Did Radko Gudas Deliver in His First Year Serving as Anaheim Ducks Team Captain?
The 2024-25 NHL season introduced a significant change in team leadership for the Anaheim Ducks. This season was the first in which the Ducks named a team captain since the retirement of Ryan Getzlaf at the conclusion of the 2021–22 season. Getzlaf was the longest-serving captain in franchise history, having held the role for twelve (12) consecutive seasons beginning in 2010.
Since the retirement of Getzlaf, the Ducks took two (2) full NHL seasons to identify a new leader and face for the franchise. This had to be someone who could lead the very young, yet talented Ducks team. They would eventually announce the veteran defenseman Radko Gudas as the successful candidate for the role, as the ninth team captain in Anaheim Ducks franchise history.
Anaheim Ducks Captaincy Announcement Photoshoot (Anaheim Ducks Via NHL.com)
Reviewing Gudas’ Signing with the Ducks
Gudas signed a 3-year contract with the Ducks on July 1, 2023, after most recently, playing for the Florida Panthers for three (3) seasons. In his first season with the Ducks, he scored 18 points through 66 games played with a goal differential (+/-) of +14. After which, the Ducks deemed him worthy of becoming the newest team captain.
Gudas’ First Season as Team Captain
The 2024–25 season was Gudas’ second with the Ducks and his first as team captain. Statistically, in this season, his performance saw a slight decline. Gudas played fifteen (15) more games than in the previous season and averaged more Time on Ice (TOI) at 19:52 compared to the previous year's 19:30. Despite the significant increase in playing time, the new captain scored two less points (16) through 81 games and finished with a goal differential (+/-) of only +4. For the quickly improving Ducks team, the drop-off in numbers is something which most would find quite concerning.
Although the 2024–25 campaign was the Duck's most successful season in terms of points since 2019, their captain did not appear to share in that upward trajectory. Will Gudas redeem himself in the upcoming NHL season? We will soon find out.
Radko Gudas playing in 2024-25 season (Timothy Ludwig)
References
Elite Prospects. Anaheim Ducks Team Captaincy History (2025). https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/1580/anaheim-ducks/captaincy-history
NHL. Radko Gudas. (2025). https://www.nhl.com/ducks/player/radko-gudas-8475462
