The Tampa Bay Lightning has started the wheeling and dealing before the NHL Trade Deadline as they have traded defenseman Radko Gudas to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Until this morning, the Tampa Bay Lightning has been silent on the trade market despite the fact that the NHL Trade Deadline was quickly approaching. Now, it seems as if Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman is slaving away down at 401 Channelside tonight.
It was already announced that the Lightning has traded right wing Brett Connolly to the Boston Bruins in exchange for two 2nd Round Draft Picks, one in 2015 and another in 2016. Now, another player will be wearing different colors when the sun comes up this morning.
According to SportsNet’s Chris Johnston, the Tampa Bay Lightning has traded defenseman Radko Gudas to the Philadelphia Flyers along with a 1st Round Pick and a 3rd Round Pick in the 2015 NHL Draft in exchange for defenseman Braydon Coburn.
This seems a little peculiar to us, at least at the moment, as Gudas is still recovering from a knee injury that will cause him to miss the remainder of the regular season and potentially a portion of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
So far this season, Gudas has played in 31 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In this amount of time, he has been able to net 2 goals and 3 assists for a total of 5 points.
While he may not have been the most offensive defenseman in the world, his talents were better served elsewhere, as in making huge hits and breaking up plays when necessary.
On the other side of this trade, Coburn has played in 39 games with the Philadelphia Flyers this season. In that amount of time, the 30 year old Canadian defenseman has scored 1 goal and 8 assists for a total of 9 points.
Of all the teams we could have traded Gudas to; this is the one he will more than likely fit in with the best. Philadelphia is a hard-hitting team who has no issues dropping the gloves when necessary, which is something that Gudas has become known for here in Hockey Paradise.
It is really sad to see someone like Gudas go. Gudas has been through a lot with the Lightning organization, which includes a run with the then-AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals that captured the Calder Cup in 2012.
We here at Bolts By The Bay would like to wish Radko Gudas a fond farewell and the best of luck in all his future endeavors in his NHL career. Hopefully, the Flyers will take to him in the same way that we have here in the Bolts Nation. As always, we’ll continue to cheer for you. The only exception will be when you come back in Flyers orange.
What do you the Gudas/Coburn trade? What do you think Yzerman is building towards as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Trade Brett Connolly to the Boston Bruins
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