Alex Guptill
| Birthday: 1992-03-05 | Position: LW |
| Eligible for draft: 2010 | Shoots: Left |
| Drafted: 2010 | Height: 6-2 |
| Acquired: Trade with Ottawa, 2016 | Weight: 181 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- D
History
2008-09: Alex Guptill played for the Brampton Capitals of the OJAHL. In 49 games, he scored 30 goals and added 34 assists for 64 points. Guptill picked up 1 assist in 3 playoff games for the Capitals.
2009-10: Played split the season between the Brampton Capitals (OJAHL) and the Orangeville Crushers of the CCHL (Junior A). In 10 games for the Capitals, Guptill netted 6 goals and added 5 assists for 11 points. In 19 games for the Crushers, Guptill scored 13 goals and added 13 assists for 26 points. He registered a +11 rating for the season. In 2 playoff games for the Crushers, Guptill picked up 1 assist and was a -3. Guptill was chosen in the third round, 77th overall, of the 2010 NHL draft by the Dallas Stars.
2010-11: Guptill moved to the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks in 2010-11. In 43 games, he notched 13 goals, 12 assists and 25 points with a minus-13 rating. Guptill saw plenty of power play time and some time with his team shorthanded. He was part of a two very good special teams units. Had trouble stringing together very good games on a below average Waterloo team.
2011-12: Guptill was named the CCHA Rookie of the Year after scoring 16 goals with 17 assists in 41 games for the University of Michigan as a freshman. He was the Wolverines second-leading scorer behind New Jersey prospect David Wohlberg and was plus-14 with 48 penalty minutes. Michigan finished second in the CCHA and reached the conference tournament championship game against Western Michigan; earning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
2012-13: Guptill was Michigan’s leading scorer as a sophomore. In 38 games he scored 16 goals with 20 assists and was +3 with 32 penalty minutes. He scored five goals on the power play. The Wolverines finished seventh in the CCHA and failed to win 20 games for the first time since head coach Red Berenson’s third season in 1986-87 but went 8-0-1 in nine games at the end of the season before falling to Notre Dame, 3-1, in the CCHA championship game.
2013-14: Guptill signed a two-year entry-level contract with Dallas in March 2014 following his junior season at Michigan and made his pro hockey debut with the AHL’s Texas Stars. He had 2 assists and an even plus/minus with 6 penalty minutes in five AHL games. The Stars finished first in the West Division and won the Calder Cup championship. Guptill did not appear in any playoff games. He scored 12 goals with 13 assists and was +5 with 20 penalty minutes in 31 games for Michigan in his final season of college hockey. The Wolverines finished third in the Big Ten in the conference’s inaugural season but were upset by Penn State in the conference tournament and did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Guptill was acquired by Ottawa as part of the Jason Spezza trade in July 2014.
2014-15: Guptill skated in 61 games for Ottawa AHL affiliate Binghamton in his first pro season. He scored 9 goals with 9 assists and was -3 with 74 penalty minutes. The Senators missed the AHL playoffs, finishing third in the East Division.
Talent Analysis
Guptill is a big two-way forward with decent hockey sense and quick feet. He was a promising scorer for the University of Michigan during college but hasn't been able to produce that way at the AHL level. He has shown some scoring potential in the ECHL this season but will need to add strength and refine his skills to compete at the higher levels.
Future
Guptill has spent most of the 2015-16 season in the ECHL — first with Evansville and then with Manchester — before being part of a seven-player AHL deal between the Senators and Buffalo in February. He played in three AHL games with the Binghamton Senators and joined the Rochester Americans following the trade. Guptill was dealt by Ottawa along with Cole Schneider, Eric O'Dell, and Michael Sdao to the Sabres in exchange for Jason Akeson, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, and Phil Varone. A second-year pro who was a consistent scorer during his college career at Michigan he has yet to have that same success in the AHL. With a deep group of forwards in the Buffalo system he could be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
