Player Discussion Radko Gudas

For all the flack he gets, I noticed that he leads us in +/- this year at +11

I wish we could shelter him better but I don’t mind having him around at all the next year or so.

Him and Killorn are great role models
He's taken a step back from last year, but he's still effective and brings the edge this team needs on a nightly basis.

Still love him.
 
He's taken a step back from last year, but he's still effective and brings the edge this team needs on a nightly basis.

Still love him.

I think Gudas is a huge part of the reason why LaCombe is able to develop that confidence and have free range to race with the puck into the OZone this season. That probably was the plan last year until Drysdale got hurt. Then LaCombe had to bounce around the lineup, flipping sides wherever a defensive hole needed to be plugged, and out of the lineup while Cronin was berating him far too much in LaCombe's rookie season last year.

Sure, Gudas has taken a step back, but he surely made LaCombe take gigantic leaps forward under his wing. LaCombe is even trying to do hip checks too. That's still a work in progress, though.
 
He's taken a step back from last year, but he's still effective and brings the edge this team needs on a nightly basis.

Still love him.
I think it's less that he's taken a step back and more that last year was him playing above his average.

This season of Gudas is who Gudas has been for a lot of his career, IMO. Not necessarily bad but not good enough to be top pairing like he's being asked to.

Thank god for LaGOAT
 
I think it's less that he's taken a step back and more that last year was him playing above his average.

This season of Gudas is who Gudas has been for a lot of his career, IMO. Not necessarily bad but not good enough to be top pairing like he's being asked to.

Thank god for LaGOAT
That's one way to look at it. Another would be that we've stunk for so long that having a legit NHL player really tilts perspective.

You're probably right that last year was the anomaly though.
 
Either way, that Gudas-LaCombe pairing has been great. Obviously LaCombe's step forward has been huge in covering Gudas's deficiencies, but you have to think that Gudas has been good for LaCombe as well.

I could be remembering incorrectly, but I thought that LaCombe started the season with some different partners and he was a bit up and down. Then Cronin put him with Gudas and they've been really good ever since.
 
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Either way, that Gudas-LaCombe pairing has been great. Obviously LaCombe's step forward has been huge in covering Gudas's deficiencies, but you have to think that Gudas has been good for LaCombe as well.

I could be remembering incorrectly, but I thought that LaCombe started the season with some different partners and he was a bit up and down. Then Cronin put him with Gudas and they've been really good ever since.

LaCombe was set to be Gudas' partner to start the season but he got awfully sick prior to the start of the season. That illness cost him over a week and four games worth. Probably lost some weight and had to restart getting back into shape, which is why the org started him on the third line to ease him in. But by being out, it caused rotation between Minty, Vaak, and himself.

It took LaCombe seven games to get into full swing of things again. Around that time, Fowler got injured and a few games later, Vaak got injured. Minty got promoted to LD1 and LaCombe LD2. Here are the pairings for eight consecutive games until Fowler returned.

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Then LaCombe fell into a rotation once we traded for Trouba and Fowler was still on the roster. In the 14 games between LaCombe's game 7 and the last game Fowler played for the Ducks, LaCombe posted 5g + 2a = 7pts and a +5 rating.

Once Fowler was traded prior to the game on Dec 14th, LaCombe has been paired with Gudas as the top pair. For the past 32 games as a top pairing D, LaCombe put up 6g + 19a = 25 points, and a +10 rating.

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LaCombe's offense and hitting has gradually improved. Gudas has provided LaCombe a lot of guidance playing defense as well as given him the green light to just go, go, go on offense. Ofc, it helps Gudas preserve his stamina b/c he doesn't have to rush up and down the ice as often. :sarcasm:
 
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I know many (myself included) have been down on Gudas' play this year. Apparently he's injured.

Reports are he's having surgery as soon as the season ends. It would be great if he could return to form next year.

 
I know many (myself included) have been down on Gudas' play this year. Apparently he's injured.

Reports are he's having surgery as soon as the season ends. It would be great if he could return to form next year.

Then why is he in the lineup? This team is literally benching good players like Zell because they have too many defensemen. Not to even mention trading Fowler and Doumolin.
 
I know many (myself included) have been down on Gudas' play this year. Apparently he's injured.

Reports are he's having surgery as soon as the season ends. It would be great if he could return to form next year.


 
I think this is the answer why he's looked a mess at times this year:

Most minutes he's ever played in his career.

Yeah, the telecast talk about Gudas' minutes being highest this year, with the second highest from nine seasons ago. He just needs third line minutes next season. A Zell - Gudas pairing should be good.
 
I think this is the answer why he's looked a mess at times this year:

Most minutes he's ever played in his career.

Go figure. Putting a Dman in too elevated a position/role hurt their production. Its like we've seen that movie before...
 

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