Ducks, D Gudas agree to 3-year, $12M contract

Defenseman Radko Gudas cashed in early on free agency, agreeing on a three-year deal with Anaheim worth $4 million per season. The veteran blueliner spent his last three seasons with the Florida Panthers. He’ll add physicality and a booming shot now to the Ducks’ backend, and likely act as mentor to their up-and-coming young players.

At 33 years old, the length of Gudas’ contract could become an issue for Anaheim given the punishing nature of Gudas’ play. But at least initially he’ll bring some key elements the rebuilding Ducks need to take more steps in the right direction towards eventually becoming a Western Conference contender.

One of the primary sources of grit and muscle on the back line during Florida’s postseason run, Gudas made the most of his summer stage, as the Panthers pranced to the Stanley Cup Finals.

A well-traveled defenseman who has never been known for his offense, Gudas finished the regular season with two goals and 17 points and managed to average 17:21 time on the ice in coach Paul Maurice’s fast-paced system. Gudas played in 72 games during the regular season, and on a frenetic team that often allowed as many chances as it created, he finished as a plus-14 for the year.

In the postseason, you’d often find Gudas in the middle of the net-front scrums, or around the boards, mixing it up with the opponent. He had three points and 20 minutes in penalties through the first three rounds, and added 10 more minutes to his penalty count in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. After the Panthers were eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights, Maurice said that Gudas played the final round despite a high-ankle sprain.