependable number one or two centreman (in the OHL). Overall, he brings the full package to a hockey team. He’s an intelligent kid, plays an honest game, and is an imposing force on the ice. He will likely get the ‘C’ in Belleville this year as an 18-year-old, which is an answer to this question in itself.

Skating and finishing. Like his brother Cameron, a second round pick by the Avs in 2008, Brendan has an awkward skating stride. It tends to slow him down a bit. Over the past three summers, Gary Roberts has been working with him to correct that. He’s not slow by any means, but in today’s NHL you need to be up to be, at the very least, on par with your peers. I don’t think it’s irreversible, so Brendan is fine. The finishing touch comes in when debating if he’s worth of a top six forward spot with the big club. The Canucks need someone who can make the most of his chances if they’re going to give him 15 minutes a night. Brendan could work on finding corners and picking his spots better in certain offensive situations. Too many posts last year.

Skating wise, they’re similar. Everything else, I don’t see it.. Staal (despite what the OHL numbers would suggest), is more of a goal-scoring center. In the OHL, he was a real solid crease crasher and got a lot of his goals in close. In the NHL, his shot has developed a lot, but he still remains primarily a goal scoring center. Gaunce, on the other hand, is more of a big playmaking center. He’s got among the best vision and playmaking ability in the OHL. His play away from the puck is outstanding too and it really helps to create time and space for his linemates. He’s also way more physical than Jordan ever was. Brendan is someone who thrives on the physical aspects of the game.

He throws big hits and is very active in the corners and on the forecheck. While I don’t expect him to put up the gaudy offensive numbers that he did in the OHL, or NHL, Gaunce is much more of a Keith Primeau type of center. In regards to Gaunce’s skating, his brother Cameron (Avs prospect) had the same problem when he was in the OHL. But he really improved it over the course of his OHL career. I’d expect the same out of Brendan. Once his skating improves, it’ll help his game in transition and make him a much more effective puck carrier.