The Ducks have erased another pending UFA off of their list. On Monday, they traded defenseman Radko Gudas’ signing rights to the Florida Panthers in exchange for A.J. Greer’s signing rights.
Greer, 29, spent the last two seasons playing for the Panthers, putting up 49 points in 159 games. He is a big, bruising winger who will add plenty of toughness to the Ducks’ bottom-6.
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A second-round pick in 2015, Greer began his pro career with the Colorado Avalanche before stops in New Jersey, Boston, Calgary and Florida.
Gudas was the Ducks’ captain for the past two seasons. He joined the organization in the summer of 2023, signing a three-year deal on the same day as longtime teammate Alex Killorn. Gudas’ first season with the Ducks helped Jackson LaCombe settle into the NHL as a rookie, as the former used his physicality and defensive mentality to complement the young defenseman.
However, after being named captain 2024, Gudas was unable to replicate his stellar performance from the season prior. Whether it was due to age or lingering injuries, he frequently found himself out of position, needing to take a penalty to prevent an opposing scoring opportunity.
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Gudas’ Ducks tenure ended unceremoniously due to a sprained ankle that he suffered during the regular season. He returned for Game 1 of their Round 1 series against the Edmonton Oilers, but did not play for the rest of the playoffs after re-aggravating the injury.
With this trade, it’s a return to familiarity for Gudas, who played for the Panthers for three seasons—and helped them get to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 prior to signing with the Ducks. He’ll likely be on their bottom pair alongside Dmitry Kulikov.
Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, both Greer and Gudas are likely to sign with their new teams.
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