The Blackhawks kicked off Monday’s trade deadline activity by sending forward Matthew Highmore to the Canucks in exchange for center Adam Gaudette, according to a slew of media reports.
[UPDATE] The Blackhawks have since confirmed the trade in a tweet:
🚨We have a trade to announce🚨
The #Blackhawks acquire forward Adam Gaudette from the Canucks in exchange for forward Matthew Highmore.
Gaudette is signed through this season (salary cap hit of $950,000) and will be assigned to the #Blackhawks active roster. #NHLTradeDeadline pic.twitter.com/KFawYoVbZH
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 12, 2021
Gaudette, 24, is currently on a one-year contract worth $950,000 and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2021 season.
Gaudette was a fifth-round pick (149th overall) of the Canucks in the 2015 NHL Draft and debuted during the ‘17-18 season. His best season came in ‘19-20, when Gaudette played in 59 games while notching 12 goals and 21 assists. Gaudette went without a point in 10 postseason games, though.
His numbers dropped in 2021, with Gaudette having just seven points (4 G, 3 A) through 33 games this season while playing just 10:54 of ice time for the Canucks. Gaudette did not feature on Vancouver’s penalty kill but did average 1:06 of power play ice time per game this season. His most recent issues have had nothing to do with hockey, though, with Gaudette being affected by the COVID-19 outbreak on the Canucks:
Adam Gaudette was placed on the NHL COVID-19 protocol list March 30, the first of 22 #Canucks players and four staff members to test positive for a variant of COVID-19. He was removed from the list Sunday.
Gaudette hasn’t played since March 24 against Winnipeg. #Blackhawks
— Brandon Cain (@brandonmcain) April 12, 2021
For those in the advanced metrics crowd, Gaudette’s numbers will not offer much encouragement:
Adam Gaudette, acquired by CHI, is a 24 year old fourth liner who has been caved in at both ends his entire career and has not shown very much aside from a bit of goal scoring last season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/B4eF09GFlE
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) April 12, 2021
But trading away a player like Highmore who’d been a healthy scratch more often than not in exchange for a 24-year-old forward on an expiring contract who’s one season removed from a 45-point pace is a very low-risk move that could yield a slightly higher reward.
Vancouver apparently believes there’s more to be gleaned from Highmore:
No picks coming back in the Gaudette for Highmore swap.#Canucks pro scouts are said to believe that Highmore has some untapped upside. Club is high on his speed and work rate.
Highmore is signed for next season on a one-way deal with a $725k cap hit.
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) April 12, 2021
If nothing else, Gaudette should be well acquainted with new teammate Connor Murphy after the two scrapped during a game last February in Vancouver: