Sheng Peng
Has Adam Gaudette figured out how to become an everyday NHL player?
Gaudette, 28, enjoyed a comeback season last year with the Ottawa Senators, putting up a career-high 19 goals.
The San Jose Sharks followed by inking Gaudette to a two-year, $4 million contract this summer.
It’s been something of a winding road for Gaudette to get to San Jose.
A 2015 fifth-round pick, Gaudette, then 23, appeared to establish himself as a full-time NHL’er in 2019-20, putting up 33 points for the Vancouver Canucks in just 59 games.
But the next four seasons, Gaudette struggled to stay in the NHL, bouncing between the Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues organizations.
So what changed for Gaudette last year? And how might he continue his renaissance with the San Jose Sharks?
Data from Stathletes and Evolving Hockey, along with video from SportContract, offer insight into what Gaudette is as a player, and what he isn’t.
Rebound Shots
Gaudette has learned to attack the net with more frequency, which he didn’t do as much earlier in his career.
For example, per Stathletes, Gaudette actually led Ottawa in Power Play Rebound Shots Per 60.
You can also see this at 5-on-5, comparing Evolving Hockey’s 2024-25 and 2021-22 shot charts.
2021-22 was Gaudette’s last full regular season before 2024-25, also with the Sens.
You can see Gaudette is attacking the blue paint a lot more now:
“If you want to score goals, get to the front of the net,” Gaudette told the Athletic in November.
I would expect, for the San Jose Sharks, that Gaudette plays net front on the second power play unit.
One-Timers
In the offensive zone, you’re likely to see right-handed Gaudette set up in two places to shoot: Net front or for his one-timer.
You can see examples of both here, Gaudette (81), cocked and loaded, awaiting a pass from Tim Stutzle (18). Failing that, Gaudette then crashes the net.
Gaudette was second among Ottawa forwards in 5-on-5 One-Timers Per 60, just behind Brady Tkachuk. He also led the Sens with six one-timer goals.
Faceoffs
Gaudette has also increased his versatility, winning over 50 percent of his faceoffs for the first time in his NHL career. His previous high in a larger sample size (300-plus faceoffs) was 41.2 in 2019-20.
If this improvement is for real, Gaudette can provide the San Jose Sharks much-needed NHL-level center depth. At the moment, the Sharks have two established NHL pivots in Macklin Celebrini and Alex Wennberg, and a whole lot of question marks up the middle.
What To Expect from Gaudette Next Year?
Gaudette actually led Ottawa with 16 5-on-5 goals.
I wouldn’t count on that for the San Jose Sharks, as the 6-foot-1 center-winger also enjoyed a career-high shooting % spike. His previous high before last season’s 21.1 was 16.0 in 2019-20.
But to his credit, Gaudette appears to a real shooting threat, which is unusual for a bottom-six forward. Perhaps getting third-line or better minutes, what will be a significant jump from his 10:25 a night last year, will keep his production about the same as his shooting % levels out.
I’d think the Sharks would be pleased with another 15-20 goal campaign from Gaudette,
Count on Gaudette to be a net front presence and to fire his one-timer off the cycle. So like a Jeff Skinner, you probably need to play Gaudette with forwards who can get him the puck, while the Massachusetts native tries to find soft spots in the OZ.
Gaudette, however, is also a stout 6-foot-1, and he’s willing, so he can be an effective presence along the wall.
Per Stathletes, he won 52.6 percent of his 5-on-5 Puck Battles, which led Sens forwards.
Gaudette, however, isn’t the most fleet of foot — per NHL EDGE, his skating speed is below the 50th percentile in the league — which blunts his impact on the forecheck and prevents him from getting into as many puck battles.
You’re also not going to see Gaudette carry the puck much in any zone — according to Stathletes, he was among the lowest-ranked Sens forwards in 5-on-5 Zone Entries and Puck Carries. He also attempted passes at a well below-average clip.
I expect you’ll see a lot of this type of low-risk play from Gaudette in the neutral and defensive zones this season, a stationary exit pass to the speed coming from behind in Nikolas Matinpalo (33).
Gaudette will then follow the puck into the OZ and try to find where he can do the most damage with his shot.
Gaudette appears to finally be squeezing the most out of his ability.
In November, Jason Demers and Brian Boyle had praise for both the directness of Gaudette’s offensive game and maturing defensive conscience.
Demers and Boyle cited Stefan Noesen’s mid-career renaissance as a model for Gaudette to aspire to. Noesen struggled from 2015 to 2022, bouncing between six NHL organizations, including the San Jose Sharks. But in 2022-23, a 29-year-old Noesen established himself as that rare bottom-six power play specialist with the Carolina Hurricanes.
If Gaudette can follow that path, he’s going to be a bargain for the Sharks.