San Jose Sharks
Preview/Lines #22: Gaudette Talks Love of Avatar, Has Been “Jack of All Trades” for Sharks
Adam Gaudette’s versatility has been valuable.
Signed to a two-year, $4 million contract in free agency this past summer from the Ottawa Senators, the 29-year-old center winger has already chipped in five goals in just 17 games, helping to solidify the San Jose Sharks’ surprising bottom-six.
“He’s been a nice kind of jack of all trades, of playing different situations,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “He’s done a really good job of he’s played left [wing], he’s played right, he’s played center, he’s played on the power plays, played a little bit of penalty kill.”
Warsofsky also praised Gaudette off the ice: “He’s got some personality, I think that’s important to have a dressing room.”
Starting the season centering Ryan Reaves and Barclay Goodrow on the fourth line, he’s now third-line left wing next to center Ty Dellandrea and right winger Collin Graf. Gaudette is also playing net front on the second power play group.
“When he’s skating, he’s effective,” Warsofsky said.
Gaudette is an unusual player, insofar as he’s a bottom-six forward with legitimate finishing skills: He actually led the Senators with 16 5-on-5 goals last year.
Adam Gaudette!
1-0 #TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/AHMvc5EJkD— JD Young (@MyFryHole) November 21, 2025
This was after two years spent mostly in the AHL and bouncing between five NHL organizations over the last four seasons.
Gaudette has followed the career path of another Warsofsky disciple, Stefan Noesen, who established himself as an NHL’er as a 29-year-old as a bottom-six power play specialist, after years bouncing between NHL organizations and spending a lot of time in the AHL.
“Different players in a sense,” Warsofsky said of Gaudette and his former Chicago Wolves star, “but I would say their career paths go the same way.”
From 2022 to 2025, Noesen scored 49 goals in a reserve role for the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils, so the San Jose Sharks would be thrilled with that outcome.
San Jose Sharks (10-8-3)
Alex Nedeljkovic will start.
Sam Dickinson will sit for Shakir Mukhamadullin. Nick Leddy will also sit, so projected lines are:
Kurashev-Celebrini-Smith
Eklund-Wennberg-Toffoli
Gaudette-Dellandrea-Graf
Goodrow-Ostapchuk-Reaves
Orlov-Liljegren
Ferraro-Klingberg
Mukhamadullin-Desharnais
Nedeljkovic
“He’s faster than last year, for sure."
What are 4 key areas that Zack Ostapchuk has improved from last year?
An NHL scout, Ryan Warsofsky & Barclay Goodrow share their thoughts about the fast-improving center: https://t.co/enuw9uzoNW
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 22, 2025
Ottawa Senators (10-6-4)
Chabby's back in the projected lines for tonight 💪#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/uD3yt0GobA
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 22, 2025
"At the end of the day, it’s business."
Fabian Zetterlund spoke about how much he misses William Eklund, his current goal-scoring struggles in Ottawa & more: https://t.co/nqabq7G9C9
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 21, 2025
Where To Watch
Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators is at 4 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.
