With the 10th pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the Ottawa Senators have selected Tyler Boucher from the USNTDP.
About Tyler Boucher
Even though he isn’t a big point producer or has as much flash as some of the other names in this draft, Boucher is still a quality prospect. He always plays with a sense of urgency and brings a very physical game. He’s got great size to protect the puck and bully his way through the opposition. He’s always in the mix of a puck battle and is always driving hard to the net.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“Tyler Boucher is the son of former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher and grew up surrounded by hockey. The young Boucher has made a clear intention of playing in the NHL through his time with the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he has grown as a player. He has also represented the United States at the international level. Boucher has committed to play NCAA hockey at Boston University for the 2021-22 season.
“Boucher was born in Haddonfield, NJ, a town on the outskirts of Philadelphia. He began playing AAA hockey in New Jersey before he moved to Avon Old Farms Prep School, where his father coached the school’s hockey program. He scored 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 26 games while he was attending the school and was soon called up to try out for the country’s national development program. This gave him more opportunities to improve through the guidance of other coaches and non-family members.
Related: 2021 NHL Draft Guide
“Boucher combines flair, quickness, and physicality into his style of play. He prefers to take on multiple opponents at a time, either skating past opposing players or checking them on sight. He has a sense of hunger when he enters the ice and chases pucks down when they are loose, and this is one of the reasons why he has been clinical as a goalscorer.”
Full player profile can be found here.
How This Affects the Senators’ Plans
This was a really big off the board pick as many have Boucher between a second and fourth round pick. Most likely, he projects as a third line player for the Senators. He has a lot of great qualities that will make him a force as a player that’ll go into the gritty areas on the ice and establish a forecheck in the offensive zone.
Boucher’s offensive upside isn’t that high given the other names that are available on the board. The Senators are in a rebuilding phase and had a chance to select a player with a higher ceiling. Selecting him this high is very questionable.