Trade Pitch Has Maple Leafs Acquiring Gritty $12 Million Defenseman

The Toronto Maple Leafs have put an emphasis on defense and toughness in recent years and on trade pitch helps bolster that even more.

The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades, and one user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquire Radko Gudas from the Anaheim Ducks.

Maple Leafs get:

• Radko Gudas

Ducks get:

• Timothy Liljegren
• 2027 first-round pick

On paper, it would be a steep return for the Maple Leafs to acquire Gudas, but with Mitch Marner and John Tavares in the final year of their deals, this could be Toronto’s final chance to win a Cup with this core.

Gudas could come in and be Toronto’s second-pairing right defenseman and add some physical play to the back end. He has two years left on his three-year $12 million deal and adds some size and toughness to the backend.

Gudas has skated in 748 NHL games recording 39 goals and 143 assists for 182 points and 971 penalty minutes. He could be a shutdown defenseman for Toronto who makes it hard for forwards to get to the front of the net.

Anaheim, meanwhile, gets a first-round pick as well as Liljegren who was drafted in the first round in 2017. Liljegren signed a two-year $6 million extension with the Maple Leafs this offseason, but his name has still been brought up in trade rumors.

Liljegren would replace Gudas on the second-pairing and is just 25 so he fits the Ducks young core better.

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Maple Leafs Have Shown Interest in Gudas in The Past

The trade pitch has the Maple Leafs landing Gudas who is someone Toronto has shown interest in before.

When Gudas was a free agent in 2023, Toronto offered him a contract. But, the defenseman spoke to Czech outlet DenikSport, and revealed he turned down offers from the Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames due to how harsh the media can be on players.

Gudas ended up signing with the Ducks and he was pleased with the offer, including having a no-trade clause.

“The contract is modified in such a way that they don’t trade me for the first year, and in the next two I can choose a couple of teams that I don’t want to go to. This is what I wanted. To provide for my family and also to know that I won’t be shot right away. They had me in their sights and knew exactly what they wanted from me. I liked everything they offered,” Gudas said.

Gudas was originally drafted 66th overall in 2010 by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s also played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Ducks, and Washington Capitals.

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Liljegren Wanted to Remain With Maple Leafs

Despite Liljegren being a healthy scratch during the regular season and playoffs, the defenseman re-signed with the Maple Leafs in the off-season.

After Liljegren re-signed, he said Toronto was the place he wanted to be long-term.

“I feel good,” Liljegren said to the media on July 1. “Toronto was always the place I wanted to be, and I’m happy we got it done.”

Liljegren has skated in 196 career games recording 14 goals and 51 assists for 65 points.

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