Whether Julien Gauthier playing in a top-six role for New York or in the bottom-six, he's is proving each shift that he belongs in the Islanders lineup.

SUNRISE, FL -- When the New York Islanders announced the signing of 26-year-old forward Julien Gauthier, many saw this as a depth move for a team that lacked depth in 2022-23.

The six-foot-four, 224-pound forward has been known for his speed, but a lack of finishing was problematic in a league defined by productivity. 

While the speedy forward showcased his wheels as soon as training camp began, a lack of finishing wasn't an issue, not even in the slightest. 

Whether it be during drills, scrimmages, or preseason play, Gauthier showed off an accurate, hard wrist shot. 

Albeit a strong tryout in front of his new head coach Lane Lambert and the rest of the coaching staff, Gauthier started the season as one of the Islanders extra forwards, appearing in just two of the club's first 14 games.

When fourth-line winger Matt Martin suffered an injury in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 15, Lambert elected to give Hudson Fasching the opportunity for the final two games of the Western road trip and the first two games of a three-game homestand.

Gauthier finally heard his name called on Nov. 25 against the Philadelphia Flyers, a second of a back-to-back.

The Quebec native provided a set of fresh legs for Lambert, doing the little things to help the Islanders transition up the ice.

Lambert rewarded Gauthier, as he's played in each of the Islanders last four games.

Ahead of Saturday night's game against the Florida Panthers, Mathew Barzal, the Islanders hottest forward, was dealing with an illness, meaning Lambert would need to see some of his depth forwards help fill the hole. 

Gauthier did that and more in what became his coming out party with his new squad.

Starting the game on the third line, alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Simon Holmstrom, Gauthier notched his first point of the season. 

After a strong backcheck in the second half of the middle frame, Gauthier quickly got back up the ice to receive a drop-pass from Horvat before taking a hard wrist shot from inside the left dot. 

The heaviness of the shot produced a rebound, which Holmstrom sent back from where it came, giving the Islanders a 3-1 lead at 9:12 of the second:

That goal doesn't happen without Gauthier's 200-foot effort, along with his strong hockey IQ, knowing that a low shot would produce a rebound in the vicinity of Holmstrom.

"It's great [to see a defensive play turn into a goal] because that's how you gain your coach's trust, translating good defense to offense" Gauthier said. "That's something I really wanted to work on. I didn't have a lot of opportunities to show it. So it feels good to get rewarded."

Given Gauthier's minute increase in each of the last three games, The Hockey News asked Lambert if plays like the one above allow Lambert to trust Gauthier more often:

In the third period, a period that has not gone in the Islanders favor very often in 2023-24, Gauthier found himself on the top line alongside Horvat and Anders Lee. 

"I saw him skating, saw him moving his feet," Lambert said on why he elevated Gauthier. "He's a big guy who can really move. He's playing well."

Lambert's decision paid off as Gauthier came through big time for the Blue and Orange, scoring his first goal in an Islanders sweater, sniping Panthers goaltender Anthony Stolarz glove side from the top of the right circle to extend New York's lead to 4-2 at 3:43 of the third period. 

That goal proved to be the game-winner as the Islanders held on to defeat the 2022 Eastern Conference champions and move into the final wild-card spot in the East after a 5-1-1 stretch. 

With a goal and an assist, Gauthier was named the game's first star.

Limited minutes is nothing new for the Montreal native, and he knew that when his name was called, he would have to make the most of it. 

"I didn't have much of an opportunity before in our lineup. I didn't have a lot of time in the games, but it feels good to be back in and help the team win," Gauthier said postgame. "We had a little bit of a tough stretch before coming here. W we're losing games, giving up tough leads, but it feels good to, you know, hold that lead at the end and stay strong."

As for moving up in the lineup, Gauthier knew that would mean more minutes, which is something every player longs for. 

"It's amazing. A lot of ice time. Your legs feel like amazing," Gauthier said. "It's awesome. They were obviously great to play with. They pass the puck well. They move well. We had a good chemistry tonight, so it felt great."

Gauthier ultimately earned the opportunity to play more due to the absence of Mathew Barzal, who missed Saturday's game due to illness.

But whether he's playing in a top-six role for New York or in the bottom-six, Gauthier is proving each shift that he belongs in the Islanders lineup, similar to what Fasching proved when called up last season. 

You can watch Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert live Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season at twitch.tv/hockeynightny.