Top free agent spurns flyers and more for surprise target

After being linked with teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and the New Jersey Devils, winger Johnny Gaudreau has signed a multi-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Before the start of the NHL free agency period, winger Johnny Gaudreau briefed the Calgary Flames, the team that drafted him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. The New Jersey native was thus linked to a possible signing with the Devils, the Philadelphia Flyers or the New York Islanders.

Instead of heading northeast, Gaudreau heads to the state of Ohio. Corresponding Sportsnets Elliotte Freidman, Gaudreau, signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Johnny Gaudreau contract details with Blue Jackets

Friedman reports that the contract is for seven years and has a contract value of $68.6 million with an annual salary of $9.8 million.

In terms of how much Gaudreau left on the table with the Flames, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that their most recent offer was an eight-year, $88.5 million deal.

Devils, Flyers and Islanders fans must be apoplectic and gasp that none of them have Gaudreau on the payroll after being strongly linked to Gaudreau. The Flyers were on Gaudreau until hours into the free agency period. That left the Devils and Islanders as the two well-known teams in his service.

But there have been reports that the Blue Jackets entered the sweepstakes and now they feature ex-Flames winger on their list.

Gaudreau would be a desirable target in the open market due to his goal-scoring skills and unreal speed. It certainly helped that he had a career year with the Flames as he amassed 115 points by scoring 40 goals and conceding 75 assists. That’s all he’s accomplished in a single season of his entire career.

Overall, in nine years with Calgary (602 games), Gaudreau has 210 goals and 399 assists for a total of 609 points.

There were some big splashes in the opening of free agency, like the Carolina Hurricanes’ landing of Brent Burns and the Ottawa Senators’ signing of Claude Giroux. But just as things quieted down, the Blue Jackets signed Gaudreau from the three Metropolitan Division rivals.