Panthers Acquire Rights To Radko Gudas

According to a team announcement, the Florida Panthers have acquired the signing rights to defenseman Radko Gudas from the Anaheim Ducks for the signing rights to forward A.J. Greer. Each player is set to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday unless a deal is reached with their new clubs.

Florida has been adding grit to their lineup in an effort to return to the playoffs for the 2026-27 season. Already boasting the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Dmitry Kulikov, the Panthers have already added Brady Tkachuk and Garnet Hathaway this offseason, and are set to add Gudas if they can agree to a new contract.

Gudas, 36, is no stranger to being the bad guy. The 14-year veteran has been suspended for a total of 26 games throughout his career, the latest being a five-game punishment for kneeing Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews this past March.

Additionally, Gudas is already familiar with the Panthers’ modus operandi, having played for the team from 2020-21 to 2022-23, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final in his last season. Throughout that stretch, Gudas scored even goals and 44 points in 203 games with a +47 rating, throwing 917 hits and blocking 314 shots. Although he’s largely a bottom-pairing defenseman at this point in his career, he’ll make Florida that much harder to play against, at the very least.

Meanwhile, Greer isn’t unfamiliar with the nastier side of the game himself. Furthermore, he’s coming off the best offensive output of his professional career. Gaining access to more playing time this past season due to the number of injuries that Florida faced, Greer finished the 2025-26 season with 17 goals and 32 points in 78 games with a +14 rating, delivering 203 hits.

Still, it’s important to mention that Greer doesn’t have a long track record of success and may regress to his previous production if he’s unable to find a home in Anaheim’s middle-six. However, his physicality alone should make him a decent option for the Ducks.

The only two forwards on the team that totalled more than 100 hits last season were Ross Johnston and Jansen Harkins, both of whom are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday. Greer is objectively an upgrade on them, even if he doesn’t match his offensive output from this past season.