Johnny Gaudreau agreed to a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Johnny Gaudreau is a superstar in the National Hockey League and we couldn’t be happier to welcome him to the Columbus Blue Jackets family,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement. “He is an elite player with a great character who makes the players around him better. We are excited to add a player of his caliber to our group. This is an exciting day for our franchise, our fans and the city of Columbus.”
Gaudreau was one of the top unrestricted free agents after tying for second in the league in scoring last season with 115 points (40 goals, 75 assists), helping the Flames win the Pacific Division title.
On Tuesday night, Flames general manager Brad Treliving all but confirmed Gaudreau won’t be returning to Calgary, thanking him for “eight great years.”
The Salem, New Jersey native had three goals and 11 assists in 14 playoff games as the Flames advanced to the second round before losing to the Edmonton Oilers.
The six-foot-nine, 165-pound wing was due a big raise after making $6.75 million last season.
Gaudreau has 609 points (210 goals, 399 assists) in 602 career regular season games, all with Calgary. The Flames selected Gaudreau in the fourth round (104th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
The move is a significant addition for a Blue Jackets team that hopes to return to the playoffs for the first time since the bubble in 2020. Gaudreau will give them a top-class forward to complement a core that includes youngsters Kent Johnson, Cole Silinger and Egor Chinakhov. The Blue Jackets have one more important piece of business to take care of as star winger Patrick Laine is not signed as a restricted free agent. Adding Gaudreau is just another move that could help convince the Finnish sniper to stay in Ohio long-term.
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