In the 2024-25 season, Adam Gaudette needed to have a solid season to save his hockey career at 28 years old. Gaudette delivered with a 26-point season, but recorded a career high 19 goals.
Gaudette became one of the Senators' unexpected x-factors over the course of the season. In the 2025 playoffs, Gaudette made two key plays against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gaudette scored the game-tying goal in the third period in Game 2, then recorded the primary assist on Dylan Cozens' shorthanded goal after forcing a turnover in Game 5.
This Summer, Gaudette will be an unrestricted free agent. The Senators will have a decision to make on whether or not to keep Gaudette. However, there is one team that could seek interest in Gaudette that is a division foe.
Lightning could have interest in signing "Hockey Gaud"
The Hockey News' Michael DeRosa recently wrote an article titled "Lightning Have Intruguing Off-Season Target In Senators Forward." That is where DeRosa mentioned how the Tampa Bay Lightning could have interest in signing Gaudette this upcoming free agency.
DeRosa mentioned how one area the Lightning could look to address is their bottom-six. Benefiting from secondary scoring would be big help for the Lightning, and Gaudette could become a target.
While Gaudette did have a career year with scoring 19 goals, 2025 was a struggle. Gaudette recorded 13 goals in 2024 for the Senators, which then set a new career-high for goals in a single season, but Gaudette scored just six goals in 2025 to conclude the regular season.
At one point in 2025, Gaudette had a 26-game goal drought. Gaudette did conclude the regular season on a high with recording a two-goal game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Gaudette's season definitely earned him a raise for a new contract this Summer. In April, Gaudette was already projected to get a one-year contract for $1.3 million.
For the season that Gaudette had, $1.3 million could be a fair price. The Senators could try and get Gaudette for less than that to try and re-sign other players or sign other free agents.
However, if the Lightning offer more money, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Gaudette go to the Bay. The Lightning were eliminated in five games by the Florida Panthers in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, and need improvement on the roster.
The Lightning are in need to get secondary scoring outside from Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, Braydon Point, Anthony Cirelli, Nick Paul and Victor Hedman. That is where signing Gaudette could add some value and secondary scoring to a roster that is still able to compete for the Stanley Cup.
With the season Gaudette had, he will have interest from teams this free agency. However, losing him to a division foe is something the Senators wouldn't want to see happen.