Julien Gauthier

Gauthier joined the Islanders last season after parts of four years with the rival Rangers. He appeared in just 27 regular-season games for the club, managing five goals and nine points. Gauthier has all-world speed and he's displayed a nice finishing touch during both his junior career and his time in the AHL, but it's simply never carried over to the NHL. Set to turn 27 years of age in October, Gauthier is likely to begin the 2024-25 campaign back in the minors, serving as organizational depth for the club.

Though this will be his first full season in the NHL, it feels like a make-or-break campaign for Gauthier, who has dominated in the AHL but has failed to keep up with the increased competition at the highest level. He scored 27 goals in 75 AHL games in 2018-19, then potted 26 goals in just 44 AHL contests last year, but the 23-year-old winger has totaled just three points -- all assists -- in 17 NHL appearances. While Gauthier has intriguing physical tools with great skating ability in a 6-foot-4, 227-pound frame, it remains to be seen whether he can finally find his scoring touch at the NHL level, or if he'll turn into just another run-of-the-mill, bottom-six guy.

The Hurricanes fell in love with Gauthier's combined measurables in the 2016 draft and selected him 21st overall, but the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is yet to appear in an NHL game. Gauthier finally found his groove at the AHL level last season, recording 25 goals among his 41 points in 75 games. His ceiling has often been compared to Rick Nash, who was a perennial 30-goal scorer in his prime, but Gauthier first needs to make it to the NHL before we can start lending any credence to such comparisons. With Carolina not lacking forward depth, another year of seasoning in the AHL seems like the most likely outcome for Gauthier.

Gauthier had a good season last year – his first in the AHL – manufacturing 16 goals and nine assists for the Charlotte Checkers. Prior to that, he played four seasons in the QMJHL, scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace (211 points in 227 games). The 20-year-old Gauthier is a solidly-built, 6-foot-4 power forward with a sniper's touch, and he projects to be a top-four forward for the Canes once he's ready. For now, he will likely spend at least one more season in the AHL, but don't forget about him – players with his skill set often graduate to the NHL level at a moment's notice.