Panthers acquire Radko Gudas from Ducks for A.J. Greer
A couple of pending unrestricted free agents will swap teams ahead of July 1.
On Monday, the Florida Panthers acquired the rights to defenseman Radko Gudas from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for the rights to forward A.J. Greer.
TRADE: We have acquired the rights to AJ Greer from the Florida Panthers in exchange for the rights to Radko Gudas. nhl.com/ducks/news/duc…
Presumably, each of the Panthers and Ducks want the rights to their respective acquired players in order to negotiate a contract with them before they hit the open market. If either of Gudas or Greer don’t agree to an extension with their new team ahead of July 1st, they’ll still enter into unrestricted free agency, where they can freely sign with any team in the NHL.
Gudas, 36, has served as Anaheim’s captain over the past two seasons. Last season, he had two goals and 11 assists for 13 points in 56 regular season games. The Czech national has never been known for his offensive ability, however, as he’s earned the reputation as a hard-nosed and physically intimidating defender over the course of his 14-year NHL career. Gudas leads all active NHL defensemen in career penalty minutes with 1,124.
If Gudas does agree to terms with Florida, it would mark his second stint for the Panthers. He spent three seasons with Florida, from 2020-21 until 2022-23, before joining the Ducks as a free agent ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Greer, 29, is coming off the best year of his career by far. The Joliette, Quebec native put up 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points in 78 games for Florida last season, nearly doubling his previous career-high of 17 points.
Initially a second-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2015, Greer couldn’t get a foothold in the NHL until he signed with the Boston Bruins for the 2022-23 season, when he had 12 points in 61 games. He was claimed off waivers by the Calgary Flames ahead of the 2023-24 season, before signing with the Panthers as a free agent in July of 2024.