Confirmed with Link: [WSH/PHI] Matt Niskanen for Radko Gudas

[tellermine]

Many speculated this could happen.

Many shot it down

Yet it happened. We needed the cap space

But, i can’t remember how Gudas is

Gudas is known from few cheap shots.
But he actually cleaned them off.

Gudas is underrated defender and quite effective and reliable.

 

[Red Dread]

Don't know much about Gudas. Is he considered a Top 4D?

 

[Hivemind]

On top of Gudas being one of Philly's best possession defenseman and eating a lot of PK minutes as well. This trade is a home run, or at the very least a double off the fence, especially when you take into account the cap savings.

If McCurdy adjusts the seasons he’s comparing, those charts start to look very different. I guess it comes down to if GMBM believes that these players 2018-19 performance is indicative of their performance going forwards.

Also I guess he’s not super concerned with trading a D that never takes penalties (Nisky) for one that’s constantly in the box (Gudas). The combination of Gudas and Kempny is going to concern me when it comes to PIM.

 

[txpd]

If McCurdy adjusts the seasons he’s comparing, those charts start to look very different. I guess it comes down to if GMBM believes that these players 2018-19 performance is indicative of their performance going forwards.

Also I guess he’s not super concerned with trading a D that never takes penalties (Nisky) for one that’s constantly in the box (Gudas). The combination of Gudas and Kempny is going to concern me when it comes to PIM.

I guess the real question is the pro scouting angle. What do they see in Gudas? Might be they see a player that in Reirden's world looks wholey different. Use the Kempny example on Gudas. Gudas was playing and Kempny was not but they could see things in his play that better fit the Caps

 

[JohnCarlsaurus]

The combination of Gudas and Kempny is going to concern me when it comes to PIM.

That's a vaild point. Yikes.

 

[twabby]

If McCurdy adjusts the seasons he’s comparing, those charts start to look very different. I guess it comes down to if GMBM believes that these players 2018-19 performance is indicative of their performance going forwards.

Also I guess he’s not super concerned with trading a D that never takes penalties (Nisky) for one that’s constantly in the box (Gudas). The combination of Gudas and Kempny is going to concern me when it comes to PIM.

I don't have access to Micah's other years for the pictures because of the paywall, but even when you take a look at Gudas's last 3 years he's Philadelphia's best possession defenseman (driven mostly by shot suppression rather than generation) on top of having the best on-ice goal results. This is while getting more D-zone starts and facing decently tough competition. And a lot of the new WAR models shine a good light on Gudas while they really don't think much of Niskanen.

Even if you discount Niskanen's last season (a bad idea IMO) Gudas still compares favorably to him over a three year period.

 

[strungout]

Thanks Nisky!

 

[itsjustsurvival]

I’m fine with this trade. What a weird year. Hagelin and Gudas as Caps.

Wonder who’s all getting resigned.

 

[Silky mitts]

Downgrade for Washington, at least compared to what Niskanen had done prior to last season. Obviously cap clearing move and/or GMBM trying to cash out on Niskanen if he feels he’s about to totally crater. But you can’t really call this one “selling high” if all we got back was a discounted Radko Gudas. Not in love with it, but I understand why it was done. Would have still preferred dumping Nisky for draft picks/prospects and finding a PKer via free agency

I think this is about 3rd round value, I trust that they couldn't have done as good or better than that in futures especially without taking on salary.

 

[g00n]

Many speculated this could happen.

Many shot it down

Yet it happened. We needed the cap space

But, i can’t remember how Gudas is

Many said Niskanen was target #1 for trade, myself included, for some time.

But again, nobody had Gudas as the return. Nobody. Yet another move we failed to predict.

/womp womp

 

[g00n]

Well...There is your penalty killer.

And/or the guy on the roster to take the heat from the refs (and the other team) instead of Wilson.

 

[txpd]

And/or the guy on the roster to take the heat from the refs (and the other team) instead of Wilson.

You mean DoPS? LOL. Gudas and Wilson on the same team. Oh boy

 

[Lindemann]

The one thing I love about GMBM is that he sees almost exactly what we see and speculate about the players

GMGM on the other hand defended every player he got and everything

GMBM is like, you starting to suck? See ya

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

Don't listen to the haters, this is a really good move for us. Nisky was great, but, is clearly declining in foot speed, closing speed, and straight away/cutting acceleration.

Gudas was a really good defender last year and is a physical brick. We save a lot of cap, get younger, and have another physical specimen on our team. I love Gudas.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

Hopefully they will prioritize Connolly over Hagelin with that new cap space.

 

[txpd]

I think this is about 3rd round value, I trust that they couldn't have done as good or better than that in futures especially without taking on salary.

I think the more appropriate question was had they traded Niskanen for futures, was there a defenseman as good as Gudas that they could have gotten?

 

[txpd]

Don't listen to the haters, this is a really good move for us. Nisky was great, but, is clearly declining in foot speed, closing speed, and straight away/cutting acceleration.

Gudas was a really good defender last year and is a physical brick. We save a lot of cap, get younger, and have another physical specimen on our team. I love Gudas.

Niskanen was slowing down. Isnt Gudas just slow? Is he really an upgrade on footspeed? I don't know I am just asking. Gudas never struck me as quick

 

[hb12xchamps]

Via Friedman

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

Niskanen was slowing down. Isnt Gudas just slow? Is he really an upgrade on footspeed? I don't know I am just asking. Gudas never struck me as quick

I am fine with Gudas not being the fastest player in the world because he will put you into the fifth row every game.

 

[tenken00]

No matter what anyone's opinion was, everyone pretty much agreed that last year's defense as a whole just wasn't going to cut it. Now we gotta see how everything pans out.

 

[Langway]

Via Friedman

I get the PK reasons behind this and maybe to some extent the identity reasons behind it but it's probably not good news re: third-line scoring depth.

 

[Silky mitts]

I think the more appropriate question was had they traded Niskanen for futures, was there a defenseman as good as Gudas that they could have gotten?

Possibly as good as Gudas but not as good as Jensen based on looking at the rental market last year. And probably not the same money/term, so this might fit better in terms of keeping a path for the young defensemen and resigning the 3rd liners.

 

[Revelation]

Jensen + Gudas should be a more than adequate Niskanen replacement

Orlov-Jensen
Djoos-Gudas

 

[txpd]

Possibly as good as Gudas but not as good as Jensen based on looking at the rental market last year. And probably not the same money/term, so this might fit better in terms of keeping a path for the young defensemen and resigning the 3rd liners.

Remembering what I said about trading Niskanen. His minutes were going to be hard to replace. Lead defenseman on the shutdown pair and 1st pk minutes. Jensen and Gudas can do the pk work. Makes me wonder if that might free Carlson up for the shutdown work.

Orlov Carlson
Kempny Jensen
Djoos/Seigenthaler Gudas??

Gudas can play more minutes than Orpik could

 

[Marshall]

Not a huge Gudas fan, and I have given thought to having two of Parros' favorite players on the same team, but overall I like the move. The fact that Mac got the Flyers to retain on Gudas is pretty funny.

Thanks for everything, Nisky.

(Kinda surprised the Caps are trying to re-sign Hagelin - not because of his play or fit on the team, but because I don't want any part of Hagelin at $4 million, and will he really take less?)