Radko Gudas is one tough son of a gun. Known for his booming hits and the occasional booming slap shot, power has always been part of Gudas' game. His trademark physicality has been valued around the NHL and he was named captain of the Anaheim Ducks prior to the 2024-25 season.
Gudas was also named one of the "First Six" for Czechia's 2026 Winter Olympics roster, further emphasizing his impact for both his domestic and national teams. After helping Czechia win gold at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, Gudas did not participate in the 2026 tournament due to injury. While rumors from Czech media publications suggested that Gudas would need surgery this offseason, the 35-year-old decided against it.
"I had problems with my knee, so I wanted to solve it with surgery," Gudas said in an interview with NHL Czechia (translated from Czech). "But in the end I didn't even have to do it. It was solved by rehabilitation, which is certainly better than surgery. Now it's better. It wasn't anything serious, I feel good and I'm training normally."
These knee problems could explain why Gudas' performance took a step back this past season. After an impressive first season as a Duck in 2023-24 where he helped guide rookie defenseman Jackson LaCombe through his first full NHL season, it was LaCombe doing the leading in 2024-25.
Paired together once again for most of the 2024-25 season, LaCombe broke out in his sophomore year, collecting 43 points and showing that he could potentially be the Ducks' next No. 1 defenseman. Gudas often looked out of place, slow to get to his spots and make a hit, which left him even further out of position and at risk of taking a penalty, which happened several times throughout the season.
Gudas' game at times is simplistic. Block shots, make hits, send shots from the point. Simple can be good sometimes. The Ducks have plenty of players on their blue line who can be offensively creative with the puck on their stick. What Gudas has to be is reliable, and perhaps being simple is the best way to do that.
A return for form for Gudas would help solidify Anaheim's right side, which will be accompanied by Jacob Trouba, Drew Helleson and most likely Tristan Luneau. The addition of new head coach Joel Quenneville could potentially help Gudas get back on track too. Quenneville was head coach of the Florida Panthers when the latter played for the team before signing with Anaheim.
"His return will probably be under some scrutiny, but his resume speaks for itself," says Gudas. "He's a great coach who understands hockey. That's exactly what our team needs. And we're looking forward to him, we can't wait for the season to start. It'll be good for the young guys to see what it's like to be under a different coach than they've had before."
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