According to a team announcement, the Florida Panthers have come together on an extension with defenseman Radko Gudas before the start of free agency. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman followed up on the announcement, indicating that it would be a six-year, $9MM ($1.5MM AAV) contract for Gudas.
In short, Gudas earns the “Florida special” on his new extension with the club. On a six-year contract, the Panthers were able to spread out his cap hit as much as possible. Still, it’s worth mentioning that Gudas will be 42 years old when the deal expires.
At this stage of his career, Gudas is a known commodity. He’ll register anywhere between 15 and 20 points a year while racking up 200+ hits and 100+ blocked shots. A defensive defenseman through and through, Gudas should have a consistent home on Florida’s bottom-pairing for several years.
This isn’t his first go-around with the Panthers, either. From 2020 to 2023, Gudas spent three years in Florida, scoring seven goals and 44 points in 203 games, with 314 blocked shots and 917 hits, averaging 17:40 of ice time per game. Throughout the past three years with the Anaheim Ducks, Gudas has done much of the same.
It’s clear from Florida’s approach this offseason that the team is looking to get meaner than they already were. Gudas is no stranger to the nastier side of the game, having been suspended multiple times throughout his career. This past March, Gudas was suspended for five games for a knee-to-knee hit with the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews, costing the latter his season. Having already acquired Brady Tkachuk this offseason, the Panthers have gotten all the more tough to play against.
