Summer Spotlight: Brendan Gaunce

Number:23
Birth date:March 25, 1994 (age 28)
Birthplace:Sudbury, Ontario
Height, Weight:6-3, 214
Stats:30 GP, 5-2-7
Contract:Signed through 2023-24 season (Two years remaining until UFA status)

Brendan Gaunce spent a lot of time on Interstate 71 this past year after splitting his season with the Blue Jackets between Columbus and the AHL's Cleveland Monsters, the top farm team in the organization.
With 39 games in Cleveland under his belt to start the season, Gaunce posted a 16-12-28 line including four power-play goals. Then in his 30 games with the Blue Jackets, his most in an NHL season since 2017-18 with Vancouver, he finished with NHL single-season career highs in goals (five) and points (points) on only 8:06 of ice time per game.
"He has impressed me," Brad Larsen said late in the season. "He is a good-sized guy who can skate. He has good skills with the puck, not just scoring, but he distributes. As long as the work is there and he's mindful of certain areas -- you have to manage the puck -- I think he's a real effective player."
A first-round pick in the 2012 draft, Gaunce signed a two-year, two-way NHL/AHL extension in June.
Despite playing in only 148 career NHL games, Gaunce has valuable experience and has some hardware to show for it. He spent his 2020-21 season in the Swedish Hockey League with the Vaxjo Lakers, a move he credits with helping to rekindle his game. In 30 games between the regular season and playoffs, he combined for a 8-11-19 line en route to winning the SHL championship.

Top Moment of 2021-22

On Feb. 10 in just Gaunce's second appearance of the year, the Jackets found themselves down 3-1 in the third period in Buffalo. But five minutes into the frame, Gaunce found his way across the Sabers blue line alone with the puck, ripped a wrister from the left dot, and the puck found its way into the back of the net. The goal jumpstarted the Jackets to three unanswered tallies and a 4-3 overtime win on Jakub Voracek's extra-time goal.

A Gaunce Highlight

Stat to Know

It was a small sample size, but you could argue Gaunce was one of the better defensive players on the roster all season. Per Natural Stat Trick, when Gaunce was on the ice at 5-on-5, the Blue Jackets had edges in shot attempts (241-209), shots on goal (128-115) and expected goals percentage (50.62 percent). The xG% was tops on the team for the season among players to skate in at least 10 games.

2022-23 Expectations

Gaunce's strong start to the 2021-22 season with Cleveland earned him a chance to move up to Columbus when injuries hit, and he proved to be an effective bottom-six player at both center and wing in the last three months of the season. While the Blue Jackets would likely prefer a little more physicality out of such a big body (he had 42 hits in 30 games), Gaunce showed he still has what it takes to be an NHL player, but it will be equally tough to stick this upcoming season given the depth Columbus has at forward.