Radko Gudas, one of the Anaheim Ducks’ newest defensive acquisitions, has made quite an impression throughout training camp and preseason. Coming off of free agency and a playoff run that landed him in the finals against the Vegas Golden Knights, Gudas penned a boastful three-year, twelve-million-dollar contract with the Anaheim Ducks in July. Gudas’s fans are familiar with his infamous hard hits and his affinity for dropping the gloves. The recently acquired veteran NHL defenseman is sure to bring an aggressive style of play that the Anaheim Ducks have not seen in several years.
The Czech defenseman was drafted in the third round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010, where he played for three seasons. Following his three-year stint in Tampa, Gudas played for the Philadelphia Flyers, the Washington Capitols, and the Florida Panthers before landing in Anaheim on July 1st, 2023. Throughout his career thus far, Gudas has found himself in eleven back-to-back playoff runs but has not yet hoisted the Stanley Cup. So, what can we expect Gudas to bring to Anaheim?
With a nickname like “The Butcher,” it is a well-known fact that Radko Gudas tends to have an antagonistic attitude on the ice. Over the years, Gudas’s antics have landed him in hot water. Although Gudas has proven to be a high-point-producing defenseman in the past, he is no stranger to an excessive accumulation of penalty minutes and even multi-game suspensions in several of his NHL seasons.
Acquiring a rough-and-tumble defenseman like Gudas will help contribute to the Anaheim Ducks’ rebuild, but keeping his dangerous hits at bay will be crucial to ensure that Anaheim does not continue to spend excessive time in the penalty box. Last season, the Ducks not only struggled with taking unnecessary penalties, but their ability to kill off said penalties continued to falter throughout the season.
Anaheim is eager to set a new tone for their franchise. While they are still in the midst of adding and developing their offensive stars, they undoubtedly switched their focus to bulking their defense during this offseason. Ducks fans are excited to see how Gudas will inevitably become a force to be reckoned with in Anaheim.
