Prior to the 2024-25 season, Adam Gaudette's hockey career was taking a dark turn. In the 2023-24 season, Gaudette played in just two games for the St. Louis Blues after not playing since the 2021-22 season.
Gaudette joined the Ottawa Senators for the 2024-25 season on a one-year, $775,000 contract. Gaudette was in need to save his hockey career, and delivered the best season of his career at 28 years old with recording a career-high 19 goals and +12 rating. Gaudette finished this season with 26 points.
With the Senators' season over, the team will be in need to re-sign players and bring in newly signed players. Gaudette is an unrestricted free agent this Summer. However, the "Hockey Gaud" could be a tough call to answer on whether to keep or not.
Gaudette had rough 2025, but was steady in playoffs to put Sens in tough position
When 2024 concluded, Gaudette was providing the Senators huge goal scoring for a bottom-six forward. Gaudette recorded 13 goals in the first three months of the season, but his play in 2025 took a dip when he scored just six goals.
Gaudette's goal scoring was not as productive in the final four months of the season as it was in 2025. However, Gaudette concluded the regular season with a two-goal game to finish the regular season strong. In the 2025 playoffs, Gaudette had two big moments.
In Game 2, Gaudette scored a game tying goal in the final minutes of the third period. In Game 5, Gaudette created a turnover which then led to a 2-on-1 shorthanded goal to extend the Senators lead to 2-0. While averaging under 9:30 of ice time in the 2025 playoffs, Gaudette recorded three points.
Gaudette's newest contract for this Summer was already predicted by Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff back in April. Seravelli projected Gaudette to get a one-year contract for $1.3 million.
For the season he had with setting career-highs, Gaudette is worthy of getting a raise. With making up his play in 2025 in the regular season finale and in the playoffs, $1.3 million can be a fair price for Gaudette.
At yesterday's media day when the season concluded, Gaudette mentioned how he was proud of the way he played during the season. Gaudette mentioned how he "proved a lot of people wrong" and how he "elevated" his game.
"Good playoff teams need a good bottom-six to support them through the playoffs and that was kind of my goal," Gaudette said.
Just like Claude Giroux who is an unrestricted free agent, the Senators will have a decision to make on re-signing Gaudette or not.