Vinay Kumar
In a strategic move, the Florida Panthers have reacquired veteran defenseman Radko Gudas in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks for A.J. Greer on Monday. The deal comes just days before the NHL’s free agency period begins on July 1. According to reports, Gudas 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. He also leads all active NHL defensemen in career penalty minutes with 1,124. On the other hand, Greer scored 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points in 78 games for Florida last season, nearly doubling his previous career-high of 17 points.
Veteran defenseman Radko Gudas’ negotiating rights acquired by the Florida Panthers
Veteran defenseman Radko Gudas was acquired by the Florida Panthers before the NHL’s free agency on Monday. They acquired the negotiating rights to defenseman Radko Gudas from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for the rights to forward A.J. Greer.They took this initiative before the NHL’s free agency period, and rather than exchanging players under contract, both teams swapped the exclusive rights to negotiate with two pending unrestricted free agents in hopes of reaching new deals before they hit the open market.While no contracts have been signed yet, both Florida and Anaheim are hoping that getting a head start in negotiations will keep their seasoned veterans before the market officially opens.This deal means that if Gudas agrees to a new contract with Florida before July 1, he will officially join the Panthers, and if Greer agrees to a new contract with Anaheim, he will officially become a Duck. However, if no deal is reached before free agency opens, Gudas and Greer can still sign anywhere they choose, not just the Panthers or Ducks.In case Gudas agrees to terms with Florida, it would mark his second stint with 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. Meanwhile, the reason why Anaheim has secured the negotiating rights to winger A.J. Greer due to his forechecking, physical style, and penalty-killing skills.As per reports, A.J.Greer’s performance has set new personal highs with 17 goals and 32 points, nearly doubling his previous career-best scoring output. In his NHL career total, Greer has 326 games played, 36 goals, 45 assists, and 81 points. He was a second-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2015, who unleashed his best while playing for the Boston Bruins for the 2022-23 season, when he had 12 points in 61 games. Greer also signed with the Panthers as a free agent in July of 2024.The contracts have not been finalized yet, and none of the players have confirmed their stance. But this early negotiation could help retain experienced veterans before the market officially opens. Whether Gudas returns to the Florida Panthers or Greer begins a new journey in Anaheim will become clear over the coming days as both organizations race against the July 1 deadline.
