Pacific Division: Canucks re-sign Adam Gaudette to one-year deal

The Vancouver Canucks brought forward Adam Gaudette back on a one-year deal, and he’s been productive against the LA Kings in his short career.

Keeping on eye around the Pacific Division, the Vancouver Canucks brought Adam Gaudette back on a one-year deal worth $950,000. The 24-year-old was a restricted free agent this offseason after being taken in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft.

The Braintree, Massachusetts native tallied 12 goals with 21 assists in 59 games last season, both career-highs. He had an expanded role on the Canucks’ powerplay, scoring 4 goals with 8 assists on the man advantage. Last year, the centerman spent the majority of his time on the team’s third line.

He hasn’t been a great puck-possession forward, logging a career 46.6 Corsi-for percentage, and Vancouver had a 46.2 expected-goals-for percentage with Gaudette on the ice in the 2019-2020 season.

He’s been a problem for the LA Kings in his brief NHL career. In a six-game sample size, Gaudette has 2 goals with 2 assists and a +3 rating. His 4 points are the second-most against any team he’s faced, with only better production coming against the San Jose Sharks (5 points in 7 games).

Still, he’s averaged 9:56 on-ice time against LA, which is easily the lowest against any Pacific Division opponent, so he’s done more with less.