Flyers enforcer Radko Gudas linked to Canadian team in trade talks.

Ever since newly appointed Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher took over for former Flyers general manager Ron Hextall there has been an expectation that there are some significant moves on the horizon. The Flyers have by and large failed to meet the expectations that their fan base and their ownership have for them and as a result a big shift in direction is expected with Fletcher guiding the direction of that change.

Perhaps the most discussed member of the Flyers roster roster in recent weeks has been veteran forward Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds has been connected to a large number of trade rumors with teams like the Boston Bruins and even the Tampa Bay Lightning reportedly in the mix, but now another name has come up in a rather interesting trade rumors.

On Saturday night during the "Headlines" segment on Hockey Night In Canada Sportsnet's National Hockey League insiders Nick Kypreos and Elliotte Friedman touched on the Maple Leafs' search for additional help on the blue line, and it was Kypreos who brought up a rather interesting name.

"Another name I keep hearing is Radko Gudas from the Philadelphia Flyers," said Kypreos during the segment. "A lot of teams telling me arguably he might of been their most consistent defenseman up until this point. He could replace a guy like Roman Polak who last year offered them a lot of grit."

The parallel that Kypreos draws to Polak here is a very interesting one indeed. Many fans will know that Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock leaned heavily on the veteran defenseman while he was under contract with the Leafs and I have no doubt that Babcock would once again love to have a weapon of that nature at his disposal. That being said though Gudas is a player that would likely command significant value on the trade market at this time of year for a number of reasons.

As Kypreos mentions Gudas has been fairly consistent for the Flyers this season, playing well overall, he brings a ton of grit to the table, and he currently still has an additional year remaining on his contract after this current season at a very reasonable cap hit. Gudas counts for just $3.35 million against the cap each season and with one more year of control on his current deal the Flyers will want a strong offer before they consider pulling the trigger on a trade deal for Gudas.