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Toronto Maple Leafs Should Pursue Radko Gudas In Free Agency

By Joseph Zita

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 18: Radko Gudas #33 of the Washington Capitals in action against the St. Louis Blues during a preseason NHL game at Capital One Arena on September 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 18: Radko Gudas #33 of the Washington Capitals in action against the St. Louis Blues during a preseason NHL game at Capital One Arena on September 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs  could potentially use the free agent market to improve their blue-line.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have only one right-handed defenseman (Justin Holl) signed for next season, and are not expected to re-sign Cody Ceci or Tyson Barrie.

Could physical defensemen Radko Gudas take his talents to the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason?

Is this something the Leafs should explore?

Toronto Maple Leafs and Radko Gudas

Radko Gudas is a 6’0, 204lbs defensemen currently playing on the Washington Capitals after being traded from the Philadelphia Flyers last offseason in exchange for Matt Niskanen.

2019-20 Stats – 63 GP – 2 G – 13 A – 15 PTS 

Career Stats – 479 GP – 26 G – 94 A – 120 PTS  

Gudas is known as a physical player and he brings an element that the Leafs are clearly missing on the blue-line.

Gudas isn’t going to score a lot of points, but much like Kyle Clifford, he is the type of physical player that won’t hurt your puck possession game, so it is reasonable to think the Leafs would pursue him.  (Stats from NHL.com)

Maple Leafs Should Pursue Gudas

In all honesty I think the Toronto Maple Leafs should pursue Radko Gudas in free agency this offseason.

For one he’s a free agent this summer who is coming off a contract where he was getting an AAV of $3.35M in the last four years. That current dollar amount is the most he’s made in his career so far too. (Stats from CapFriendly.com)

I don’t see Gudas making more than $4M on the open market. He’s 29 years old and will be 30 by the start of the new season. If the Toronto Maple Leafs could get Radko Gudas for around three years at $3M-$3.25M I say do it.

Second, the Leafs need a right-handed defensemen and Gudas could be the perfect fit.  They need someone to play with Morgan Rielly on that top pairing whether it’s Gudas, a guy like Dylan DeMelo.

He’s a right shot defensemen who plays a physical game kind of like a Jake Muzzin.

Adding a guy like Gudas will be great to this Toronto Maple Leafs team, he’s big, he’s tough, he’s a righty, and he can play top four minutes on the blue line.

Next. 5 Depth Centres for the Leafs to Add. dark

If the Leafs can fit him into the lineup under the salary cap, Gudas would be the perfect fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer.  He adds elements that are clearly missing, and shouldn’t be too expensive.

Gudas may be their best option.

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