The Vancouver Canucks have sent forward Adam Gaudette to the minor leagues, deciding that it is more important to get him into some game action. Gaudette hasn’t played in almost two weeks, suiting up just three times so far for the Canucks this season.
The 23-year old was a fifth-round pick in 2015, but quickly became one of Vancouver’s top prospects after dominating collegiate competition while at Northeastern University. Gaudette scored 112 points in 116 games over three seasons, culminating in a Hobey Baker award as the nation’s top college player in 2018. Since then he has played in 64 games for the Canucks, though they haven’t gone quite as well.
After impressing again in training camp this season Gaudette was given a chance to play early on, but he struggled and was quickly moved out of the lineup. If he is ever to become the legitimate middle-six NHL forward that the Canucks believe he can be, sitting in the press box every night isn’t going to get him there.
Gaudette will join a Utica Comets team that is off to a 5-0 start this season, led by Reid Boucher’s eight goals and a stifling defensive core. The team will only become that much more dangerous with him in the lineup, especially after he proved he could dominate at the AHL level last season with 11 points in 14 games.
11 points in 14 games in the AHL isn’t exactly dominating… I’d expect him to either move to wing or slot in as a bottom 6 center at best with Horvat and Pettersson ahead of him