The Anaheim Ducks have traded their captain Radko Gudas

The Ducks' side of this deal is the harder story to explain.

Bill Zito surrendered A.J. Greer's rights to make it happen. Greer, 29, just set career highs with 17 goals and 32 points across 78 games with the Panthers last season, making him a real asset to give away.

The math works when you factor in system fit. Under Paul Maurice, the Florida Panthers have led the NHL in hits, and Gudas - who logged 164 hits in just 56 games last season - already knows what Maurice demands.

Gudas played under Maurice in 2022-23, when Florida reached the Stanley Cup Final. Per Kevin Weekes, the Toronto Maple Leafs were also interested, which made locking him up before July 1 free agency a necessity rather than a preference.

Pat Verbeek just traded away his own captain's rights days before July 1. He also moved John Carlson's rights to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, and Jacob Trouba is a pending UFA expected to test the open market.

In 72 hours, the Ducks have potentially cleared the entire right side of their defensive corps.

Verbeek chose Greer - a younger, cheaper winger - over his own captain, which signals exactly where this rebuild is headed.

Gudas averaged just 16:11 of ice time per game last season, the lowest mark of his entire career.

That came on a Ducks team still in need of veteran presence, which raises fair questions about his remaining upside.

Florida will reportedly pay him somewhere in the $3.5 to $4 million range. At that price, on a roster built for consecutive Stanley Cup runs, the 36-year-old will need to show Maurice he can provide more than 17 minutes a night when it matters most.

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