Rookie Gaudette beginning to show off his scoring touch
Former U.S. college star playing game at NHL speed since recall from minors
Just get the shot off quicker. It’s that simple, Adam Gaudette insists.
The Canucks’ rookie centre has shown a flair for the dramatic of late — his tying goal on Thursday night against the Arizona Coyotes at 16:57 of the third period and the game winner a week ago against the Los Angeles Kings being the most memorable markers.
The fact he’s on the ice at all in the late stages is noteworthy. That he’s finding the net is equally so. It adds up to a player who is transforming from prospect to regular.
Gaudette has played 41 NHL games — 36 this season — with five goals and five assists to show for it.
Now, he’s still not playing major minutes — his season high for ice time remains 16:05, against the Minnesota Wild in November. He’s averaging 10:07 per game, but he’s making the most of those limited minutes recently, scoring four goals in his last eight games.
The eye test says Gaudette has become more comfortable and confident as the season has progressed. The numbers reveal he hasn’t been a defensive liability while generating a decent number of shots toward the opposition’s goal.
It’s clear, however, that he has gone through a few adjustment periods this season. First there was getting used to the pace of the AHL for an initial four-game stint in pro hockey, then it took a number of adjustments to get up to NHL speed for his first 31 big league games of this season.
With the return of veteran centre Brandon Sutter to the lineup after Christmas, Gaudette was shipped back to the farm — save for a one-game cameo in January.
(By the way, you can see a decision looming in the summer on how to find a spot for Gaudette next season, with Sutter a likely candidate for a trade to create that spot.)
“I don’t think I was really getting that opportunity at the beginning of the year,” he said after Thursday’s game, referring to the opportunity to play in late-game situations.
He’s aware that being on the ice in such crucial moments reflects on how coach Travis Green feels about his progress.
“That time I spent in Utica, that time up here, I’ve developed a lot,” he said. “I’m feeling really comfortable playing that pro-style game.”
Green has been cautious with praise for his younger players this year. His words before the game were again carefully chosen.
“I’m not looking for guys to do more than they’re capable of. We’ve had lots of guys go into the lineup, we’re not looking for them to be world-beaters. Just play their best. Gaudette’s progression has been good this year, I just want him to play the way he’s capable of,” Green said.
And then, post-game, further confirmation.
“He’s a gamer. I’ve said it a lot lately, I like Gaud’s game,” he said.
Gaudette had been on the ice for a Coyotes goal moments before his own, when he lost his check — Lawson Crouse — who then rifled home a wrist shot from right in front of the Canucks’ goal.
Green said the young centre wasn’t at fault on the goal. He added that Gaudette’s overall progress was more important.
One of the things Gaudette has clearly improved has been the quickness of his release.
His offensive talents were evident before he arrived in the pros. He won the Hobey Baker Award in 2017-18 as the best player in U.S. college hockey because he was dominant at both ends of the ice for Northeastern University.
The development of an elite athlete isn’t linear, of course. It’s not like studying for a test, where you just learn and learn and learn; rather, it’s about recognizing deficits in your abilities and hoping to adjust them accordingly.
Not every player can do it. There are many players who have scored at levels below the NHL but aren’t able to translate those skills to the quicker, stronger NHL game.
“Something I’ve worked on a lot was getting that puck off quicker,” Gaudette said. “I had the puck on my stick too long ( before), looking for that perfect shot.”
There was some practising involved in that, Gaudette said, but there was no alteration of technique. He said it was a matter of just trying to make his release happen in a shorter time frame.
“Just getting it off as quick as possible, getting out of your comfort zone and forcing yourself to shoot it quick,” he said.