Johnny Gaudreau

Gaudreau's first season with Columbus didn't match the highs he hit in 2021-22 with Calgary, during which he scored 40 goals and 115 points in 82 outings, but he was in a different situation last season and without the same level of skilled forwards to work with. Under the circumstances, contributing 21 goals and 74 points in 80 outings was an acceptable, if somewhat underwhelming, result given his immense talent. A return to the century mark is likely too much to hope for, but the 30-year-old might do a bit better in his second campaign with Columbus, especially if Patrik Laine, who is Gaudreau's ideal linemate on the team, stays healthy this year.

Picking the best time to have a career year, Gaudreau posted new high-water marks in goals (40), assists (75), points (115), and shots on goal (262) in his final season with the Flames. He ended up declining Calgary's offer of a new contract following the season, ultimately agreeing to a seven-year contract with Columbus worth just over $68 million. It had long been rumored that Gaudreau wanted to play closer to his New Jersey home, but it seems like an odd fit. The Jackets don't have much in the way of offensive difference-makers, and while Gaudreau is an excellent player, he's unlikely to put the club over the top. Gaudreau is a clear regression candidate this coming season, as even a 30-goal, 85-point season - while terrific totals - would likely leave "Johnny Hockey" over-drafted in fantasy pools.

Gaudreau, and the Flames as a whole, struggled in 2020-21. The pint-sized winger racked up 19 goals and 49 points in 56 contests, but a large chunk of his production came after head coach Darryl Sutter united him with Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. Gaudreau finished with 22 points in 16 games at the end of the season -- much more on par with what's expected of the 27-year-old. With Johnny Hockey entering the final year of his contract, this is a pivotal year in his career if he's to remain as part of the Flames' core. He's shown point-per-game potential previously, but he'll more likely land between 70 and 75 points if he remains in a top-line role with ample power-play time. Fantasy managers could do worse than investing an early-round pick on the playmaking winger in hopes of a contract-year bump.

Gaudreau was caught by the regression monster in 2019-20, posting 18 goals and 58 points in 70 games last year, all career-low marks. This came after he had 36 goals and 99 points in 82 outings in 2018-19. It's safe to assume that Johnny Hockey's level of production lies somewhere in between those two extremes. Assuming he can get his shooting percentage back above 10 percent, the skilled winger should be able to put up roughly 25 goals and 75 to 80 points over the course of a full season. The 27-year-old's a prime candidate for a rebound season in 2020-21, especially if Matthew Tkachuk's line starts to draw the tougher defensive assignments, which would allow Gaudreau to flourish with more time in the offensive zone.

Gaudreau took his game to the next level with 36 goals and 63 assists for a career-high 99 points in 2018-19. Johnny Hockey's line with Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm had instant chemistry in its first season together, leading to double-digit improvements in points for all three forwards. Gaudreau has now shown what fantasy owners can expect from him on a yearly basis -- producing somewhere between 85 to 90 points while threatening the 30-goal mark. Should the Flames' top line continue to thrive, it's possible that Gaudreau ends up with his first 100-point campaign in 2019-20. He'll also continue to play a key role on the power play -- he averaged 3:20 of ice time per game and recorded 27 of his 99 points on the man advantage last season.

Johnny Hockey is coming off his best year as a pro, having notched a career high in points with 84. As one of the game's youngest and brightest stars, Gaudreau's established himself as a legitimate fantasy stud, exceeding 60 points in each of his first four NHL seasons. A few more goals couldn't hurt; 30 snipes should be within the realm of possibility for a player of his talent. Furthermore, Calgary boasts a revamped forward group, including Elias Lindholm, who could wind up playing alongside Gaudreau and help ignite an offense that ranked 27th in goals last year. Assuming a season void of injury, look for the BC alumnus to post another 80-plus point season.

Gaudreau’s third season in the NHL can largely be characterized by a series of unlucky breaks -- he lost 10 games of the campaign to a broken hand and managed an unfortunate 9.9 shooting percentage. Despite all that, Johnny Hockey still delivered his third consecutive campaign of 60-plus points and even walked away with the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy to boot. In a league full of great young players, the New Jersey native is continuing to prove that he’s one of today’s brightest young stars, and assuming the puck bounces back his way this season -- a relatively safe assumption -- he should easily break the 70-point threshold again and could even flirt with the 80s or 90s.

The young star they call Johnny Hockey was truly spectacular in his sophomore NHL season, finishing barely short of point-per-game production as the primary bright spot for a Calgary team that was otherwise rife with issues. As he enters his age-23 season, Gaudreau’s in excellent position to increase his production – after all, we’re talking about a guy who averaged two points per game in his final college campaign and finished plus-4 last year despite serving as the main power-play producer for the sad-sack Flames (minus-29 goal differential). The addition of a more-than-competent goalie in Brian Elliott to address Calgary’s disaster in net should work strongly in Gaudreau’s benefit, boosting his plus-minus and giving him a shot to contend for the NHL scoring title. He may be one of the smallest players in the league at 5-foot-9, 157 pounds, but Gaudreau’s got that golden-era Martin St. Louis elusiveness, which has so far allowed him to stay healthier than many of the league’s other undersized players. That’s great for Flames fans and fantasy owners alike, as there are already precious few players more dangerous with the puck.

Johnny Hockey was flat-out brilliant last season -- there’s no other way to put it. He finished tied with Ottawa’s Mark Stone for the league lead in rookie scoring (64 points) and topped all first-year players with 40 assists. And he continued to deliver in the playoffs, picking up nine points in just 11 games. Gaudreau found instant chemistry with Sean Monahan and Jiri Hudler, and the trio drove possession almost every time they were on the ice. And then there was the excitement -- the little guy pulled people out of the their seats over and over again whenever he touched the puck. Man, he's fun to watch. Sure, there’s always a chance of a sophomore slump, but we’re betting Gaudreau can repeat last season’s heroics, even with the increased attention from the opposition.

The reigning Hobey Baker winner was downright dominant at Boston College his senior year, delivering 36 goals and 44 assists in only 40 games. He also scored in his Calgary debut, setting high expectations for the start of 2014-15. The slight (5-foot-7, 150 lbs.) winger could use some more muscle on his frame, but has a good chance of making the Flames in the fall. There's no question of his talent level, but it remains to be seen if he can endure the rigors of an NHL campaign.

Gaudreau is perhaps the top prospect remaining in the Flames' organization, but he will return to Boston College for his junior season after registering 51 points in 35 games in 2012-13. His star is on the rise after a sensational 2013 World Junior Championship where he led the tournament -- and his age group -- in goals.

Gaudreau seemed like just another small, fourth-round draft pick (2011) out of the USHL. That is, until he finished second in team scoring (Boston College) last year, one point behind the sexy Chris Kreider. Fast forward to the 2013 World Junior Championship and everyone knows his name. He was named to the tournament's all-star squad while representing the gold-medal winning US squad and his seven goals led the tournament. His combination of speed, skill and tenacity (and size) smack of Marty St. Louis. He has first-line upside, but is a few years away.