With July 1st fast approaching, we'll hear plenty of speculation about possible fits for every team. The fact that a player matches some of a team's needs doesn't make him a must-sign if they are lacking on other fronts.
Kevin Weekes is reporting that Anaheim Ducks’ captain Radko Gudas is likely to hit the market. The 36-year-old is a right-shot defender who can definitely land more than his fair share of hits; he dished out 164 this past season, but that’s not all the Montreal Canadiens are after.
In an ideal world, the Habs need to land a real top-four blueliner, and Gudas is not that. He had 16:11 of ice time last season with Anaheim, which is admittedly more than the Canadiens’ bottom pairing got, but in an ideal world, the bottom pairing would see more action than it did during the regular season and during the playoffs.
Kent Hughes needs to find a blueline that fits the Canadiens’ style of play and that Martin St-Louis will trust. When he was first hired as the Habs GM back in January 2022, he was clear about one thing: a coach needs to have players who can execute the style of play he wants to use. We’ve seen it in the playoffs: St. Louis doesn’t really trust Arber Xhekaj, and while it’s unfortunate since he brings some much-needed physicality, it provides a clue when it comes to what the team is after.
With all due respect to Gudas, he’s not the kind of player that would thrive in St-Louis’ brand of hockey. He’s big and painful to play against; he sometimes crosses the line and causes damage, but that’s not what the Canadiens are after.
Sure, they would like a right-shot defenseman who can hit, but he’s got to be able to make good reads, have quick decision making and the skating necessary to perform in St-Louis’ brand of hockey. Age wouldn’t have been much of an issue, as the Canadiens would likely be favourable to getting a David Reinbacher placeholder while the Austrian develops, but he’s got to find certain criteria that the hulking blueliner just doesn’t.
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