VOORHEES, N.J. -- It’s no small miracle that Radko Gudas could actually skate his way into the Flyers' starting lineup and perhaps push Luke Schenn to the bench.
It’s been eight months since the burly defenseman, acquired from Tampa Bay in the Braydon Coburn trade deadline deal, last skated following reconstructive right knee surgery.
Now he’s going back to the city of his former club for the Flyers’ season opener on Thursday.
“I wanted to go back,” said the 25-year-old Gudas. “It’s just the cherry on top of the cake to start in Tampa. I just got to take it and play my game and play responsible.”
Gudas had been working with Evgeny Medvedev since last Friday night’s preseason game in New Jersey. Prior to then, he was with Michael Del Zotto.
Yet at Tuesday’s practice, coach Dave Hakstol had Schenn with Medvedev, alternating with Gudas.
Hakstol said he’s not sure now what that defensive pair will be on Thursday against the Lightning.
Gudas has acted as a quasi-translator for the Russian, who speaks almost no English, but does understand some Czech which helps Gudas.
“Sometimes, it’s tough,” Gudas said of the communication factor on the ice. “He is learning English and I am learning a little bit of Russian. Something between Czech, Russian and English. It’s a good thing no one else understands.
“He knows some Czech. We could communicate a little bit. Couple Czech words are similar to Russian words. My dad grew up learning Russian. He gives me a couple words, I tell him a couple. We both help each other out.”
Gudas’ long layoff affected him in camp. He’s not that mobile, but probably more mobile than Schenn. He hits hard and almost buries players when he gets a chance. He will fight. Hakstol says he brings “an edge” to his game.
“The first couple of games, I think he was shaking the rust off,” said general manager Ron Hextall. “I was certainly happy with his game in New Jersey. It was probably the best he has played. We like Radko. He is a good player. He plays hard, plays really hard.”
Gudas played in four exhibition games.
Hakstol says he still needs more work and still has some “rust” on him but he likes using Gudas as the stay-at-home defenseman with someone more fluid like Medvedev.
“To a certain degree that is what we have … one guy stay at home and one a little more two-way,” Hakstol said. “You combine that with one guy who will get up ice more with a little more offensive instincts.”
Gudas can handle working with Medvedev, given who he played with in Tampa.
“I played with Matt Carle most of the time there,” Gudas said. “Every defenseman is different. You can’t compare one to the other. They do different stuff in different situations.
“I think playing more together will make us a better pair and we can learn from each other. He skates with the puck real well and he is more offensive than me. I don’t think we compare. I am more defensive. It was pretty good to play with him the last game.”
Lineup changes
Other changes Tuesday saw Matt Read and Brayden Schenn flip-flop lines. Schenn was with Sean Couturier and Wayne Simmonds on Monday.
Now Read is there and Schenn is working with Scott Laughton and R.J. Umberger.
“Just taking a look at that,” Hakstol said. “Matt has played there a lot. I wanted to see that for one day. I would probably lean toward what we had the previous couple days.”
Hakstol said the move was not intended to benefit any player.
Incidentally, the forward lines are virtually identical to what Craig Berube used.
Laughton, who switched his jersey number from No. 49 to No. 21, represents the only change among the forwards from last season in the starting lineup right now.
Special teams
Hakstol also changed some things around on the power play, using two defensemen up top at the points instead of one.
Why he would change the best power play in the preseason and one which has been in the top-five in the NHL the last couple years is intriguing.
Hakstol explained he wants to employ a couple of different looks with his power-play units and since Couturier has missed some practice time on the second unit, wanted to get him work in different situations.
“It’s a different look,” he said. “You are looking at ways to maximize each of the two units,” Hakstol said. “We haven’t had a lot of time to work with the Couturier unit.”
That unit now is Schenn, Couturier, Laughton, Medvedev and Del Zotto.