Anaheim is making some solid moves...

The Anaheim Ducks came out swinging in the new free agency period. They quickly made some moves that not many saw coming, including signing defenseman Radko Gudas to a three-year deal and two-time Stanley Cup champion winger Alex Killorn to a four-year deal. The team wanted to bring in some veteran talent to help round out their roster and help show the young guys the ropes. 

Both players should do this well, and General Manager Pat Verbeek spoke on the two signings and what they mean for this franchise going forward.

"It's important for our young guys to understand what compete is all about, what paying the price is all about - in the weight room and [being] a complete professional, doing things the right way every minute of the day when they're at the rink. So it was vital."

^{Per NHL.com}

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Verbeek is correct in saying that landing guys like Gudas and Killorn are vital. Both are valuable members to have in a locker room and bring out different skill sets that this young Ducks team needs. 

Gudas is seen as an enforcer on defense, and he will help set the tone for the players. He was a key member of the Florida Panthers this past season as they made a run to the Stanley Cup Finals. He has a plus 62 rating over the past four seasons and immediately makes the Ducks' defense more physical.

Killorn comes in with championship experience and an understanding of how to win in the NHL. He is very familiar with Verbeek as they spent time together when Verbeek was part of the Tampa Bay Lightning front office. Killorn is a goal scorer and is a lead-by-example type of guy. He should give the Ducks an immediate scoring threat to go alongside their young talent.

Simply landing these levels of players is massive for the Ducks. It means that something is going right in their rebuild, and other players around the league are noticing. Even if they haven't won on the ice, players believe in what Anaheim is doing, and both men signed longer termed deals. 

The future is very bright out in Orange County, California, and the hope is that the hockey team can make significant strides this season.