Tampa Bay Lightning Report Cards: The Defense

#7 Radko Gudas

My 2013/2014 Forecast: 10 points in 75 games, good plus/minus, plenty of hits and PIMs, 18-20 minutes per game.

GP: 73  G: 3  A: 19  Pts: 22  +/-: 2  PIM: 152

Mar 20, 2014; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators left wing Milan Michalek (9) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Radko Gudas (7) follow the puck in the second period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

It was an up-and-down year for Radko Gudas, in what officially counts as his rookie season. On one hand, Gudas provided more offense than expected. On the other, Gudas was responsible for several costly giveaways, occasionally found himself out of position, and sometimes appeared to have trouble keeping up with the play.

Mid-season, Gudas sustained what was officially called a head injury (read: concussion) after a fight with Luca Sbisa of the Anaheim Ducks, in which Gudas took a heavy punch after the officials had already restrained him. After that injury, Gudas’s bear-like play seemed somewhat inconsistent. There were games where he’d look as ferocious as ever, and in other games he seemed to disappear. In the midst of that, there were noticeable fatigue issues that led to questionable decision-making by Gudas in his own zone.

All that said, it was a good season for Radko. It’s easy to forget, because of the way he plays, that he is still a rookie. And therefore, some mistakes are to be expected. Gudas did, after all, break twenty points. He also led all rookies in hits with 273 (a whopping 61 ahead of second place), finished second in hits by a defenseman (despite playing six games fewer than first place), and was tied for third in hits by any player in the NHL. Not too shabby.

Grade: B

Looking Ahead: Gudas should remain a Bolt for the foreseeable future. And by this point, we know what to expect. I don’t think there’s much untapped offensive potential (then again, he surprised us all this year), but he should continue to learn the defensive side of the game and become more and more valuable as the year’s go on. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him soften the edge on his physical game (not too much – don’t worry). While it’s fun to watch Gudas play like a homicidal maniac, and to be honest I hope it continues, there’s something to be said for him toning down his game for the sake of his own longevity in the league.