After releasing Mark Jankowski from his PTO earlier Friday, the New Jersey Devils have ended another tryout Friday afternoon. Frederik Gauthier has signed a one-year, two-way contract, ending his PTO and officially joining the organization. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $800,000, an AHL salary of $175,000 and comes with a solid minor league guarantee of $200K.
Gauthier, 26, spent last season with the Arizona Coyotes on a one-year, two-way deal as well, but failed to receive a qualifying offer this offseason. That was a familiar decision as he had been cut loose by the Maple Leafs the previous summer, even after playing in 61 regular season games with Toronto. In 170 career contests, the big center has recorded just 13 goals and 31 points, a disappointing total even for a player who was always lauded more for his defensive ability than scoring touch.
That defensive ability, or at least the ability the Maple Leafs hoped would develop, is exactly why they made him the 21st pick in 2013. He has size, too, but Gauthier has never been a physical player, even when he towers over the competition. Instead, he can get by in a fourth-line role just by his defensive awareness, although even that has been a difficult role for him to secure lately. In New Jersey, he should fill an extra forward/injury call-up spot and could very well find himself on waivers before camp is finished.
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