Gaudette to make debut as Canucks host Oilers (Mar 28, 2018)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Let the comparisons begin.
Center Adam Gaudette, 21, will make his National Hockey League debut Thursday with the Vancouver Canucks (28-40-9) as they host the Edmonton Oilers (34-37-6) at Rogers Arena. The contest will be Gaudette's first audition for permanent employment next season.
Many observers -- including fans and media types alike -- are ready to compare the former Northeastern star to other young hopefuls. The first comparison will be with injured rookie sensation Brock Boeser, who compiled 29 goals and 26 assists before being sidelined with a back problem earlier this month.
Boeser and others have said he benefited last spring when, like Gaudette, he joined the Canucks after completing his collegiate career. In his first nine NHL games in 2016-17, Boeser produced four goals and one assist. Now, others are wondering if Gaudette can display similar results.
Those wondering include Gaudette himself.
"It's awesome to see how (Boeser) did this year," Gaudette told reporters. "I followed him all year. I played with (Boeser) before we were both drafted. I played against him and we've been friends ever since then. It's really cool to see somebody doing it (like Boeser), especially coming out of the NCAA. It just goes to show I could have that impact and, hopefully, do the same thing."
Gaudette, a Braintree, Mass., native, signed a three-year entry-level contract Monday. He was originally drafted by Vancouver in the fifth round, 149th overall in 2015.
Despite the late selection, he developed into a potential superstar. He led the NCAA in scoring with 60 points (30-30-60) in 38 games this season and is a finalist for the Hoby Baker Award. His 30 goals led the NCAA, and he garnered many weekly and monthly honors.
At 6-foot-1 and 184 pounds, he is also known for a physical two-way game and has been likened to Anaheim center Ryan Kesler and Canucks middleman Bo Horvat -- among others. Gaudette strives to emulate gritty Boston center Patrice Bergeron.
However, Vancouver coach Travis Green just wants Gaudette to focus on his own game.
"He doesn't have to be Brock Boeser," Green told reporters. "He just has to be himself."
And, play well defensively, according to the coach.
But Green is among many who hope that Gaudette can help the Canucks overcome their dearth of offense. He produced 142 points in 116 career games for Northeastern from 2015 to 2018.
"By talking to him and listening to him, I can tell he has a good head on his shoulders," said Green. "We'll see where he's at. Obviously, people are excited in Vancouver. Rightfully so. And the organization is excited to get him in here.
"Everybody who talks about him talks about how driven he is to be a player. That's really important for young guys."
Meanwhile, many observers are questioning Edmonton's drive. The Oilers will try to rebound against Vancouver after squandering a three-goal lead and losing 7-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
"Our defensive (game) is something we've got to solve here," Edmonton coach Todd McLellan told reporters. "I think we're at 250 goals against and that's never, ever going to make the playoffs in any year.
"We've got to make some decisions in the locker room whether that's important enough."
Simply put, the Oilers are a conundrum.
Despite Tuesday's debacle, they have been playing reasonably well lately. They are 7-3-2 in their last 12 games, and captain Connor McDavid leads the league with 102 points after recording three against the Blue Jackets. But Edmonton's power play was last in the NHL before Wednesday's games.
In addition, McDavid is at the focal point of a debate that is starting to rage, at least, in Canada: Should he win the Hart Trophy as most valuable player for a second year in a row, even though the Oilers have been out of playoff contention for weeks?
The always humble McDavid has said he doesn't know. But after watching the Oilers allow 12 goals in their past two games, he does know something for sure.
"We have to find a way to keep pucks out of our net," he told reporters.
