Sharks pick Gabryel Paquin-Boudreau 49th overall
With what became their only second round pick, the Sharks drafted skilled forward Gabryel Paquin-Boudreau from the QMJHL.
With their second round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, 49th overall, the Sharks selected winger Gabryel Paquin-Boudreau from Baie-Comeau of the QMJHL. Paquin-Boudreau ranked 77th on NHL Numbers' final top 100 consensus rankings, which took into account a 108th ranking from Corey Pronman and an "honorable mention" from Bob McKenzie, but Central Scouting apparently held the 5'11", 168-pound winger in higher esteem, ranking him 52nd. It's difficult to find much in the way of scouting reports on him, but here's some information from The Hockey House:
Paquin-Boudreau has good puck skills, he can outmaneuver most defenders and can control the puck and keep it away from opposing players. He is a very good skater, with top end speed. Not only does Paquin-Boudreau have good straight-line speed, but he also is very quick and able to make good, sharp turns without losing much speed. He has good offensive tools that have the potential to be even better. He’s very creative, especially on the rush, and can make exceptional plays.
Paquin-Boudreau, despite having good tools, is very raw. Considering last season was just his first in junior, Paquin-Boudreau is far from being NHL-ready so whichever team drafts him must be willing to be patient and wait for him to develop. Another thing he must develop that isn’t on par with his offensive ability, is his defensive game. I wouldn’t go as far as to say he is a liability on defense, but he definitely must improve it if he wants to make the NHL. Paquin-Boudreau is also small and must add weight in order to be able to handle NHL-sized players.
One encouraging sign from a statistical standpoint is that Paquin-Boudreau scored 71.4% of his 63 points in 67 games played this season at even-strength, meaning his totals aren't overly inflated by power play time. Overall, he ranked fourth on his team in scoring but second among 2013-eligible draftees, behind only Valentin Zykov. There were probably better boom-or-bust options here with players like Artturi Lehkonen, Anthony Duclair and Pavel Buchnevich still on the board but it looks like the Sharks were willing to take a chance on a project who seems to have solid offensive potential. Second round picks are always a gamble and this could turn out to be a good one. Here are Paquin-Boudreau's career numbers: