New York Rangers agree to terms with former first-round pick Julien Gauthier

The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with restricted free agent Julien Gauthier. The young forward will sign a one-year deal with the team. PuckPedia reports that the deal is a two-way contract worth $775K in the NHL.

Gauthier, 23, is coming up on a “prove it” season for his career. The 21st overall pick in the 2016 draft, he was acquired by the Rangers in a trade for Joey Keane last year. To this point, he has registered just 11 points in 47 NHL games, spending half of the 2020-21 season on the taxi squad. Gauthier has never received many opportunities under the previous coaching staff, averaging fewer than 10 minutes a night during his Rangers career, and is now getting to the “too-old-to-be-a-prospect” stage.

That said, the raw package is still very intriguing. Gauthier stands 6-foot-4, has an above-average skating ability, and he has shown in the past that he can be a lethal finisher on the power play. Whether the huge winger will actually get a chance to show what he can do in an offensive role remains to be seen.

Of course, with any contract these days, the expansion draft must be considered. It seems unlikely that the Rangers will protect Gauthier from selection given how many other key forwards they have, but perhaps the new staff and front office have bigger plans for him. If they do leave him unprotected, perhaps Seattle believes he could be a difference-maker if given more minutes on an expansion roster.

At any rate, he won’t be distracted by a contract negotiation any longer after agreeing to the one-year deal, and can now focus on the upcoming season. Turning 24 in October, he needs to grab whatever opportunity is given to him this year — be it New York or Seattle — and establish himself as a full-time NHLer.