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Canadiens Free Agency: Hard-Hitting Gudas Reportedly Available
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- Canadiens Free Agency: Hard-Hitting Gudas Reportedly Available
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The Montreal Canadiens want to maintain their upward trajectory, and to do so, they'll have to evaluate whether available defencemen such as Radko Gudas would be a good fit.
While the Habs are certainly a high-flying team in the offensive zone, they struggle to keep the puck out of their net at 5v5. It's not necessarily a personnel issue, as strategy and deployment tends to make the greatest impact on defensive structure, but it's always important to keep an eye on the available players, particularly defencemen who can play on the right side of the ice.
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Gudas, 36, is reportedly ready to hit the open market, as a deal with the Anaheim Ducks still hasn't materialized.
Kevin Weekes suggests Gudas is looking for a two or three-year deal, with an annual average value between $3.5M and $4M.
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
Montreal is no longer considered a 'must-avoid' hockey city, but there's ample evidence to suggest that Gudas is not interested in playing hockey in Canada . He shut down the Toronto Maple Leafs quickly last time he tested free agency.
Of course, a conversation with general manager Kent Hughes might change his mind, and the one thing hockey players crave more than structure is winning, but any deal to acquire Gudas would have to include a serious conversation about playing in a city that includes intense media coverage.
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As for his value, it's fair to say he's one of the few hard-hitting defencemen who have managed to maintain solid underlying numbers well into his 30s. Statistically speaking, athletic primes usually occur between 22 and 26 years old, making Gudas' results quite interesting.
However, time is undefeated when discussing an athlete's potential, and there's a decline in place, albeit a much slower one than most players his age.
You'd be hard-pressed to suggest Gudas would be able to supplant Lane Hutson , Noah Dobson , Kaiden Guhle , or Mike Matheson when it comes to playing in the top four. And when evaluating the needs for the Canadiens, adding a third-pairing defenceman to the mix is far from a priority, as both Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj are perfectly capable of handling those minutes, despite the heightened level of criticism sent their way.
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There was a time when Gudas represented one of the most underrated defencemen in the league. A hard-hitting player you'd rather have on your team, to avoid having to play against him.
But these days, his mobility, or lack thereof, is a significant drawback, especially when evaluating his potential fit on a team like the Habs.
The Montreal Canadiens play a high-flying brand of hockey, that requires quick decisions, youthful exuberance, and a penchant for outskating opposing players. Gudas still works very hard, and he's stronger than most players in the league, but a player of his ilk is hardly a priority.
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