Florida eyes a physical blue-line return with Radko Gudas while weighing a blockbuster move for Connor Hellebuyck to solidify their already formidable, championship-caliber roster.
When the 2026-27 NHL season begins, the Florida Panthers will have one of the deepest and most talented groups in the league.
It’s not debatable. It’s a fact.
The addition of Brady Tkachuk only added to what was already a Stanley Cup caliber squad, but there are still some holes that will need to be filled.
Obviously, the Panthers need to add a couple of goaltenders.
THN Florida has previously reported the team is giving a good look to several veterans who would not demand high salaries, putting faith in the Goaltending Excellence Department to continue finding tendies whose skillset would allow them to excel inside the Panthers’ systems.
That being said, don’t count the Panthers out quite yet in regard to a big-name goaltender who may be looking for an exit from his Canadian Western Conference team.
Even after using much of their trade capital to acquire Tkachuk, it seems Florida has not closed the door on Connor Hellebuyck and are seeing if they can find a deal that works for both sides.
Currently, the Panthers have just over $7 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia, and Hellebuyck is playing on a deal that runs through 2030-31 and carries an average annual value (AAV) of $8.5 million.
Another area the Panthers are looking to bolster is their third defensive pairing.
One veteran blueliner Florida is considering is former Cats defender Radko Gudas.
The bearded butcher spent three seasons in South Florida before signing a three-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks during the summer of 2023.
Gudas, who turned 36 years old at the beginning of June, very much enjoyed his time with the Panthers and was viewed as a leader in the locker room during his tenure with the team.
Those leadership attributes followed him to Anaheim, where Gudas was named the ninth captain in Ducks franchise history.
Regarding quality of play, his advanced metrics were better last season than in either of his first two years in Anaheim, and the physical Gudas is well aware of what Florida asks of their defenseman after playing under Paul Maurice with the Panthers in 2022-23.
The Ducks signed Gudas to a three-year deal that carried an AAV of $4 million, and that came after he played in Florida on a deal that paid him $2.5 million annually.
We’re exactly one week away from the start of free agency, and the NHL Draft is Friday.
Things remain fluid and there are several moving parts, but no matter what happens, it should be fun to see play out.
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Photo caption: Jan 25, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. (Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)
