After a brutal loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday (Feb. 12), it’s evident the biggest issue surrounding the Edmonton Oilers is their defense. The lack of overall awareness in their own end on some nights makes the games unbearable to watch, and this coming after a really solid 9-0-2 stretch. One name that has come up in trade rumors that I’m a huge fan of is Florida Panthers blueliner Radko Gudas. In this article, the benefits of bringing in a third-pairing veteran defenseman are discussed.
Who is Radko Gudas & How Does He Benefit the Oilers?
Gudas is a 32-year-old right-shot defenseman from Kladno, Czechia currently playing for the Panthers. He was drafted in the third round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning at 66th overall. He is in his 11th season in the NHL, and through 655 games has scored 33 goals and added 123 assists for 156 points, an average of 0.24 points per game. This season with the Panthers, he has scored two goals and added seven assists for nine points. He has built a reputation as a gritty defensive defenseman that has no problem dropping the gloves and throwing down with anybody in the league. He currently sits at 819 penalty minutes throughout his career.
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Gudas played his draft year in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Everett Silvertips alongside current Oiler Ryan Murray. Through 65 games he scored seven goals and added 30 assists for 37 points, good enough for seventh in team scoring. He also led his team in penalty minutes that season with 151, which was the 17th most in the entire league. That same year, he had the opportunity to represent Czechia at the World Junior Championship playing for their U20 team as an alternate captain. Through six games at the tournament, he didn’t score but had two assists and 14 penalty minutes.
As I’ve continued to mention, Gudas has stacked up on penalty minutes. Watching him play, he often doesn’t take dumb penalties and instead gets put in the penalty box for sticking up for his teammates. The Oilers have lacked grit in recent years, but have recently found some in Klim Kostin and Evander Kane. With that being said, adding a shutdown defender that players will be scared to battle with is something the team could benefit from. He doesn’t provide much offensively, but he fits the bill of what the Oilers need right now.
In the playoffs, every team leans on their veterans to lead by example and play the way everyone in the lineup needs to play. In a seven-game series, players can get tired quickly. So, having guys like Gudas, Kane, and Kostin take on the responsibility of the physical side of the game takes some of the pressure off the more offensive players that need to produce when called upon.
How Much Would it Cost the Oilers?
Gudas is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) that has a $2.5 million cap hit. It’s a very affordable contract that the Oilers should be able to work with. Moving out a guy that is at the bottom of the lineup like Jesse Puljujarvi or Warren Foegele should be enough to make a deal with the Panthers work. I’m a huge fan of Gudas’ game, but the team still has to make sure they aren’t giving up too many assets for a player that could just be a rental, and decide to leave after the season is concluded.
Realistically, I think a one-for-one swap that sees Gudas come to Edmonton in exchange for Puljujarvi makes the most sense. Both players would benefit from a fresh start, and Gudas brings exactly what the Oilers will need down the stretch for a playoff run in physicality, grit, and a shutdown defensive game. If I were the Oilers and I knew he was available, I would be working the phones trying to get a deal done as quickly as possible.