Gaunce has right coach to guide his reinvention
Converted winger’s hard path to the NHL not unlike the one the boss took in 1992
Brendan Gaunce was a hotshot junior. So was Travis Green.
If you want to know why a rookie National Hockey League head coach is so high on a 2012 firstround draft pick still trying to become a roster mainstay, take a look at their career paths.
Green had two 50-plus-goal seasons in the Western Hockey League, but needed two full seasons in the minors before he got a sniff with the New York Islanders in the 1992-93 season. Green had to reinvent himself to remain relevant and log 970 games with five teams.
Understanding how to play at this level meant Gaunce transitioning from being a two-time 30-goal guy in the Ontario Hockey League to being a bottom-six grinder. He was moved from centre to left wing two years ago because his six-foot-two, 217-pound frame and strong stride should allow him to be effective.
Gaunce knows all that and Green reminded him of it when he made the jump from junior.
“My first year in Utica (in 201415), I met with him and he told me that exact thing,” Gaunce said Thursday. “We did the exact same things and have the same qualities. You have to tailor your game to what the team wants. I accepted that and feel very comfortable playing that way.
“I also know he trusts me defensively and it was just a step to take.”
There was a time when some in the organization weren’t sure Gaunce had a game that would translate to the highest level. He was a natural centre, but the move to wing was made to get more aggression in his game.
“He has to play a heavy game to be responsible,” Green said. “He’s a young guy still trying to find his way, but he’s smart and he can kill penalties. We’ve got to push him to be the best player he can be, and we’re not sure what that is yet. I’m convinced that he has it in him, but it’s up to him.”
With Markus Granlund sidelined by an upper-body ailment, Gaunce meshed seamlessly with Brandon Sutter and Derek Dorsett in his season debut Tuesday in Calgary during a 5-3 victory. He logged 16:54 and had two hits, two blocked shots and a shot on net.
“The first period I was pretty excited and wasn’t focusing on anything but getting my feet moving,” Gaunce said. “But when I was out (with an injury), I watched games and looked at how Sutter and Granlund were playing and who they played against and how we have to play against top lines.”
It stands to reason that Gaunce may generate offence from being in a system that frustrates elite players who don’t like to play in their own zone. Good pace and a pounding forecheck have helped Dorsett score seven goals after 15 games and allowed Sutter to play to his shut-down strengths.
Gaunce had left-shoulder labrum surgery in April. After five games on a conditioning stint with Utica, Gaunce was recalled Monday and played Tuesday.
If Granlund, who had just two goals, is eventually reunited with Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Gaunce may have found a roster home.
“Some guys can get to the NHL very quickly and others take time,” Gaunce said. “I understand how Travis wants the team to play and he understands how I can play.”