Speculative Trade Suggests Leafs Could Add $12M of Blue Line Grit
Photo credit: Ryan Sun-Imagn Images
A trade pitch from analyst Cole Shelton has the Toronto Maple Leafs adding some serious toughness to their blueline in the former of Anaheim captain Radko Gudas.
All the talk this offseason has been about the Maple Leafs bringing in a top-six forward to aid Auston Matthews and try to replace Mitch Marner to some degree. There are also concerns about not having enough puck-moving defenseman in the wake of Morgan Rielly's potential regression.
However, they do have another option which is to beef up their blueline even more than they have and find some serious protection for Rielly.
What This Trade Proposal Could Mean for the Leafs' Defensive Identity
A new trade proposal from analyst Cole Shelton has the Maple Leafs trading away Oliver Ekman-Larsson and a 2028 third-round pick in exchange for Anaheim Ducks defender and captain Radko Gudas.
His explanation for Gudas in Toronto makes sense given they need another big locker room presence who can rally the troops when things get tough:
Not only would Gudas add some physicality to the backend, but he would be a leader for the Maple Leafs.
Gudas is the Ducks' captain and plays the game the right way.
Gudas is the Ducks' captain and plays the game the right way.
It seems that Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek also seems to relish in Gudas' role on the team, and praised his work ethic in naming the veteran defender captain:
After taking time to assess our group over the last few seasons, Radko emerged as a natural leader who encompasses all of the qualities of a captain and the respect of his teammates, our staff and his peers.
With a young group of players establishing themselves in the NHL, we felt it was necessary to have a veteran lead our team.
Radko exemplifies what it means to be a professional, how to carry yourself on and off the ice and in the community, and be a mentor to our young group that will become the next leaders of the team.
With a young group of players establishing themselves in the NHL, we felt it was necessary to have a veteran lead our team.
Radko exemplifies what it means to be a professional, how to carry yourself on and off the ice and in the community, and be a mentor to our young group that will become the next leaders of the team.
With Toronto's community needing someone to help step up in the wake of losing Marner, he can offer a whole variety of positives both on and off the ice and adding another intimidating presence will surely give their opponents second thoughts.
Why It Matters: Toronto Has Long Been Criticized for Lacking Grit
The team tried to add some grit with guys like Ryan Reaves, but he never really offered anything defensively or offensively and didn't really get any chances to fight; his main goal.
But Gudas brings that enforcer type role with the ability to play solid defense, block shots, level opponents, and while he takes a lot of penalties he's a nightmare to play against and isn't afraid to show the opposition who's boss.
Gudas has 3,058 hits in his 13-year career which averages out to 235 hits per season, and he also brings an average of 114 blocked shots.
That's a Craig Berube type if there ever was one, and he's not afraid to drop the gloves nor is he lacking any offense (198 points in 829 games).
Upgrading and changing gears to giving the team more grit on the back end could be a huge benefit, and it's wild to think what the team can accomplish with this defense:
Rielly - Gudas
McCabe - Tanev
Benoit - Carlo
That's a group who can control the pace of the game, and Gudas provides a ton of protection for Rielly who can hopefully start pinching more.
It might be a long shot considering he's their captain, but Anaheim is a rebuilding team and Gudas is 35; it could be worth taking on another aging defender even for one season.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 3 | 1171 ANSWERS Speculative Trade Suggests Leafs Could Add $12M of Blue Line Grit Do you think Radko Gudas makes sense as a trade target for the Maple Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 393 | 33.6 % |
| No | 778 | 66.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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