Tampa Bay released Gaudreau on Saturday from his professional tryout agreement and sent him to AHL Syracuse training camp.

EDGE Analysis

Gaudreau could end up getting a minor-league deal or he may return to OHL Sarnia. He posted a mark of 24-12-6 with a 3.07 GAA and an .889 save percentage in 44 appearances with the Sting last season.

Gaudreau will re-enter the draft in 2023 after the Sharks confirmed Wednesday he won't be signed by the team, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

EDGE Analysis

Gaudreau had a 24-12-3 record with a 3.07 GAA and an .889 save percentage in 44 games with OHL Sarnia during the regular season this year. He was better with a 2.52 GAA and a .902 save percentage in 16 OHL playoff contests. The Sharks selected him in the third round in 2021, but other teams will now have a chance to take the 20-year-old goalie this summer.

Gaudreau was drafted 81st overall by the Sharks at the 2021 NHL Draft on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

The Sharks are rolling the dice on a goaltender who played just five games this past season, all with Team Canada at the World U-18s. To Gaudreau's credit, he was excellent in that brief showcase, leading all netminders in both GAA (2.00) and save percentage (.919) while going undefeated (5-0-0) and being named the tournament's top goaltender. That's all well and good, but the last time we saw Gaudreau at the OHL level back in 2019-20, he posted a 10-13-2 record along with a 4.34 GAA and .890 save percentage. Yes, Gaudreau was just 16 years old and playing for one of the league's worst teams (Sarnia), but there's no way to sugarcoat numbers that poor. This is a high-risk/high-reward pick for an organization in need of goaltending depth.