Examining UFA options on defense

In the third and final part of this mini-series, JP Gambatese looks at some defensemen the Devils could target for depth on the right side.

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By JP Gambatese (@JP_Gambatese)

The New Jersey Devils’ top two defense pairings are more or less set with Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler, Luke Hughes, and John Marino.

With Kevin Bahl more likely than not receiving a short-term contract extension, and Brendan Smith probably finding himself yet again as the seventh defenseman, there is a hole on the right side of the third pair for New Jersey.

Simon Nemec is the obvious choice here – and I think he will be on the opening night roster – but it’s possible that Fitzgerald and the Devils are uncomfortable with him moving up to the main roster at this point, even after lighting up the AHL.

That brings us to some potential UFA targets as a stop-gap for New Jersey. For this list, I will not be including any defensemen who I think will get medium-to-long-term contracts (sorry, Carson Soucy fans).

Instead, we’ll zero in on right-handed defensemen who I think will be willing to sign short-term contracts while the Devils (potentially) wait for Simon Nemec to be ready. 

Spoiler alert: there are very few of these players. 

Radko Gudas

Gudas should be a pretty sought after target in free agency – he’s everything that a Hockey Man™ looks for. He’s mean, gritty, hits hard and often, and has 57 career playoff games, including a recent trip to the Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers. He’s also just a good defenseman.

The archetypical player with these attributes often sacrifices quality of play for grittiness. Some names that come to mind are Ryan Reaves, Milan Lucic, even Jacob Trouba.

Gudas, though, excels at both ends of the puck while punishing his opponents physically. Over the last three seasons with Florida, Gudas posted expected goals rates of 52.9%, 55.9%, and 56.9% while preying on third-pair matchups. 

There’s no denying that he’s a net positive offensively. He generates chances by putting the puck in places his teammates can deflect them on net, and is active enough on the blue line to keep the puck in the zone when need be. 

Where his game truly excels though is zone entry defense. His denial rate is among the best in the league. His success in this aspect of his game is a result of his high defensive IQ, which he uses well to determine whether to use his stick or the body to deny zone entries. 

The only downside to Gudas’ game is the penalties. He honestly draws a lot more penalties than you’d think – almost 50 draws in the past two years – but he is prone to occasional face-palm inducing, unnecessary goonery. 

If Nemec is not ready to start the year on the Devils’ third pair, Gudas is at the top of my list for his stopgap.

Erik Johnson