Blackhawks lose Adam Gaudette on waivers.

The Chicago Blackhawks have lost some depth up front.

According to a report from National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman, forward Adam Gaudette has been claimed off of waivers by the Ottawa Senators. The Blackhawks made the decision to place Gaudette on waivers Friday, and I speculated at the time that there was a decent chance he could get picked up by a rival team, something the Blackhawks were no doubt fully aware of when they made the decision to waive him.

This officially puts an end to Gaudette's extremely short career with the Blackhawks. Gaudette was acquired by the Blackhawks in a trade during the 2020 - 2021 season, one that sent veteran forward Matthew Highmore to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Gaudette. He played just 7 regular season games with the Blackhawks in that season, picking up a goal and 3 assists for a total of 4 points, by all accounts a solid start to his tenure as a Blackhawk. This season however Gaudette has appeared in just 8 games, picking up a goal and an assist for 2 total points on the season.

That means that in the end he will have played just 15 games for the team following the trade, making it one of the more underwhelming moves of general manager Stan Bowman's tenure with the organization.

Gaudette was originally drafted in the 5th round (149th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, but scouts really began to take notice of him after he captured the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey during the 2017 - 2018 season. In spite of Gaudette showing many signs that suggested he would one day be an NHL regular, he has struggled to put on weight and develop his body for the NHL level.

Gaudette was recently diagnosed with candidiasis, a condition that had unknowingly impacted his appetite and ability to put on weight for years. There was hope that this diagnosis would help get his career back on track, and while it may still very well lead him down that path it won't be with the Chicago Blackhawks.