The Toronto Maple Leafs Can Steal One of the Panthers’ Goons
By Jeff Borsuk
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been pestered all playoffs long by players with an agenda beyond just trying to win.
From Corey Perry and Pat Maroon of the Tampa Bay Lightning to Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers, there have been opponents trying to injure the Toronto Maple Leafs.
One of the biggest villains in Toronto just took a run at Leafs center David Kampf.
That is defenseman Radko Gudas. While he may be hated now, there’s a chance that could change as early as next season. With a number of Maple Leafs likely to walk away from the organization in the summer, the Leafs could steal Gudas away from the Panthers as a partial replacement.
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Gudas did level a dirty hit in Game 4. He took a run at Kampf after the whistle was blown for a delayed penalty on T.J. Brodie. While the referees could have chosen between different penalty options, such as boarding or charging, to levy against the Panther, they instead made no call on the play. He also escaped supplemental discipline. That all makes Gudas enemy #1.
While it would be unorthodox for a hated player to join the Toronto Maple Leafs next season, it could be a very nice fit. It can also happen because he’s currently playing on an expiring contract. In October of 2020, Bill Zito signed Gudas to a three-year deal worth $7.5 million. It has carried an annual cap hit of $2.5 million.
Gudas has been an important player for Florida. This season, he has played 17:22 minutes per game. In that time, he put together good possession metrics. In the regular season, Gudas had an even strength corsi rating of 55.0. That is 0.6 better than his team. He hasn’t been able to maintain those numbers in the playoffs, which isn’t surprising having played against two very strong offensive teams in the Boston Bruins and the Maple Leafs.
While he isn’t known for his offense and production, over Gudas’s 11 year career, he has played 682 games where he scored 33 goals and 131 assists for a total of 164 points. In his 72 regular season games this year, Gudas recorded two goals and 15 assists. In his first 11 games these playoffs, he has also collected a pair of assists.
The 32-year-old (turning 33 on June 5) from Prague, Czechoslovakia is another veteran presence Toronto could add to their blue line. The difference that Gudas brings is an extra snarl not common among the rest of the team.
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Note: All statistics are from Hockey Reference.
Gudas is someone who opponents hate but teammates love. It is what has given Luke Schenn the praise from the Leafs faithful in his return to the organization. While snatching Gudas away may be a petty move, it can also be fruitful. If the Toronto Maple Leafs are able to get him on a low cap hit. it could be a great marriage between club and player.