Gawdin is a strong two-way player. He is a very dangerous player off the rush and really flies when he picks up speed and he finds openings to enter the offensive zone with relative ease. Gawdin also uses his speed to close quickly on opposing puck carriers. Gawdin doesn’t possess dynamic hands; however, he excels at protecting the puck. This combo of speed and ability to avoid stick checks is what makes him so effective entering the offensive zone. Gawdin keeps his head up and finds his teammates well, but he isn’t the most creative puck mover. He shows limited finesse in his passing game and most of his passes are of the straight line, crisp, tape-to-tape variety. It’s not really a weakness, but it makes him more effective as a goal scorer as opposed to playmaker. Adding to his goal scorer mentality is a very effective shot. Gawdin can really rip it and does so with a very quick release and little windup. He is also always looking to pick corners and no shot off of his stick is a wasted one. Gawdin has solid size and is willing to throw his weight around. He goes to the tough areas and shows good effort on both sides of the puck. Gawdin is a responsible defender and understands his assignment. He has a well-round- ed and balanced game; however, he is probably not a driver of offense at the NHL level. He’s thick, does good work defensively and has some underlying offensive tools. (May 2015)