Player Discussion: Johnny "Hockey" Gaudreau

[CBJx614]

My biggest gripe with him right now has been his lack of shooting. I get that he's a playmaker by nature, but he's just as deadly when he looks to drive and make moves on his own. It's like he's looking to setup others entirely too much. He has 8 shots in 6 games this month, 7 of which came in two games and one last night. He had 3 games in which he didn't register a single shot.

" you miss 100% of the shots you don't take "

-Michael Scott
-Wayne Gretzky


But seriously, that quote is especially true in hockey with the amount of tips and deflections that happen. If I'm Vincent I'm telling Johnny to fire every single open look on net, whether he's trying to score or look for rebounds, throw it on the f***ing net. Stop looking for the perfect pass, especially while you're struggling.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

This video is bullshit.

He set up two or three GRADE A chances that Roslovic failed to finish on. Last night might have been Gaudreau returning to form, and this youtuber is saying he was "an absolute ghost" last night.

As usual, once a things catches in it’s hard to shake. We are often late to change perceptions/narratives.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[ColumbusTrill]

I’d like to see him on the fantilli marchenko line. Put him with two guys with speed and finish

 

[tunnelvision]

I’d like to see him on the fantilli marchenko line. Put him with two guys with speed and finish

Have been waiting for that to happen since July.

 

[Napoli]

Oh you mean playing with a bunch of bums who can't finish is impacting his numbers?

Johnny has played some shitty games but this team has like 4 guys who can finish and zero who can do it consistently.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

Maybe he shouldn’t have been playing with Jenner, who is an absolute boat anchor offensively, for so long

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Maybe he shouldn’t have been playing with Jenner, who is an absolute boat anchor offensively, for so long

This comment is sarcastic, certainly. Right?

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

This comment is sarcastic, certainly. Right?

No. Jenner can’t make a skilled play for his life.

 

[squashmaple]

No. Jenner can’t make a skilled play for his life.

Good ol' captain tip-in.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

No. Jenner can’t make a skilled play for his life.

Ok - last year he was third in points - this year he leads the team in goals and is tied for team lead in points

 

[ViD]

Ok - last year he was third in points - this year he leads the team in goals and is tied for team lead in points

Well, he’s good to finish in front of the goal, but you won’t see him dangling to create space or dishing some saucers or one touch passes on PP

 

[Michigan Magic]

I think it's safe to say that this dude needs to get his shxt together.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Well, he’s good to finish in front of the goal, but you won’t see him dangling to create space or dishing some saucers or one touch passes on PP

But the comment was him being an offensive boat anchor when in the very simplest of terms that’s inaccurate.

That’s all that needs said. It’s wrong. I’m not even going to address the misperception of what a good offensive player is. Boone maybe doesn’t have the dangles of NHL stars like Thomas Hickey or Sonny Milano or Nikita Filatov or Patrik Stefan…

 

[MoeBartoli]

No. Jenner can’t make a skilled play for his life.

Well, he’s good to finish in front of the goal, but you won’t see him dangling to create space or dishing some saucers or one touch passes on PP

Yep…Where’s Zherdev when you need him.

 

[ViD]

Yep…Where’s Zherdev when you need him.

He’s actually still playing in the second tier Italian league

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

Is his contract insured?

 

[Sdrawkcab321]

Johnny needs a tough coach who will ride him. That’s become evident.

 

[VT]

Maybe Johnny needs a player like Voronkov.

 

[Michigan Magic]

I think Johnny needs to stop moping around, be a man, and do his job or set on the bench, get out his doorman uni, and let someone who wants to be here and contribute play.
I give Laine some credit. Dude stinks right now. But the felonious assault on the stick last game shows he still cares.

 

[Byrral]

I think Johnny needs to stop moping around, be a man, and do his job or set on the bench, get out his doorman uni, and let someone who wants to be here and contribute play.
I give Laine some credit. Dude stinks right now. But the felonious assault on the stick last game shows he still cares.

Unless you're behind the scenes with these guys I think you're making a lot of assumptions about things you are perceiving in your mind rather than the reality of what is happening inside of these players. You think Gaudreau is moping around, doesn't want to be here and doesn't care about contributing? Because he didn't break his stick on the bench means he doesn't care? There are many things going on with the team right now but JG is only a part of it.

 

[VT]

Maybe Johnny needs a player like Voronkov.

When I wrote that Johnny needs a guy like Voronkov I didn't think that Vincent put to him and Laine Mathieu Olivier. But Mathieu is underrated I think.

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

I’d like to see him on the fantilli marchenko line. Put him with two guys with speed and finish

He currently has some Finnish on his Laine

 

[tchigo]

Interesting article confirming that the 115 pts in the 2021-2022 season has a lot to do with Tkachuk, and that his current numbers are not that surprising.
Does that mean that Gaudreau was seriously overrated, especially by Jarmo? Is the next Tkachuk already here or must he be traded? Can that happen quickly?

Not having a dual-threat option for Gaudreau to play off is an underrated aspect to all of this. Over his final three seasons in Calgary, the winger averaged 8.25 shots/60 minutes at 5-on-5 with Tkachuk next to him, shooting 15.9%. Without him, those numbers dropped to 6.91/60 and 9.9% shooting. Perhaps there’s a very good reason why he’s landing 7.8 shots/60 while shooting 7.1% at 5-on-5 in Columbus other than bad luck. His 2022-23 season alone saw him shoot 8.3%, so it’s not just the awful start in 2023-24 to blame.

At this point, it’s a race against the clock for Gaudreau. There is a lot of elite prospect talent in the organization like Adam Fantilli and David Jiricek, but our subject is now 30 years old. If it takes, say, three more seasons for those elite prospects to be elite NHLers, Gaudreau will be in his mid-30s. If there is age-related decline kicking in for Gaudreau as we wait for the young stars to ascend, it may not end up being at the right time for the veteran to reclaim former production glory.

It creates a dilemma for fantasy players. Gaudreau still has the talent to be a high-end producer, but he does not have the right linemates for it – not yet anyway. Things will get much better over the balance of the season – he has genuinely been unlucky thus far – but getting back to that 100-point level appears more a dream than a reality at this point. If Fantilli takes a big step forward next season and becomes a high-end center earlier than anticipated, that could change the equation. It leaves Gaudreau’s future very uncertain, and keeper/dynasty managers are caught between a rock and a hard place: He is unlikely to reclaim former glory, but his trade value is at an all-time low. The only hope now is to hang on and hope Fantilli takes leaps forward very soon.

 

[majormajor]

Does that mean that Gaudreau was seriously overrated, especially by Jarmo?

If a guy scores 115 pts every year he's worth a lot more than $9.75m a year. We're paying him closer to an 80 pt guy. And Gaudreau can get back there.

or must he be traded?

No there's no reason he "must be traded".

What is this panicky nonsense.