Johnny Gaudreau Fitting in Nicely at NHL Level

During the Calgary Flames’ training camp prior to the 2014-15 NHL season, everyone’s eyes were on Johnny Gaudreau, the young, small and talented prospect out of Boston College. His hockey career was undoubtedly successful before reaching the NHL, with a Hobey Baker award as the nation’s top NCAA hockey player, and a great stat line on virtually every team he played for — we knew he was good at hockey. The question then became, could he play with the same dominance in the NHL? Now we are in January, nearing the halfway mark of the season, and based on his body of work thus far, “Johnny Hockey” sure can play in the NHL.

One thing everyone knows about Gaudreau is his size; at 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, he doesn’t have the ideal stature of an NHL player. However, this has been almost a non-issue for Gaudreau, who is playing very well with 30 points this season going into the Flames’ Jan. 2 contest against the New York Islanders. He’s settled in nicely on a line with Jiri Hudler and Josh Jooris, and is often playing nearly 20 minutes per game. His speed and puck-handling abilities are his best traits, and he is getting better with his play without the puck, a noted problem earlier this season.

Gaudreau dropped to the fourth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, largely based on his size, but the Flames knew he had potential based on his skill alone. Taking him in the fourth round could be considered a steal for the Flames; Gaudreau is already a fan favorite, and was just named the Rookie of the Month for December. He’s sure to put on some size as the year, and his career, progresses, and who knows what he will be capable of by then.

Shaun Lavery is a Calgary Flames writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, or add him to your network on Google.