Latest news with #Gaudette
Calgary Herald
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Wait continues for Ottawa Senators and Claude Giroux to get a deal in place
Article content After making the playoffs for the first time in eight years, the Senators don't plan to rest on their laurels heading into next season. The belief is that the club has been scouring the NHL's trade market and free-agency lists for a high-scoring winger and a right-shot defenceman. Article content Postmedia reported on Monday that the Senators will take a run at Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser to play with Tim Stutzle and captain Brady Tkachuk, but the competition will be stiff. The Minnesota Wild are considered to be the frontrunners for Boeser. Article content The club also is studying options on the blueline because veteran Nick Jensen had hip surgery and isn't expected to be ready for the start of the season. Article content The Senators are continuing talks with unrestricted free agent forwards Adam Gaudette, Nick Cousins and Matthew Highmore. The expectation is that Gaudette will test the open market along with unrestricted free agent goaltender Anton Forsberg. Article content Article content Gaudette would like to stay with the Senators, but after scoring 19 goals last season, he should be able to get more money and term elsewhere. Article content Speaking on the St. Louis-based Cam and Strick Podcast with former NHLer Cam Janssen and veteran broadcaster Andy Strickland, Staios won't be getting any advice from Tkachuk on what the club's roster requires, according to the star winger. Article content Strickland asked Tkachuk if he would tell Staios what the club needs for its roster to be more competitive. Tkachuk made it clear that's not happening. Article content 'I try not to,' Tkachuk said. 'I'm a player. I want to stay in my own lane. I'm not the GM, I'm not the coach and I never want to be viewed as making decisions. I don't want to do that. I trust in Steve and that he'll make the right decisions for our team. Article content Article content 'He's always kind of respected me, and if I have an opinion, he'll ask me about it. I've told him that I trust in him and that he'll make the right decisions for our team to not just make us a playoff team, but a team that has a chance to win a Stanley Cup. Article content 'I'm a player. I put my skates on and I do my best every single night.' Article content
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Stock has definitely risen' on potential Rangers free-agent target Adam Gaudette
There are many reasons why Adam Gaudette's name is being mentioned as a possible free-agent fit with the New York Rangers this offseason. The Rangers likely are looking to upgrade their bottom six and Gaudette is one of the more intriguing options out there on the open market this summer. Not only is the 28-year-old coming off a breakthrough 19-goal season with the Ottawa Senators, but his price tag should still be reasonable. Advertisement All of that is appealing to the Rangers, who could use more depth scoring at an affordable price. 'I think the stock has definitely risen,' Gaudette said after the Senators were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Toronto Maple Leafs. 'That was a personal goal of mine, proving that I am an everyday NHL player and finally getting over that hump of, is he an AHL player or NHL player? I had personal goals when I signed here and pretty much nailed every one.' Gaudette signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Senators last summer after the forward played just two games with the St. Louis Blues in 2023-24. He had 26 points playing in an NHL career-high 81 games, averaging 10:25 TOI. His 19 goals were sixth on the Senators; and in the playoffs, Gaudette was tied for fifth in scoring for Ottawa with three points (one goal, two assists) in six games. Advertisement 'I've always had the mindset that I can be an impactful player in this league, just needed the chance to prove it,' Gaudette explained. 'I think this is just the beginning and I have a lot more to give.' Gaudette has played 301 NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Blues and Senators. And he did notch 33 points in 50 games with the Canucks during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign. But he struggled with consistency, lack of production, and finding a set role in the NHL until this season. Now he understands better who he is and where he fits. 'Good playoff teams need a good bottom six to support them through the playoffs,' he said. 'I accepted my fourth-line center role and ran with it.' Advertisement If the Rangers move Mika Zibanejad to right wing on a line with J.T. Miller, that would open up a spot on their third line at center. There are in-house candidates like Juuso Parssinen and Jonny Brodzinski, and maybe even Noah Laba, who turned pro at the end of his NCAA career with Colorado College. But it's easy to see why the Rangers could consider Gaudette, as well. Related: Why it's time for Rangers to trade Chris Kreider this offseason Why Rangers should proceed with caution when it comes to free agent Adam Gaudette Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images There are a slew of red flags with Gaudette that the Rangers must be aware of, though. Advertisement First and foremost, as mentioned above, it was thought that he already had his breakout season in 2019-20. Gaudette followed that up with 10 goals and 25 points the next four seasons in the NHL, yo-yoing between the bigs and the minors. That's a major warning sign that perhaps Gaudette played well above grade this season. Of course, it could be that a more mature Gaudette simply found himself and his game in 2024-25. But let's face it, his track record isn't great. So, general manager Chris Drury really would need to rely on his scouts here, those who've seen Gaudette on a regular basis, not only this season but in previous ones. Gaudette had an unsustainable shooting percentage of 21.1 percent this season. He only recorded 90 shots on goal, despite playing all but one game. Those are important stats. Gaudette also scored 13 of his goals before the New Year, and petered out in 2025 with six, including two in the final game of the regular season. The flip side is that he did play well against the Maple Leafs in the postseason, and his defensive play was much improved this season, including time spent on the penalty kill. The Senators outscored the opposition 32-19 with Gaudette on the ice 5v5 this season, per Natural Stat Trick. And his other metrics were largely positive. Another thing for the Rangers to consider is whether Gaudette has what it takes to play on the third line with higher expectations than on the fourth line as he did in Ottawa. The Rangers already have Sam Carrick to center their fourth line, and he's a perfect fir there, likely playing with Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom next season. Advertisement The best case scenario would be if Gaudette followed in Carrick's footsteps to become a free-agent steal at an affordable price. But there's much to consider before the Rangers pull the trigger on a deal July 1. Related Headlines
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Five Pending NHL UFAs Performed In The First Round
Gaud's Plan: Adam Gaudette's Decision To Sign In Ottawa Works Out Perfectly Adam Gaudette has quietly been one of the best stories of the Ottawa Senators' season – a tale of a player struggling to get back to the NHL, joining forces with a team struggling to get back to the NHL playoffs. 0:43 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Maple Leafs, Oilers, Jets Fuel Canadian Hope For First Cup Since 1993
Gaud's Plan: Adam Gaudette's Decision To Sign In Ottawa Works Out Perfectly Adam Gaudette has quietly been one of the best stories of the Ottawa Senators' season – a tale of a player struggling to get back to the NHL, joining forces with a team struggling to get back to the NHL playoffs. 0:43 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Ottawa Citizen
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
How Adam Gaudette became the Senators' unlikely playoff standout
Article content If there's one player on the Ottawa Senators who isn't taking this shot at playoff redemption against the Toronto Maple Leafs for granted, it's Adam Gaudette. Article content Article content One year ago, the 28-year-old forward was coming off a one-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks in which he had played just two NHL games. Article content After seven years of bouncing between NHL organizations and toggling between the big league and minors, Gaudette seemed a far cry from the Hobey Baker-winning star at Northeastern University, where he once led the U.S. in scoring. Article content Article content Even this season, his future looked uncertain. He was placed on waivers on the final day of the NHL's roster cutdown deadline, being reinserted only after the team changed its mind before the opening night roster had to be named. Article content The fact that he is where he is today — playing a crucial role in the Senators' attempt to complete a reverse sweep, with a goal and two assists in five playoff games — is a testament to his willingness to get back to the basics of hockey. Article content Spending two years in the AHL between the Toronto Marlies and Springfield Thunderbirds, Gaudette gained a new appreciation for what it takes to be a pro. Article content Article content 'Everything started to click a little more in Toronto, I felt like every week, every month, I got better,' he told the Postmedia in November. 'Last year, I felt the best I ever have. It wasn't just because I was scoring a lot of goals, it was because I was doing a lot of the right things on the ice.' Article content That shift in focus — from big-shot scorer to a more complete player away from the puck — coincided with a breakout AHL campaign. Gaudette finished third in AHL scoring last season with 44 goals and 71 points in 67 games. All he has done this year is follow it up in the NHL with a career-high 19 goals. He was even trusted with power-play time, scoring three goals with the man advantage. Article content Article content 'He's having a fantastic season,' head coach Travis Green said. 'I think maturity is a big part of why he's in the NHL again.' Article content Article content Green, who also coached Gaudette in Vancouver, noted how the forward has acclimated himself to the defensive side of the puck in a way that he hadn't earlier in his career. He also has become more disciplined: His 12 penalty minutes tied with Jake Sanderson for the least among Senators who have played at least 80 games this season. Article content 'Players, when they first come in, compared to years four, five, six, it's a big difference,' Green said. 'I think he's just really learned the game itself, the important areas of the game and he's applying it.' Article content That growth has become increasingly evident after the team's shaky start to the series, where their lack of maturity was apparent. In Game 1, Ottawa kicked off a parade to the penalty box, ultimately handing Toronto the game on a silver platter through their 38 penalty minutes.
