Flyers

GAUDREAU WATCH 2022: Devils Reportedly the Front-Runners

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Jul 13th, 2022 · 10:09 AM EDT

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Let’s get the latest on South Jersey’s Johnny Gaudreau:

Two league sources who I reached out to regarding Johnny Gaudreau both believe the Devils are the front-runners here. One specifically said he is "pretty sure" Gaudreau doesn't end up with Flyers.

— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) July 13, 2022

I also see some reports floating around out there that mention the Islanders as a possible player:

Last thing I'll say on hypothetical Gaudreau sweepstakes between NJD/NYI/PHI:

If he wants to win now, #Isles

If he wants to be a focal point of a young, promising team, #Devils

If he wants sentimentality, #Flyers

— Joe Pantorno (@JoePantorno) July 13, 2022

From an optics standpoint, losing out on a South Jersey guy to the Devils would be an atrocity. But it could be a blessing in disguise in reality, if you’re one of those people who thinks A) Gaudreau is not worth $10 million a year or B) the Flyers aren’t at a point right now where they should be making a signing like this.

I see a lot of B) in the Facebook and Twitter comments, i.e. people are Gaudreau fans but think the Flyers are putting the cart before the horse here. You don’t wanna saddle yourself with a big contract like this without a consistent, young core, and beyond that you’ve got a new coach, players coming off injuries, maybe a lame duck GM, etc. Too many question marks. I agree with Pantorno when he mentions the Devils as being young and promising. It’s somewhat sad to accept all of that, but they’ve done much more of a rebuild vs. the aggressive retooling we’re seeing here in New Philadelphia.