Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau: Dies in tragic accident
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Gaudreau, along with his brother Matthew, passed away Thursday after the two were struck by a suspected drunk driver while bicycling in New Jersey, ESPN.com reports.
Gaudreau was an elite collegiate player at Boston College, winning a national championship in 2012 with the Eagles and following that up with the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top college player in 2014. Selected by the Flames in the fourth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Gaudreau would spend nine seasons in Calgary, racking up 210 goals and 399 assists in 602 outings before joining the Blue Jackets ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. All told, the 2017 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner compiled 743 points in 763 regular-season contests while adding another 33 points in 42 postseason outings. Gaudreau leaves behind his wife, Meredith, and their two kids, Noa and Johnny.
Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau: Plucks pair of apples
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Gaudreau notched two assists during Saturday's 6-2 win over Philadelphia.
After missing Thursday's game due to an illness, Gaudreau returned to his regular spot on the first line. He concluded the contest with five shots on net and a plus-1 rating in 17:48 of ice time. The 30-year-old winger has earned one goal and 12 helpers across his past 11 appearances. The Blue Jackets only have five games left on the season and will face the Hurricanes on Sunday.
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Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau: Returning on Saturday
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Gaudreau (illness) will return to the lineup Saturday versus Philadelphia, per Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch.
Gaudreau sat out Thursday's game versus the Islanders due to an illness. The 30-year-old winger has 11 goals and 56 points in 75 games this season, but he's been hot of late, tallying 11 points in his last 10 games. Gaudreau is expected to play alongside Dmitri Voronkov and Alexander Nylander while seeing time with the No. 1 power-play unit against the Flyers.
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Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau: Unavailable against Isles
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Gaudreau won't play Thursday versus the Islanders because of an illness.
Gaudreau has 11 goals and 56 points in 75 games this season. Trey Fix-Wolansky, who was summoned from AHL Cleveland on Thursday, might draw into the lineup due to Gaudreau's absence.
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Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau: Deals two power-play assists
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Gaudreau notched two power-play assist and two shots on goal in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Coyotes.
The Blue Jackets have just one win in their last nine outings, but Gaudreau has been good with a goal and eight assists in that span. He helped out on tallies by Boone Jenner and Zach Werenski in this contest. Gaudreau's shooting luck remains poor -- he's stuck on 11 goals with 43 assists, 138 shots on net and a minus-25 rating through 72 appearances.
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Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau: Registers helper
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Gaudreau posted an assist in Friday's 6-1 loss to the Avalanche.
Gaudreau has turned up the offense recently with a goal and six helpers over his last five games. The winger is up to 52 points, 136 shots on net and a minus-23 rating through 70 appearances. He's likely to fall short of the 74 points he posted over 80 games a year ago, but he could help patient fantasy managers with his surge late in the campaign.
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Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau: Three points in win
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Gaudreau tallied a goal and two assists in Saturday's 4-2 victory over San Jose.
Gaudreau set up Boone Jenner's opening tally late in the first period before extending Columbus' lead to 3-1 in the second, sliding a rebound past Magnus Chrona. Gaudreau would add a third point, matching his season-high, with a second assist on Alexander Nylander's empty-netter. The 30-year-old Gaudreau has averaged a point per game over the last two months, totaling four goals and 21 assists in his past 25 contests. He's up to 50 points (11 goals, 39 assists) through 67 games this season.
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Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau: Two helpers Thursday
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Gaudreau picked up two assists, one on the power play, in Thursday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Senators.
The 30-year-old winger set up Boone Jenner for the game's opening goal just 15 seconds into the first period, and Gaudreau got credit for a power-play helper in the third when his cross-ice pass attempt hit a skate in the slot and fell right to Alexander Nylander, who whacked it home. It's Gaudreau's first multi-point performance since Feb. 25, but he's been in fine form since the All-Star break, racking up three goals and 15 points over the last 16 games.
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Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau: Deposits empty-netter
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Gaudreau scored an empty-net goal on two shots and went plus-2 in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.
Gaudreau snapped a four-game goal drought with the tally. The 30-year-old has struggled to fill the net regularly -- he has just two goals in 2024 and nine markers on the season, but he's been a solid top-line playmaker. The winger has 43 points, 117 shots on net and a minus-20 rating through 60 appearances.
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Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau: Pair of apples in win
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Gaudreau assisted on two goals during Sunday's 4-2 win over the Rangers.
The diminutive winger still hasn't matched the huge offensive numbers he posted in Calgary during his two-season tenure with Columbus. A career-low 7.0 shooting percentage in 2023-24 hasn't helped, but it's possible that positive regression will come for Gaudreau before the season ends. He has made up for the lack of finishing touch with playmaking skills recently, racking up one goal and 13 points over his last 10 games.
