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The Anaheim Ducks made a splash in free agency today, signing forward Alex Killorn and defenseman Radko Gudas.
Killorn’s deal is four years and carries a $6.25M cap hit. He’ll be 34 years old in September and he’s spent his entire career with the Tampa Bay Lightning to this point, playing a key role in the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cups. He scored 27 goals and 64 points in 82 games last season, which was the most productive season of his career.
Gudas’ deal is for three years and carries a $4M cap hit. The defenseman plays with a lot of physicality and spent the last three years with the Florida Panthers.
In terms of the actual contracts themselves, each deal is an overpayment. I had a cap hit projected for Killorn on a four-year deal, as well as Gudas on a three-year deal at HockeyComparables.com, and each contract came in quite a bit higher than projected. The projections for each contract can be viewed here:
- ARTICLE: Projecting Alex Killorn’s next contract
- ARTICLE: Projecting Radko Gudas’ next contract
As for the players themselves though, I think they’re both really solid additions. Plus, the Ducks have ample cap space and realistically, neither deal is likely to cause issues for the team.
Killorn is very good defensively and you’re never going to question his work ethic. We can be fairly sure his offensive numbers are going to drop from where they were last season, but as long as you’re not expecting him to put up nearly 65 points again, he’s going to be an excellent top-six addition for a young team.
Gudas, on the other hand, plays with a huge amount of intensity in his game, he’s strong defensively, and he’s one of the most physical players in the league. The Ducks have a weak defense group and most of their blue liners and defensive prospects play a very different style of hockey. The biggest thing will just be trying not to count on Gudas for too much, but as long as he’s used appropriately, he’s going to be a great fit.
In smaller news, we also saw Anthony Stolarz, Kevin Shattenkirk and Jayson Megna sign elsewhere, while Trevor Carrick signed a one-year deal at the league minimum to re-join the Ducks. Per David Pagnotta: the Ducks are also reportedly interested in Alex DeBrincat, which will be something to track.
All free contract projections are available at HockeyComparables.com.
QuizMaker
OTHER ARTICLES FROM JUNE
Ducks name Greg Cronin as head coach, John Gibson requests trade
Will any of the Ducks’ UFAs return next season?
How easy is the Ducks’ decision with the second-overall pick?
Ducks select Leo Carlsson with second-overall pick
Ducks select nine players in NHL Draft, Comtois and Benoit not qualified 
Anaheim Ducks Blogger • 
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