The Florida Panthers signed recently acquired defenceman Radko Gudas to a six-year, $9 million contract, featuring an average annual value of $1.5 million, according to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun.
The Panthers also signed forward Eetu Luostarinen to an eight-year contract extension on Wednesday.
Gudas, who spent spent three seasons with the Panthers from 2020 to 2023, was acquired from Anaheim Ducks earlier this week.
The 36-year-old recorded two goals, 13 points, and 67 penalty minutes in 56 games with the Ducks last season and captained the team the last two years.
He only appeared in one playoff game due to injury as the Ducks were eliminated in the second round.
The 6-foot, right-shot blueliner is coming off a three-year, $12 million contract that carried a cap hit of $4 million.
Drafted 66th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010, Gudas has 42 goals and 211 points in 885 career games split between the Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, and Ducks.
The Prague, Czechia native represented his country at Milano Cortina 2026, appearing in five games in an eighth-place finish. He also represented his country at The Winter Olympics in 2014 in a sixth-place finish.
Gudas represented Czechia four times at the World Hockey Championship, taking home a gold medal in 2024.
Panthers Extend Eetu Luostarinen
The Florida Panthers signed centre Eetu Luostarinen to an eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $5 million.
“A key piece of our two Stanley Cups, I am thrilled that Eetu will continue his career with the Panthers,” President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Zito. “A consummate professional who is committed to being a difference maker at both ends of the ice, his work at even strength and on the penalty kill is critical to our team success in South Florida.
Luostarinen, 27, scored 11 goals and added 22 assists over 73 games with the Panthers this past season, his sixth campaign in Florida.
The native of Finland helped the Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025.
Luostarinen is entering the final year of his current contract that will pay him $3 million in 2027-28.
Selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft, Luostarinen has tallied 61 goals and 101 assists over 447 career games with the Hurricanes and Panthers.
