A few days ahead of NHL Free Agency, the Florida Panthers made a deal with the Anaheim Ducks, providing them with the signing rights to pending free agent A.J. Greer, in exchange for the right to their captain, Radko Gudas.
Gudas signs with Florida, six years x $1.5 M AAV per season https://t.co/BdvMQ1HCeA
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2026
Of course, Gudas is no stranger to the Panthers’ fans, since he played with the club from 2020 to 2023, including the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2023 before departing as a free agent for the Ducks.
For the past two seasons, the 34-year-old served as Anaheim’s captain, making headlines in March for a questionable hit on Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain Auston Matthews. However, his stint with the Ducks ended on a sour note, as he did not even dress for a single playoff game despite his team advancing to the second round.
Interestingly, Gudas is yet another captain the Panthers have acquired over the past few seasons, and becomes the second one added to the lineup in the past 14 days.
On June 14, Florida acquired Matthew Tkachuk’s brother, Brady, from the Ottawa Senators. For the past five seasons, Tkachuk was captain of the Senators, assuming the role at 22, the youngest in franchise history.
These two join a two-time Stanley Cup winner, Brad Marchand, who was captain of an Original Six franchise at the time of his deal to Florida in 2025, where he wore the “C” for the Boston Bruins. As one of the greatest statistical players in Boston history, Marchand was an alternate captain for years, assuming the mantle when Hall of Famer Patrice Bergeron retired.
As of July 1, 2026, those are the three former captains slated to be in the Panthers’ lineup on opening night. However, the recent trend of acquiring leaders from other teams dates back to 2022.
Ahead of Florida’s first Stanley Cup triumph in 2024, General Manager Bill Zito went out and acquired Buffalo Sabres’ captain Kyle Okposo. He played six regular-season games and 17 more in the playoffs, registering two assists. Once Okposo hoisted the Stanley Cup, he retired after 17 seasons.
Finally, the first captain acquired over the past four years, ahead of the championship seasons, came on Mar. 22, 2022, when longtime Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux came to South Florida. Yet, he became the only leader from another club to not even play in the Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers, since he left for the Senators as a free agent at the conclusion of a second-round playoff loss.
Overall, there are two visible trends established in Florida these days. One, the team is interested in drafting tall goalies, and two, management values leadership, a trait that no one can teach or coach. Instead, it's something earned over time. Considering the Panthers’ core includes elite players, they also wear letters, or have worn letters, meaning everyone is holding one another accountable.
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