tbl-2026 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Under 25: #9 Ethan Gauthier

Summary

Ethan Gauthier had a solid, if somewhat unspectacular, first season with the Syracuse Crunch. Can he build on that and possibly make it to the NHL this season? Name Ethan Gauthier Position Winger Age (as of October 1, 2026) 21 Height/Weight 6’0″, 183 lbs. Expected 2026-27 Team Syracuse Crunch Draft – Year, Round 2023, 2nd (37) Previous Rankings 7 ( 2025 ), 5 ( 2024 ), 4 ( 2023 ) JustinG. Ranking 8 Final Rank 9 Stats: Our Thoughts: For the fourth time in his tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, Ethan Gauthier has made it into the top ten of the prospect rankings. Unfortunately, for the third time, he’s slipped a little further down the list. Part of that might be prospect fatigue. It is also a sign that the Lightning have been able to add some pretty decent players to their talent pool since Gauthier was drafted in 2023. We’ve mentioned it rankings from previous seasons, but it felt like Gauthier was good enough to join Syracuse for the 2024-25 season, but the agreements at the time wouldn’t allow for it (we may have even floated the possibility of him starting that season in the NHL as a 19-year-old). So he returned to Drummondville and put up decent numbers (62 points in 50 games) but it put off his professional debut another season. In his first season with the Syracuse Crunch, the two-way forward put up a respectable 12 goals and 15 assists. The disappointment came in the fact that he only appeared in 56 games as he was in and out of the line-up throughout the first part of the season. What was nice to see was that he found his groove towards the end of the year, recording 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) in his final 10 regular season games. This season he should have a chance to improve on those numbers as he should have a top-six role as well as a spot on the power play for the Crunch. If he can stay healthy and consistent, there is no reason he can’t be a 50-point guy at the AHL level. Along with the offense, he is an extremely solid defensive player. There isn’t much that is flashy about his game, but he does a lot of things really well. Gauthier has a solid wrist shot that can beat goaltenders from distance. He processes the game at a high level and has excellent vision on the ice. His skating has improved over the last few seasons, and while it might never be a strength, it’s getting to the point where it’s not going to be a hinderance to his game. Entering the second season of his entry-level deal, Gauthier could be an intriguing option for the Lightning throughout the season. He has a reasonable cap hit and is waivers-exempt. Should they need some help up front, he is the type of player that should be able to slide right into the line-up and give Tampa Bay some solid minutes. Some sexier names may have leap-frogged him on this list, but that doesn’t mean Gauthier’s ceiling as a prospect has dropped. He still projects out as a middle-six forward that can kill penalties and help on the power play (oh, yeah, he’s a right-shot as well). Your Thoughts: Highest rank was 5 with the bulk of votes spread between 6 and 13. It seems folks aren’t quite sure where to put the former second-round pick. No direct mentions of Gauthier in the comments. Highlight Videos: A PP goal right out the gate! pic.twitter.com/73lm5QeZMa — Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 18, 2026 The nice thing about this play is that it probably shouldn’t have happened. The routine play would be for Gauthier to swing the pass back to the point (which he does later in the same game and it leads to another power play goal). Still, he managed to thread the pass through two defenders to put it right on his teammate’s stick. The awareness on this play is that he knows Spencer Kersten will be open in the slot once both defenders move towards Gauthier. The patience pays off 💰 pic.twitter.com/6DyfIAxhzs — Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 4, 2026 Another nice pass from an awkward position. The goaltender and defense have to respect the fact that he’s in a shooting position, but he saw Ethan Samson break into the slot and the pass it right on the money. Goals in back-to-back games for Gauts! pic.twitter.com/yXdg8Y9cEk — Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) March 29, 2026 He recovered after a tough first touch and snapped a good hard shot to the far post through traffic. Gauthier has a NHL-level shot and the more he uses it, the more ice will be open for his passing. The boys are cooking 👨‍🍳 pic.twitter.com/URpdJkTEYU — Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) March 21, 2026 C’mon now. You have to enjoy this cheeky little pass. One thing you notice about Gauthier is that he doesn’t rush anything on the ice. He has the ability to stay calm and make plays even when caught up in a goal-mouth scramble.