Colby Guy
SUNRISE — When Bill Zito took over as general manager of the Florida Panthers, he wanted to add veteran players to the team’s young core in order to set the foundation for a winning culture.
He made that very clear with his first two roster moves in Sunrise.
On Sept. 24, 2020, he traded for Patric Hornqvist, a two-time Stanley Cup champion who knows just about everything there is to know about winning after winning back-to-back Cups alongside Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Two weeks later, he made Radko Gudas his first-ever free-agent signing.
It was questioned. Gudas, the cheapshot artist?
Gudas, the headhunter?
He was certainly a controversial figure, picking up four suspensions in over the course of a three-year span with the Philadelphia Flyers. He also was considered pretty dirty during his time with the Lightning.
Only since racking up multiple suspensions for slashing opponents in the head and hitting opponents up high, Gudas has not received a suspension since February 2019.
His game has certainly changed.
“It wasn’t easy,” Gudas said.
The 6-foot, 208-pound defenseman has never been afraid to use his body to make a play.
Before joining the Panthers, Gudas ranked first among defensemen in hits (1,561) and blocked 831 shots since his first full NHL season.
Zito was banking that Gudas’ will to give up his body to make a play and work ethic would catch on around the team.
“I consider myself a hardworking guy and so does Patric, so if we can lead by example by working hard every day that we are at the rink and giving everything we have every time we have the chance to be on the ice, that is something I am willing to do,” Gudas said.
“I take pride in doing that and so does Patric. One of the things that comes to my mind is the overall willingness to win, play through adversity and laying down the arms. It’s so easy to do, so if we can pursue not laying our weapons down and playing all 60 or 65 minutes, that is what we’re going to do.”
His willingness to use the body came with a catch, however.
Gudas was known around the league as a headhunter, a guy who may not have wanted to take a cheap hit — but did.
Even Florida coach Paul Maurice said Gudas’ reputation preceded him.
“It took a little longer than it should have been but I am enjoying the way I changed,’’ Gudas says now.
“I take pride in the way I am playing and I am a way better player than I was before. It was an a slow adjustment but every game is a step in the a better direction. I would say there is a learning curve but if a player wants to stay in the league they have to evolve too, so that is what I am doing — I am getting lighter and faster so those are the little things you have to adjust to.”
His maturation process started when he left the Flyers for the Washington Capitals during the 2019 offseason, progressing even before his arrival in Sunrise.
It certainly took off when he got here.
Since becoming a Panther, Gudas leads all players in hits with 665 — over 100 more than Brady Tkachuk, who sits in second — but his body shots have been done in a more disciplined way.
That change to his game, not to mention the added speed with the weight cut, opened up some jump in the offensive zone as well.
“If I used the word ‘surprise,’ it would be disrespectful because he has been a good player his whole career,’’ Maurice said. “But I did not know enough about him to appreciate him.
“The quality of his game is very high. He makes good decisions and he has good timing offensively. He gets into holes at the right time and he has gotten his shot off — and he has a heater when he can get it to the net. You cannot put ceilings on players. If he can shoot the puck and get it through, he can put up numbers for me.”
Gudas has had a lot more time to show that offensive awareness because the system Florida allows encourages him to do so.
With the Panthers having so many defensively-talented players on the wing, their defensemen often jump in and join the offensive rush at their own leisure.
There was a bit of an adjustment for Gudas — who is usually defensively-minded — but he has been having fun with it.
“It’s a different system with different adjustments where everybody gets involved a little more in the offensive zone and a little different style in the defensive zone,” he said.
“It’s a little strange being on the other side of the rink but I always enjoy getting involved if I can contribute any way I can for the team. I am here more for the defensive play, so I will still think defense-first, but if the opportunity is there, I am willing to take some chances.”
Florida’s system has survived through three different coaching changes over the last two seasons but Gudas has been there through all of it.
That was why the Panthers trusted him to be paired up with Josh Mahura when he was claimed off waivers by the team just days before the season started.
It has been a great fit ever since.
“We like the chemistry there. For us, Mahura is still an unknown in a lot of ways. Again, you do not want to put a ceiling on a player but we are not sure where he gets to. It’s been positive since he has shown up and he has been very, very consistent,” Maurice said.
“He has not had a night where I thought ‘Man, did he have a tough night,’ which you normally get from young defensemen. It has not happened yet and it happens to all of them. Some of that is Radko and his play being able to cover up some things that young players do but he is also feeling pretty safe out there and he is feeling like an NHL player because Radko provides that security.”