Johnny Gaudreau Takes Less Money & Signs with...Columbus?

After rumors suggested the New Jersey Devils & New York Islanders were the top candidates to land Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus jumped in late & scooped up the star forward. After Calgary reportedly offered him eight years, $10.5 million per season, Gaudreau ultimately signed in Columbus for seven years at $9.8 million per season, good for $68.6 million all said & done:

The deal leaves Columbus with around $3 million to sign Patrik Laine, Emil Bemstrom, and Nick Blankenburg. Many speculate that Patrik Laine will be traded in a corresponding move.

This move is interesting for Columbus because they don't really have a game-breaking center for Gaudreau to play with, and they weren't particularly good last year. They've added some solid pieces, especially on their blue line. But signing Gaudreau suggests they are looking to be competitive, so they could be an interesting team to watch in 2022-23.

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