In the 2024-25 season, Adam Gaudette turned into an unsung hero for the Ottawa Senators with a new career-high 19 goals for the season. Gaudette was due for a new contract when the Senators were eliminated in the 2025 playoffs. However, Gaudette signed a two-year contract with the San Jose Sharks on July 1.
Prior to Gaudette leaving, the Senators signed Lars Eller to a one-year contract. Signing Eller may have had the writing on the wall that the Senators weren't interested in re-signing Gaudette. Eller is a former Stanley Cup champion who can bring in championship pedigree to a young Senators team.
It's been eight days since Eller and Gaudette each signed their contracts with their new teams. For the Senators, they may have benefited with losing Gaudette but gaining Eller in free agency.
Eller's consistent play and Gaudette's struggle in 2025 helped Senators decide on which player to sign
Gaudette started 2024 hot with scoring 13 goals from October-December. In 2025, Gaudette struggled with only scoring six goals. Gaudette did score two goals in the Senators' final regular season game against the Carolina Hurricanes, but the game realistically had no impact on the standings.
For Eller, his play has been more solid in his career than Gaudette. Eller signed a $1.25 million contract to be a Senator, which was $775,000 less than what Gaudette signed for in San Jose.
Eller has recorded 424 points in 1,116 NHL games at 37 years old to Gaudette's 96 points in 301 games. Eller has also been more consistent as a fourth liner than Gaudette. Eller recorded 22 points combined as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals in the 2024-25 season.
Ottawa being able to sign Eller for less money than Gaudette was a big help and shows that the 37-year-old veteran believes in the direction that the team is heading in. Meanwhile the Sharks were the worst team in the 2024-25 season, and Gaudette is now playing for a team that didn't make the 2025 playoffs and is still rebuilding.
With the career he's had, Eller can be a solid fourth liner next to Nick Cousins and Michael Amadio. Cousins and Amadio were both solid on the fourth line in 2024-25. The Senators also signed Arthur Kaliyev in free agency. While Kalieyv only played in 14 games as a Ranger last season, he made his presence for three seasons with the Los Angeles Kings.
The 2025-26 season will be a pivotal season for both Eller and Gaudette. One will be eager to bring in veteran experience, while the other will help a team make the playoffs for the first time since 2019.