The Ducks Have Had An Uneven Offseason
The Anaheim Ducks finished last season feeling pretty good about the gains the team had made, going from a non-playoff team to a second-round elimination. At the time, Ducks’ GM Pat Verbeek stated that the team would continue to build around its young core while attempting to add complementary veterans. That was around mid-May, and since then the Ducks have done a lot of roster shuffling, and not much of it has been good. The Ducks have effectively lost the entire right side of their defensive core, have been targeted by offer sheets (or the threat of offer sheets) twice, and now they are in a bit of a pickle when it comes to forward Cutter Gauthier’s next extension. All in all, it’s been a forgettable two months for Verbeek and company, and it’s tough to imagine how they will navigate the noise to enter next season with a roster better than the one they had this past year.
The offseason began with the announcement that Troy Terry would miss the first few months of the regular season after hip impingement surgery. The timing isn’t ideal for the Ducks, but it was certainly a better option than having the surgery mid-season or at the start of the regular season. The 28-year-old is a big piece of the Ducks’ offence, and they will feel his absence in the early going next season.
The transactions this offseason started inconspicuously with Anaheim trading the rights to a couple of pending UFAs, John Carlson and Radko Gudas. Anaheim even picked up forward A.J. Greer in the Gudas swap and signed him to a four-year deal worth $4.25MM per season. Greer is a big risk for the Ducks, as he’s had just one career season with more than 30 points, and it happened this past season, when he shot 16.3%, nearly double his career average. Greer could be just scratching the surface of his potential, but at 29 years of age, that feels unlikely.
Next came the Mason McTavish trade with the St. Louis Blues, which was probably the best piece of business Anaheim has done this summer. McTavish struggled immensely last season and was demoted from a top-six center to a bottom-six winger at one point. The deal sent two first-round picks to Anaheim, a solid return for a player whose skating and defensive work made moving him feel like the right decision for Anaheim. It remains to be seen whether McTavish will live up to the potential that made him a third-overall pick, but that will be the Blues’ concern now.
Around the same time as the trade, general manager Verbeek brought in veteran defenseman Nick Jensen to replace the losses on the right side of the defense core. Jensen has been a dependable NHL defender for a long time, but at this stage of his career it’s hard to consider him a top-four fixture, even though he shouldn’t be, given what he’s being paid and where his skills are at. Jensen could be a good fit on the bottom pairing in Anaheim, but if he is elevated in the lineup for any reason, he could struggle. Right now, it appears that Ian Moore and Tristan Luneau could be the top four options in front of Jensen, but that would leave a pile of question marks for Anaheim’s defense.
Then there are the contract extensions, and let’s just say these did not go to plan for Verbeek and company. A Philadelphia Flyers offer sheet to forward Leo Carlsson effectively iced the Ducks out of looking at many other moves, and the threat of an offer sheet boxed the Ducks in during contract negotiations with defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, who signed a five-year extension worth $36MM ($7.2MM AAV). It was the Carlsson offer sheet for five years at $18MM annually that absolutely threw a wrench into the Ducks’ long-term plans and is highly likely to throw their entire salary cap structure out of whack. With Carlsson now the highest-paid player in the league, the attention now turns to Cutter Gauthier and his extension, which was projected earlier this year to be around seven years at $8.8MM annually. That projection came at a time when Carlsson was projected to get roughly $11.5MM on his long-term deal, but those figures are all moot at this point given the escalation in spending that has occurred this offseason. The Gauthier extension is huge for the Ducks and could really burn through their future cap flexibility, which has been badly damaged this summer.
Ultimately, the Ducks have no one to blame but themselves for the mess they’ve made this summer, particularly with the contracts for their young stars. Verbeek long had been known as a GM who was a tough negotiator with young players, and now that has come back to bite him. The good news for Verbeek was that he didn’t commit to long-term deals for aging stars, though he has done that in the past and might be forced to move some of them (Alex Killorn, for example) to create the room under the salary cap to fit Gauthier’s new deal. Another silver lining (in the short term) is that Verbeek moved off McTavish’s deal, which should allow the team to be cap-compliant next season. But if McTavish flourishes in St. Louis, his deal will look like a massive bargain and could turn out to be another blemish on Verbeek’s record in a summer where he took his lumps.
Panthers Sign Radko Gudas To Six-Year Deal
According to a team announcement, the Florida Panthers have come together on an extension with defenseman Radko Gudas before the start of free agency. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman followed up on the announcement, indicating that it would be a six-year, $9MM ($1.5MM AAV) contract for Gudas.
In short, Gudas earns the “Florida special” on his new extension with the club. On a six-year contract, the Panthers were able to spread out his cap hit as much as possible. Still, it’s worth mentioning that Gudas will be 42 years old when the deal expires.
At this stage of his career, Gudas is a known commodity. He’ll register anywhere between 15 and 20 points a year while racking up 200+ hits and 100+ blocked shots. A defensive defenseman through and through, Gudas should have a consistent home on Florida’s bottom-pairing for several years.
This isn’t his first go-around with the Panthers, either. From 2020 to 2023, Gudas spent three years in Florida, scoring seven goals and 44 points in 203 games, with 314 blocked shots and 917 hits, averaging 17:40 of ice time per game. Throughout the past three years with the Anaheim Ducks, Gudas has done much of the same.
It’s clear from Florida’s approach this offseason that the team is looking to get meaner than they already were. Gudas is no stranger to the nastier side of the game, having been suspended multiple times throughout his career. This past March, Gudas was suspended for five games for a knee-to-knee hit with the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews, costing the latter his season. Having already acquired Brady Tkachuk this offseason, the Panthers have gotten all the more tough to play against.
Panthers Acquire Rights To Radko Gudas
According to a team announcement, the Florida Panthers have acquired the signing rights to defenseman Radko Gudas from the Anaheim Ducks for the signing rights to forward A.J. Greer. Each player is set to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday unless a deal is reached with their new clubs.
Florida has been adding grit to their lineup in an effort to return to the playoffs for the 2026-27 season. Already boasting the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Dmitry Kulikov, the Panthers have already added Brady Tkachuk and Garnet Hathaway this offseason, and are set to add Gudas if they can agree to a new contract.
Gudas, 36, is no stranger to being the bad guy. The 14-year veteran has been suspended for a total of 26 games throughout his career, the latest being a five-game punishment for kneeing Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews this past March.
Additionally, Gudas is already familiar with the Panthers’ modus operandi, having played for the team from 2020-21 to 2022-23, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final in his last season. Throughout that stretch, Gudas scored even goals and 44 points in 203 games with a +47 rating, throwing 917 hits and blocking 314 shots. Although he’s largely a bottom-pairing defenseman at this point in his career, he’ll make Florida that much harder to play against, at the very least.
Meanwhile, Greer isn’t unfamiliar with the nastier side of the game himself. Furthermore, he’s coming off the best offensive output of his professional career. Gaining access to more playing time this past season due to the number of injuries that Florida faced, Greer finished the 2025-26 season with 17 goals and 32 points in 78 games with a +14 rating, delivering 203 hits.
Still, it’s important to mention that Greer doesn’t have a long track record of success and may regress to his previous production if he’s unable to find a home in Anaheim’s middle-six. However, his physicality alone should make him a decent option for the Ducks.
The only two forwards on the team that totalled more than 100 hits last season were Ross Johnston and Jansen Harkins, both of whom are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday. Greer is objectively an upgrade on them, even if he doesn’t match his offensive output from this past season.
Free Agency Notes: Senators, Trouba, Gudas
The Ottawa Senators lost one of the franchise’s most important players yesterday, trading captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers after he made a request to be dealt. In the aftermath of the deal, the Senators appear focused on making sure they don’t face the exit of other core players; GM Steve Staios told the media today (via Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch) that he is having preliminary discussions on potential contract extensions with winger Drake Batherson and defenseman Artem Zub. Batherson is repped by Paul Capizzano of Quartexx, while Zub is represented by Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Both players are one season away from reaching unrestricted free agency.
While it’s unclear what the asking price is for either player to remain in Ottawa, it is clear that extending either player won’t come cheap. Batherson, 28, is entering year six of a six-year, $4.975MM AAV extension he signed in September 2021. The deal has been quite the bargain for the Senators, as Batherson has developed into a legitimate first-line winger. He scored 33 goals and 71 points in 79 games last season, and is likely to seek a significant raise on his next deal, perhaps even around double his current cap hit. Zub, who will turn 31 in October, is Ottawa’s most important right-shot defenseman. He scored a career-high 30 points last season and averaged 20:47 time on ice per game, including deployment on the team’s top penalty-kill unit. Zub costs $4.6MM against the cap and is also likely to be seeking a significant raise, though perhaps not to the same magnitude as Batherson.
Other notes in advance of free agency:
- Anaheim Ducks veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba is likely to test the unrestricted free agent market, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on today’s 32 Thoughts podcast. The 32-year-old’s first complete campaign as a Duck was a massively successful bounce-back season. After he was unceremoniously traded from the New York Rangers last season, ending his tenure with the team he once captained, Trouba became a crucial veteran presence on the blueline of an ascendant Ducks team. Trouba managed 10 goals and 35 points, his most in a single season since 2021-22. He was Anaheim’s No. 3 defenseman in terms of ice time, playing 22:49 per game and leading all Ducks defensemen in short-handed time on ice per game. Trouba’s 3:04 per game on the penalty kill ranked No. 8 in the NHL. While he’s unlikely to match the $8MM cap hit he’s played on since the start of the decade, Trouba should still command substantial interest on the open market.
- Friedman also said on 32 Thoughts that it “looks like” Radko Gudas will also hit the UFA market like Trouba and trade deadline addition John Carlson. The 36-year-old is the Ducks’ captain and is coming up on the end of the three-year, $4MM AAV contract he signed as a free agent on July 1, 2023. Gudas took a real step back in terms of role this past season, skating in just 16:10 time on ice per game, and just 1:36 per game on the penalty kill. In 2024-25, Gudas averaged 19:51 per game and 2:28 on the penalty kill. Gudas was limited to just 56 games played last season as a result of lower-body injuries and a hefty five-game suspension, and but his reputation as one of the game’s most physical, ferocious defensemen is likely to garner him some real interest from around the league next week.
Radko Gudas Generating Interest In Market
According to Kevin Weekes of NHL Network, teams are checking in on a notable veteran defenseman.
Radko Gudas is gaining interest in the league’s marketplace, and teams are keeping an eye on his situation if he’s unable to ink a deal with the Anaheim Ducks.
The 36-year-old is coming off a 13-point season from 56 games in the 2025-26 season with the Anaheim Ducks. Gudas has spent his last three seasons with Anaheim, with this past season being his first in the playoffs with the club. He only got in for one game in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, due to a lower-body injury sustained in Game 1 against the Oilers.
The Prague native was named captain of the Ducks on Sept. 19, 2024, one season into his three-year, $12MM ($4MM AAV) contract signed with Anaheim back in July of 2023. Since that signing, among Ducks defensemen, his 203 games tallied the third most, his +16 rating ranks first, his 657 hits at 10.36 hits per 60 are far and away the most by a Duck, and his 420 blocks also lead his fellow blueliners. His first two seasons in Orange County saw him logging nearly 20 minutes of average time on ice before a dip in ice time this season saw him at around 16 minutes averaged.
Gudas not only brings leadership, which his fellow Duck teammates raved about getting back for this past postseason, but also his presence in physicality. Weekes listed two teams that are potential fits in the running for the seasoned veteran with 14 NHL seasons under his belt. Hypothetically, he added that a similar two-to-three-year contract at around the same AAV of $3.5MM to $4+MM AAV could apply to the next deal he signs.
Firstly, Weekes listed a return to his former club before going out west in the Florida Panthers. Florida originally acquired Gudas by signing him to a three-year deal on October 9, 2020, giving him $7.5MM ($2.5MM AAV) for his services. He helped the Panthers en route to the club’s Stanley Cup contention window, notably taking them on that miraculous run to the finals in 2022-23, after entering the postseason as a wild card team.
If the Panthers were to sign Gudas again, familiarity is a positive in both parties’ favor. The Panthers currently have around $15.2MM in cap space and are spending nearly a quarter of their total roster’s cap hit on the blue line. The team has two right-shots in Seth Jones and Aaron Ekblad, and four left-shots in Gustav Forsling, Niko Mikkola, Dmitry Kulikov, and Uvis Balinskis. While the last two of those names also have ‘RD’ in their profiles, adding a third right-handed veteran who has been in your organization before would add some much-needed experience for a Panthers squad looking to reboot itself out of last season’s 7th place finish in the Atlantic Division.
The second team Weekes listed would also grant Gudas a return to the Atlantic; this team ended up below the Panthers in the division and holds the No. 1 overall pick, eight spots ahead of Florida’s ninth overall selection at this year’s NHL Draft. The Maple Leafs have been mixing up their D-corps, pending a contract for recently acquired Emil Andrae, and now $68MM gifted to Darren Raddysh. Gudas would provide some solid veteran depth as the Leafs look to build back towards a playoff window. Toronto is paying over 30% of its cap hit to its defenseman and holds over $18.7MM in cap space after its moves, but could be in store for more, pending the rumored movement of Morgan Rielly elsewhere. Gudas would join a right side that boasts Raddysh alongside Brandon Carlo and Chris Tanev for a hefty veteran group.
Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
2026-27 Performance Bonus and 35+ Candidates
As NHL front offices gear up for free agency, managing the salary cap demands a delicate balance between risk and reward. While performance bonuses are often linked to elite rookies on entry-level contracts, the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) adds two additional avenues for performance-based incentives: injury comeback deals and contracts for 35-year-old or older veterans. These mechanisms enable teams to secure impactful players with low base salary cap hits, effectively deferring financial obligations until later.
If a team ends the fiscal year with earned bonuses exceeding their remaining cap space, the excess funds are carried over into the next league year as a direct salary cap penalty. This can significantly impact teams near the cap limit or heavily relying on LTIR. PuckPedia has detailed the upcoming free agents who qualify for these specialized incentive structures for the 2026-27 season.
To qualify for a performance-bonus-eligible contract via the injury route, a player must have 400 or more career games and have spent 100 or more days on Injured Reserve during the previous season. This structure allows franchises to take low-risk gambles on proven assets, while the financial incentives toward active roster availability and durability rather than pure scoring production.
Six players fit this criteria heading into free agency, including Derek Forbort (VAN), Alexander Kerfoot (UTA) Patrik Laine (MON), Petr Mrazek (ANA), Matt Murray (SEA), and Tomas Nosek (FLA).
For a team looking for top-six offensive upside, a player like Laine could be highly coveted on a bonus-laden deal, while teams seeking goaltending depth or penalty-killing options could turn to turn to Mrazek, Forbort, or Nosek under this low-risk umbrella.
Contracts signed by players who will be 35 or older by July 1 of the contract year are also eligible for performance bonuses on one-year deals. Front offices frequently use these to protect against sudden age-related decline, tying mid-six-figure bonuses to basic longevity milestones—such as reaching 10, 40, or 60 games played—or team-oriented postseason success.
The upcoming free agent class has an extensive group of veteran forwards eligible for this structure, including Jamie Benn (DAL), Evgenii Dadonov (NJD), Nicolas Deslauriers (CAR), Lars Eller (OTT), Nick Foligno (MIN), Claude Giroux (OTT), Luke Glendening (PHI), Erik Haula (NSH), Adam Henrique (EDM), Marcus Johansson (MIN), Patrick Kane (DET), Anders Lee (NYI), Gustav Nyquist (WPG), Alex Ovechkin (WSH), David Perron (OTT), Corey Perry (TBL), Ryan Reaves (SJ), Reilly Smith (VGS), Jonathan Toews (WPG), Garrett Wilson (PHI), James van Riemsdyk (DET), and Mats Zuccarello (MIN).
The blue line also features a robust market of eligible 35+ defensemen who can weaponize these flexible agreements. This group includes Zach Bogosian (MIN), Brent Burns (COL), John Carlson (ANA), Ian Cole (UTA), Radko Gudas (ANA), Travis Hamonic (DET), Nick Jensen (OTT), Nick Leddy (SJ), Jeff Petry (MIN), Luke Schenn (BUF), and Brendan Smith (CBJ).
Contending teams could use performance bonuses to maximize rosters with high-profile franchise icons like Ovechkin, Benn, Giroux, and Kane eligible for a flexible, low-base-salary structure. However, general managers must be cautious. A player hitting a games-played milestone in late March could trigger a cap overage, restricting cap space at the trade deadline or forcing a painful penalty on the 2027-28 books.
Ducks Issue Multiple Injury Updates
As is typically the case, once teams are eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, many player injuries get revealed. That is the case for the Anaheim Ducks, who shared updates regarding six players according to a team announcement.
The highest-profile injury is that of forward Troy Terry, who has been dealing with chronic hip impingement and will undergo surgery at an undetermined date. Although he’s remained relatively healthy since the 2020-21 campaign, Terry missed 21 games for the Ducks this season, though it was defined as an upper-body injury at the time.
Regardless, despite the injury requiring surgery, it didn’t seem to impact Terry in the postseason. Anaheim regularly relied on Terry, who played the right wing of the Ducks’ first forward unit, and he finished with three goals and 11 points in 12 games. It wasn’t enough to get the team to the Western Conference Final, nor was it enough to lead the team in scoring, but Terry had a solid playoff debut based on the circumstances.
Additionally, the team confirmed Cutter Gauthier‘s vetebrae fracture from earlier in the season. The Ducks didn’t confirm when the injury took place, though its believed to have stemmed from Anaheim’s overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 30th. Impressively, even while dealing with that, Gauthier registered seven goals and 16 points in 15 games since, including the postseason.
Meanwhile, Anaheim shared that center Ryan Poehling was dealing with a concussion after being hit by Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb in Game 5 of Round Two, resulting in a one-game suspension for the latter. Additionally, the team revealed that Pavel Mintyukov was dealing with an MCL sprain, Radko Gudas an ankle sprain, and Drew Helleson a groin strain. Aside from Terry, all the other injured members have all been cleared from their injuries.
Injury Notes: Stone, Ducks, Sabres
The Vegas Golden Knights will be without their captain tonight in Game 4 against Anaheim, as Mark Stone won’t play, to be replaced by Brandon Saad, noted by Jesse Granger of The Athletic.
It was apparent just yesterday that such was a possibility, as Stone left Game 3 early as a result of a non-contact lower-body injury. Averaging 19:26 so far in the playoffs, good for third among Vegas forwards, losing Stone for any extended period would have major implications in the remainder of the series, as the Ducks look to even things up at 2-2. A crucial piece of their power play, Stone, who turns 34 in just three days, has managed to play in all nine playoff games so far, coming away with seven points.
Despite never playing in more than 66 regular season games as a Knight, Stone has missed just one playoff game with the team. In 94 such appearances, always rising to the occasion, he has 79 points. Obviously taking a lot for the veteran to miss out in the spring, it raises real concerns on his status the rest of the way.
Another veteran with ample playoff experience (111 games), Saad is expected to slot into the third line, his first postseason action of the year. A two-time Stanley Cup champion and former standout scorer, the winger is now fully embracing an energy role under John Tortorella, with just nine points in 49 games this year. Invigorated by the opportunity, he’ll be one to watch as the group marches ahead without their leader, as few depth forwards have a resume as strong as his own.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Vegas’ opponents in Anaheim also have movement in regards to their captain, as Radko Gudas is a game-time decision to return, based on morning lines shared by Zach Cavanaugh of The Sporting Tribune. The soon-to-be 36-year-old hasn’t played since Game 1 against the Oilers in the opening round, dealing with a lower body injury. Assuming back into the fold, he’ll be in a third pairing deployment alongside rookie Tyson Hinds, who only made his NHL debut last month. It appears that Drew Helleson will step out of the lineup as a result, the 25-year-old righty skating in eight postseason games so far and coming away with one helper in limited usage. Helleson is thought to be dealing with an undisclosed injury.
- Knotted 1-1 in their series and headed into a hostile Montreal environment tonight for Game 3, the Buffalo Sabres might change things up among their bottom six forwards, observed by Bill Hoppe of The Times Herald. Head coach Lindy Ruff did not provide specifics, but trade deadline acquisition Sam Carrick looks likely to be suiting up after missing 15 games with an arm injury. It’s a nice update after initial thoughts that the 34-year-old had no shot at returning during the second round. Drafted back in 2010, Carrick has just 10 playoff games under his belt, coming as an Oiler two years ago. His nearly 55% faceoff win rate would be a welcome addition, the exact reason Buffalo surrendered third and sixth-round selections to the Rangers in March. If Carrick is good to go, it may bump out Tyson Kozak. The 23-year-old has provided spot-duty on the fourth line, bringing energy but winning a sub-par 43.3% on the dot across six playoff games.
Injury Notes: Cates, Dvorak, Tippett, Nikishin
The Philadelphia Flyers’ postseason hurdles just reached a new height. Down 2-0 as the series shifts back to Wells Fargo Center, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed the worst-case scenario for his forward group: Noah Cates is out for the remainder of the series.
Cates, who hit career highs this season with 47 points and has been the team’s most reliable two-way presence, suffered a lower-body injury after taking a shot off the foot in Game 2. While he finished that game, he was seen in a walking boot on Wednesday, and the team has officially ruled him out for the duration of the second round.
Additional injury notes:
- The Anaheim Ducks receive a boost as Troy Terry is expected to return to the lineup for their series against Vegas. However, the blue line takes a hit as veteran Radko Gudas remains out with a lower-body injury. After battling recurring injuries throughout the season, Terry made his return in Game 1 against Vegas.
- Carolina Hurricanes high-profile rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin has been cleared to play. After missing the start of the series due to a concussion sustained in the first round, he is an option for Game 3 and will likely slot in alongside Shayne Gostisbehere.
- The Flyers also noted forward Christian Dvorak is currently day-to-day and took a maintenance day on Wednesday, though he is expected to play in Game 3. Also, Owen Tippett, who has missed the first two games of the series, remains a game-time decision for Thursday. While he has returned to practice, his availability hinges on a final evaluation before puck drop.
West Notes: Rutherford, Bogosian, Gudas, Kantserov
Speaking with reporters following tonight’s Draft Lottery (video link), Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford indicated that he will be leaving his role after the draft and will transition into more of an advisory role while remaining an alternate governor. The 77-year-old, who has been working in an NHL front office since 1994-95, has held his current title for the better part of the last five seasons and is currently leading the search for a new GM. On that front, he noted that the team is down to five candidates for the position. Rutherford added that at this time, they’re not sure if they will just be hiring a GM or if they’ll also be bringing someone in to take his spot as well.
More from out West:
- Prior to tonight’s game against Colorado, the Wild announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Zach Bogosian is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He was dealing with a lower-body issue down the stretch in the regular season but it’s unclear if this is a recurrence of that or something different. The 35-year-old had six points in 41 games during the season and had been averaging just over 13 minutes per night in the playoffs. Jeff Petry took Bogosian’s place in the lineup.
- Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas skated today but has already been ruled out of Wednesday’s game against Vegas, notes Derek Lee of The Hockey News (Twitter link). The veteran has only played once in the postseason as he deals with a lower-body injury. However, head coach Joel Quenneville indicated that he expects that his captain should be able to return at some point in this series. Gudas had 13 points, 87 blocks, and 164 hits in 56 games this season.
- The Blackhawks anticipate speaking with Roman Kantserov’s agent in the coming weeks to discuss the possibility of him signing for next season, relays Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 21-year-old was a second-round pick back in 2023, going 44th overall. Since then, his stock has certainly been on the rise. Last year, he more than doubled his post-draft output, notching 13 goals and 25 assists in 47 games. This season, he was even more productive, tallying 36 goals and 28 helpers in 63 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, good for ninth in KHL scoring.