Frederick Gaudreau

Gaudreau followed his career-high 44-point season with 38 points and a career-high 19 goals during the 2022-23 campaign. Both his shots on goal (138) and shooting percentage (13.8) were career bests. Gaudreau appeared in all 82 games before undergoing abdominal surgery in the offseason. The 30-year-old center made an impact on both the penalty kill and the man advantage; he tallied four power-play points and five points while shorthanded, including four goals, tied for second-most in the NHL. As a bottom-six forward with a small power-play role, 35-to-40 points is a realistic expectation for Gaudreau.

Gaudreau struggled to seize a full-time role over parts of his first four years in the league, but he arrived in Minnesota a season ago and immediately made an impact. Buoyed by a career-high 16:19 of ice time per game, Gaudreau posted 14 goals and 44 points in 76 games. He managed only three points with the man advantage, but that number figures to rise in 2022-23 if Gaudreau averages 1:43 of power-play time per game as he did a season ago. There's limited fantasy value here outside of deep formats, but Gaudreau is a key contributor for the Wild, something we couldn't say at this time a year ago.

Despite being one of the leading scorers for AHL Milwaukee the past few years, with three consecutive 40-point seasons, Gaudreau has had a tough time breaking through at the NHL level. The industrious center started the season with the big club last October, but saw mostly fourth-line minutes and registered just three assists in 20 games. By mid-January, the Preds felt they had seen enough and relegated him to Milwaukee for the rest of the season. Looking ahead, the Preds remain fairly stocked down the middle, so there doesn't appear to be much room for Gaudreau to play a meaningful role in the lineup at the present time. Expect him to open the upcoming season back in the minors, while remaining on the short list of players to get recalled if the team needs to add any scoring depth.

Not to be confused with Calgary’s star Johnny Gaudreau, Nashville’s lanky depth pivot broke into the NHL last season and proceeded to play in 17 games, including eight in the postseason. He was particularly clutch in the Stanley Cup Finals with three goals in the first four games against the Penguins. Evidently pleased with his progress, the Preds signed Gaudreau to a three-year, two-way contract extension. However, it’s a two-way deal, so he could frequently shuffle between the NHL and AHL -- where he’s collected 90 points with Milwaukee over the last two seasons.