The Ducks traded the rights to Radko Gudas to the Florida Panthers for the rights to A.J. Greer. The move swaps negotiating rights, not a signed player-for-player deal, and it leaves Anaheim with the possibility of turning Greer into a contract.
Pat Verbeek on Gudas
Pat Verbeek said, “Radko Gudas captained our club with heart and soul over the last two seasons while making a great impact in our community,” and added, “We offer our thanks and wish him great success going forward.” Gudas had served as the club’s captain each of the last two seasons after signing with Anaheim as a free agent on July 1, 2023.
That makes this more than a routine rights swap. The Ducks moved on from a captain who had filled that role for two seasons while only acquiring Greer’s rights, not a signed contract, so Anaheim still has to do the work of turning the transaction into an actual roster addition. Verbeek also said, “We hope to sign A.J. to a contract and look forward to what he can bring to our club.”
A.J. Greer’s Florida run
Greer comes in with a recent championship résumé. He helped Florida win the 2025 Stanley Cup championship and scored 2-1=3 points in 16 postseason games for Florida. In the regular season, he established career-highs in points, goals, assists and plus/minus with the Panthers.
His track record goes back further than that run. Selected by Colorado in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft, Greer played one season for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL in 2015-16 and posted 16-11=27 points in 33 games. He later appeared in 278 American Hockey League games, was named to the 2017 AHL All-Star Game and received the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award for his community efforts during the 2016-17 season.
What Anaheim gets next
Greer’s NHL résumé gives Anaheim a clearer read on the player it is trying to bring in. He has 36-45=81 points with a +18 rating and 448 penalty minutes in 326 regular season games, and his most recent year with Florida showed the best version of his game at both ends of the ice. The next step is simple: if Anaheim finishes the job, the rights trade becomes a contract decision.
Radko Gudas traded for A.J. Greer in Ducks-Panthers swap puts the transaction in plain terms, but the practical outcome still depends on Greer’s contract status. For Anaheim, the move replaces a veteran captain with a player coming off a championship season and a career year, and the difference between the two is no longer just about rights on paper.
