Gaudette signed a one-year, two-way deal earlier this month. The contract is worth $775,000 in the NHL and $450,000 in the AHL.
The Ottawa Senators' top nine forwards are pretty much locked up for this fall. Assuming everyone is healthy, the top nine will look like this (give or take a shuffle or two):
Brady Tkachuk-Tim Stuzle-Claude Giroux
David Perron-Shane Pinto-Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig-Josh Norris-Michael Amadio
But, as Sens fans are all too familiar with, injuries do happen. So the Senators want guys on their fourth line who can not only do all the standard fourth-line things, but also won't look out of place if they have to fill in somewhere in the top nine.
For example, Rourke Chartier was a defensive fourth-line centre, but his four points in 56 career games with the Senators simply weren't enough to help round out the all-important secondary scoring. And they certainly don't hint at a player who might be able to elevate to the offensive levels required for spot duty in the top nine.
As mentioned on this site last week, I'd be inclined right now to run a line of Noah Gregor-Zack Ostapchuk-Zack MacEwen. Angus Crookshank and Jan Jenik will get a long look too.
But don't sleep on newly-signed forward Adam Gaudette.
Gaudette is back for round two with the club. Three years ago, former Sens GM Pierre Dorion acquired him off waivers from Chicago. Gaudette played 50 games here and scored 12 points.
The Sens didn't re-sign him for the same reason they didn't re-sign Dominik Kubalik this year – not good enough defensively to be in the bottom six and not good enough offensively to be in the top six.
But there are several reasons Senators fans should take Gaudette seriously as a threat to make this team.
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“I’m a completely different player than I was then, and I’m excited to showcase that,” Gaudette told the Associated Press back in January. “The most important thing I’ve been focusing on is my two-way game. I’ve been really focused on my details and doing those things, and in doing so, that leads to the offence. I know I’m going to get my chances, and I have the confidence to put the puck in the back of the net.”
Obviously, Gaudette won't get anywhere near the top power-play unit, but he does have enough game to compete for a fourth-line NHL job this fall and chip in if he's needed higher in the lineup.
Don't rule out Gaudette getting a proper chance to showcase himself in a Senator sequel.