Adam Gaudette's 2024–25 season will go down as one of the more pleasant surprises in recent Ottawa Senators history. Here was a guy who was basically out of the NHL for the past two seasons, signing a two-way contract with the Senators for $775,000 — the league's version of minimum wage. Not only did he make the team, the most competitive Senators squad in eight years, but he also finished 6th in team goal scoring with 19. Today, as a 28-year-old unrestricted free agent, who has never signed the kind of lucrative NHL contract that will put him and his family on Easy Street after hockey, it will be tempting for Gaudette and his agent to hit the open auction and listen to offers on July 1st. No, it won't be a feeding frenzy, but he did prove this season that there is value there. Steve Warne talks about the end of Erik Brannstrom's days in the NHL as Brannstrom heads for Switzerland. Sens Headlines: Carter Yakemchuk Ranked 26th Overall In Magazine's New NHL Prospect Rankings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/carter-yakemchuk-ranked-26th-overall-in-magazine-s-new-nhl-prospect-rankings] Ottawa Senators Make More Front Office Changes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/ottawa-senators-make-more-front-office-changes-on-thursday] Ottawa Senators Prospect Parts Ways With Organization And Signs Back Home In Sweden [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/ottawa-senators-prospect-parts-ways-with-organization-and-signs-back-home-in-sweden] Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa [http://thn.com/ottawa] and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more. Even on his own team, there were players like Claude Giroux and Dylan Cozens who combined for $13.6 million in salary this season, and neither of those players matched Gaudette's 19 goals, even with their superior quality of ice time and linemates. Gaudette didn't wilt in the playoffs either, finishing fifth on the team with a goal and 3 points in 6 games. His takeaway and shorthanded assist on Cozens' huge goal in Game 5 in Toronto deserved a chef's kiss. When asked about his NHL stock at season's end, Gaudette was confident in his answer. "Yeah, I think the stock has definitely risen," Gaudette said. "And that was a personal goal of mine is proving that I'm an everyday NHL player and finally getting over that hump of, 'Is he an AHL player or an NHL player?' And I had certain goals for personal goals that I set for myself when I signed here, and I pretty much nailed every one." All things being equal, the Senators would love to roll it back this fall with Gaudette as their fourth-line center, a player who can move up the roster if others fall into slumps or injury trouble. But at what cost? Gaudette won't forego the open auction of free agency if the Sens throw minimum wage at him again. So what will it take? When does it stop making sense? $1.25 million? Two years? Three years? After that, you have to start looking at the unpleasantness of replaceability, or the possible downsides of rolling things back. Gaudette's offensive stats in the second half of the season fell noticeably, so maybe his first half was an anomaly? What about his skating? He's not really an elite skater. You get the idea. NHL Draft Watch: Ottawa Senators Hope To Deal Themselves Another Winner At 21 [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c51c724b-c99a-4253-bc53-5e6ac152181b.webp] NHL Draft Watch: Ottawa Senators Hope To Deal Themselves Another Winner At 21 So far, here in the roaring 20s, the Ottawa Senators' first-round picks at the NHL Draft have been all or nothing. They’ve either landed in the top 10 or haven’t had a first-round pick at all. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/nhl-draft-watch-ottawa-senators-hope-to-deal-themselves-another-winner-at-21] It's clear that Gaudette is wide open to re-signing. He and his wife just had a baby earlier this month, so they're probably in the mode of setting down roots. He likes Ottawa, he likes his teammates, and he has a head coach in Travis Green who likes and trusts him as a player, going back to their Vancouver days together. Gaudette was asked at the year-ender if there have been any contract talks and didn't confirm one way or the other. "I think they've got some things to figure out over the next few weeks, and after they talk as a staff, they hopefully come back and get something that works for everyone." That would be nice. But in a cap world where the stars get all the money, the Sens have to be smart with their investments in role players. Steve Warne The Hockey News Ottawa [http://thn.com/ottawa] Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa [http://thn.com/ottawa] and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more.
