Meredith Gaudreau sat just off to the side with a smile on her face, watching as her husband was introduced as a Columbus Blue Jacket.
Around 12 hours after Johnny Gaudreau made his choice as a free agent to sign with the Jackets Wednesday evening, the Gaudreaus flew to Columbus and made things official – complete with the presentation of a new Union Blue jersey.
But it wasn't until 11 p.m. Tuesday that Gaudreau decided he wouldn't return to the Flames, the organization that drafted him in 2011 and where he spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career. That marked the end of very deliberate process. The 28-year-old winger had spent most of the summer considering the possibilities of free agency.
It didn't take long for Columbus to emerge as one of his potential landing spots.
"I did my homework on places that I thought were good for me," Gaudreau said. "Talked to some former players and after hearing some of the things – after every time I talked to a different person about this city, it seemed like the next person I was talking to was more excited than the last one. It sounded like a perfect spot for us."
Gaudreau emphasized "we" and "us" in every answer about his decision, making it clear he opted for the choice that was best for himself, Meredith and their growing family; Meredith is due with the couple's first child in late September.
And from the Jackets' side of things, the chance to sign a player like Gaudreau was too appealing to pass up. Gaudreau is coming off the best season of his career, a 40-goal, 75-assist campaign that saw him finish second in the NHL with 115 points. He is a six-time All-Star. He was at the top of this year's free agent class, and with good reason.
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen is known for being cautious in free agency , but he didn't hesitate to go for Gaudreau when it became apparent there was mutual interest.
"When we realized that this was possible and realistic that we could get this done ... we got to work," Kekalainen said. "We were excited. We had to crunch numbers and look at different things, and we all agreed that we just can't pass on an opportunity like this with a player of his caliber wanting to come here."
Gaudreau had his pick of teams – or, at least, of teams with the available cap space to make him a compelling offer. According to multiple reports, the Flames offered him eight years at $10.5 million, and the New Jersey Devils offered over $10 million on a seven-year deal. He ended up signing with the Jackets for $9.75 million per year over seven years because he wanted to be in Columbus.
"Me and my wife thought it was a really good fit for us," Gaudreau said. "We looked at some other options, but I think this one was the best one for us personally and where we're at in our life. It just made the most sense. ... I think we can have a lot of success here. It was somewhere that I had circled on my list for a while now."
It's hard to overstate the on-ice impact Gaudreau could have in Columbus. One of the NHL's few truly elite playmaking wingers, he instantly changes the makeup of the Jackets' forward group, and he's already salivating over the opportunity to have Patrik Laine as the goal scorer on his opposite wing.
But as large as his on-ice impact might be, the overall organizational impact of a player like Gaudreau choosing Columbus may be even larger. The Jackets aren't often thought of as a destination for high-end free agents, but all it takes is one major signing to change that.
"He chose to come here," coach Brad Larsen said. "... The (fact) that he chose us, this organization, this city, to grow his family and really come here in the prime of his career, it's a big statement. It really is. It shows his belief in what we've got going on here."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Johnny Gaudreau chose the Columbus Blue Jackets
