There is a lightness to Johnny Gaudreau’s step these days that is distinctly different from the Gaudreau that muddled through a difficult first month last year.
Then: Gaudreau was coming off a training camp holdout that ended when he signed a contract extension with the Calgary Flames just days before the regular season began. But by missing camp, Gaudreau also missed orientation with the new teacher, Glen Gulutzan, who’d stepped in to replace Bob Hartley as the team’s coach. His regular centre, Sean Monahan, missed time with an injury and wasn’t right himself. For Gaudreau, the entire experience – of negotiating a contract without really wanting to get too involved in the business of hockey…
