from David Dwork of The Hockey News,

The 33-year-old defenseman has played 682 games in the NHL and spent the past three seasons with the Florida Panthers.

They were three of his best in the league, and entering free agency, Gudas was one of the more coveted blueliners on the open market.

He ended up signing a 3-year, $12 million deal with the Anaheim Ducks, which was a hefty increase from the 3-year, $7.5 million contract he had signed with the Panthers back in 2020.

The contract brings a well-deserved raise for Gudas, who recently spoke with iSport in Czechia about his new deal.

"I'm not the youngest anymore, I knew that this was one of the last contracts for me," Gudas said, through translation. "We have four children, I also had to look at the financial side. I have considered all the factors. When I talked with my agent and my wife, Anaheim got along the best of all."...

Gudas was a player several teams were targeting and the Panthers were not in situation where they could get into a bidding war, as the team was only looking to add short-term, reasonably priced contracts.

As for the teams who expressed interest in Gudas, he mentioned three Canadian clubs: Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto.

"I was surprised how many teams contacted me," Gudas said. "I was glad they were interested. The season, actually the last two or three, were successful, and I'm glad that they noticed it elsewhere. I could basically choose, and I think I chose as best as I could. When I put everything together, from the contract to housing, the team, and what is wanted of me, Anaheim was the best option for me."

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