The Ottawa Senators have suffered a bunch of injuries up front this season. This has been tough to see as many of their top players have been out. However, it has also led to opportunities for players that may not have had the chance before. One of those players has been Adam Gaudette. Gaudette was claimed off of waivers back in late November by the Senators and at the time, not much was thought of it. Ottawa had a horrible start to the year and needed anybody they could find to help. However, since joining the team, Gaudette has quietly become a key contributor, and even someone the team should strongly consider keeping around.
Adam Gaudette Has Excelled With The Senators
Expectations were understandably low when Gaudette entered the Sens organization. He was a depth forward who had two points in just eight games on the season and never really seemed to find a permanent spot anywhere. Even when he first started playing there didn’t seem to be too much that stood out. For Ottawa, this is exactly what they needed as they battled through COVID and injuries. However, lately, Gaudette has really begun to shine and his stats are reflecting that.
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Gaudette now has eight points in 14 games with the Sens which would put him on pace for 47 over a full 82 game season. Obviously, that seems a little high to sustain but it shows just how well he has been playing. His skill allows him to freely move up and down the lineup as needed. Whether it be creating his own offence in a bottom-six role, or playing with the skilled players near the top of the lineup. Gaudette is flashing the skill he has shown at times in his career more and more and it’s paying off.
Adam Gaudette has the #Sens up 3-1 with goals just seconds apart pic.twitter.com/YLTgY3RzsA
— Alex Metzger (@nhlsensandstuff) February 8, 2022
Underlying Numbers
What’s really encouraging about Gaudette’s play is that it’s not just an unsustainable point streak he’s going on. Yes, maybe it seems a bit high, but Gaudette is controlling plays very well too. He currently ranks first among Sens forwards in CF% and third in xGF%. The forwards ahead of him? Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson. Not too shabby of a list to be a part of. On top of that, almost every forward that has played with Gaudette this season has better underlying numbers with him vs without him. Some of this can absolutely be credited to a small sample, but this type of play should be encouraging.
Above is the Ottawa Senators offence with and without Gaudette on the ice this season from HockeyViz. As you can see, the Senators have been significantly better in the offensive zone. A lot of this can be attributed to playing with skilled teammates such as Brady Tkachuk at times, but Gaudette is playing a role too.
The Cost of Adding Depth Scoring
As the Sens get healthier, Gaudette will naturally slide down the lineup. But that’s a good thing. One thing Ottawa has been critically lacking the last season or two has been any semblance of depth scoring. The kids have done all the heavy lifting and if they’re not scoring, the Sens usually aren’t winning. Having players like Gaudette on your third or fourth line is crucial to support your key players. If he can even be a 35 point scorer that would be a pretty big improvement on some of the names that they have had in the past. Plug him along with someone like Connor Brown and you could have a third line that teams need to respect but can also play more defensively when needed.
The real question is what will this cost? The Sens likely have some options for that too. A one-year deal could benefit both sides as Ottawa doesn’t need to lock in an unproven player long-term and Gaudette gets a chance to show he is for real. If Ottawa is confident Gaudette is legit, a longer-term deal could be reached in the range of three years. Gaudette may be willing to do this and lock in a paycheque, something that hasn’t been guaranteed lately.
Heading into the season, EvolvingHockey had Gaudette’s most likely contract as two years at one million. If he keeps this pace up that will of course increase but by how much? There are certainly options for Ottawa, and that is always a nice thing to have.
Moving Forward
At the very least, Gaudette is showing he is an NHLer. Even if it’s not with Ottawa, some team is bound to pick up on that. It’s possible he gets flipped at the deadline for a pick, but as a cost-controlled RFA, he fits Ottawa’s bill perfectly. A younger player who can fit in your bottom six, won’t cost too much, and you don’t need to extend more than a few years? Where else are you going to find that?
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Not to mention, Chris Tierney is a given to be moved on from and Nick Paul has an uncertain future too. There will be some turnover with the depth over the next offseason or two, having a bit of stability could be a good thing. There would certainly be worse options than Adam Gaudette.
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