It was quite the month of October for Springfield Thunderbirds forward Adam Gaudette.
Gaudette, the 2018 Hobey Baker Award winner who came to the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 17 as part of the trade that sent Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari to the Toronto Maple Leafs, was named the American Hockey League's Player of the Month for October.
The 28-year-old scored goals in a team-record six straight games and his nine goals currently lead the AHL playing on a line with Matthew Peca and Nathan Walker.
Gaudette's goal-scoring streak started with a game-winner in a 4-3 win against Providence on Oct. 15; he then scored four of Springfield's five goals during a three-in-three set Oct. 20-22, then scored power-play goals in each of back-to-back wins at Hartford on Oct. 27 and at home against Providence on Oct. 28. Not only is Gaudette leading the AHL in goals but also in power-play goals (6) and shots on goal (36) through the first three weeks of the season.
According to eliteprospects.com, Gaudette is projected to score 99 points, including 81 goals, in 72 AHL games this season, which is unrealistic but he's already off to a flying start for the Blues' AHL affiliate.
Last season, Gaudette set career highs in goals (27) goals and (51) points in 65 AHL games with Springfield and Toronto.
Gaudette re-signed with the Blues this past off-season, on June 21, to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 NHL and $400,000 AHL.
Gaudette was originally a fifth-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2015 NHL Draft and has 27 goals and 43 assists in 218 NHL games with the Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators.
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