At the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected forward Ethan Gauthier with the 37th overall pick. Given how Gauthier has played since then, there is no question that the Lightning must be happy with their decision.
Gauthier has shown good promise in the QMJHL over the last few campaigns, and this was undoubtedly the case in 2024-25 as well. In 50 regular-season games this season with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, he recorded 25 goals, 62 points, and a plus-21 rating. He was also excellent during the playoffs for Drummondville this spring, posting six goals and 12 points in seven games.
Gauthier also played in his first three American Hockey League (AHL) games with the Syracuse Crunch, where he was held off the scoresheet. However, as he gets more adjusted to the AHL level, don't be surprised if he becomes an offensive force for the Crunch, too.
Overall, Gauthier had another strong offensive season in the QMJHL and has created more optimism about his future with the Lightning because of it. The 6-foot forward has the tools to emerge as an impactful NHL player later down the road, and it will be fascinating to see what kind of year he puts together in 2025-26 from here.
Lightning Have Intriguing Off-Season Target In Senators Forward
The Tampa Bay Lightning should be busy this off-season. While they undoubtedly had a strong regular-season, they struggled in the playoffs, losing in five games to the Florida Panthers in the first round. With this, it would not be particularly surprising if the Lightning looked to make some tweaks to their roster this summer.
One specific area the Lightning could look to address this off-season is their bottom six. It is fair to state that they would benefit by adding more secondary scoring, and one pending unrestricted free agent who could give them just that is Ottawa Senators forward Adam Gaudette.
Gaudette, 28, signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Senators during this past off-season and proved to be a complete steal for Ottawa in 2024-25. In 81 games, he scored a career-high 19 goals and recorded 26 points and a plus-12 rating. He was also impactful for the Senators during this short post-season run this spring, recording one goal, three points, and a plus-2 rating in six games.
With numbers like these, Gaudette demonstrated that he can be an impactful depth scorer in the NHL, and the Lightning could certainly use another of those. If the Lightning signed him this off-season, he would give them a very solid option for their fourth-line center role, at a minimum. However, he can also play the wing, so the Lightning could fit him anywhere in their bottom six.
Overall, with the Lightning needing more production from their bottom six, taking a shot on a player like Gaudette could be worthwhile. It will be interesting to see if they make a push for him this off-season from here.
