Leafs Recall Forward Tyler Gaudet From Marlies

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced this afternoon that they have recalled forward Tyler Gaudet from the Toronto Marlies.

The @MapleLeafs have recalled forward Tyler Gaudet from the @TorontoMarlies (AHL). pic.twitter.com/ICMoC4I90S

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 26, 2020

Gaudet, 26, has put up 13 points in 39 games for the Marlies this year; while he’s appeared in 20 games for the Arizona Coyotes over the course of his career, he hasn’t played an NHL game since 2017. He’s a big body, at 6’3” and 217 lbs., but he’s been a very ordinary third-line centre for the AHL club. He does show an admirable work ethic and he has some history with the Leafs’ current bench boss:

Tyler Gaudet signed a one-year, two-way deal with #Leafs in July.

He previously played for Sheldon Keefe’s Pembroke Lumber Kings in 2012-13, and then for Keefe (and GM Kyle Dubas) with the Soo Greyhounds from 2012-14.

Clearly Gaudet’s work ethic has long impressed Keefe 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/cf260RNInf

— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) January 26, 2020

Gaudet realistically does not have NHL skill and at this point it would be a surprise for him to develop it, but you can certainly understand why a coach would like him. If this is just a reward of a few days’ NHL salary for a Good Pro—as we’ve seen several Marlies forwards receive recently—then that’s all well and good. Expectations should just be very modest.