Panthers Free Agency: Who’s Staying, Who’s Coming, and Who’s Gone? Day 1 Recap
A day after celebrating their first Stanley Cup championship, Florida Panthers’ president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito began navigating the free agent market. Florida had 11 unrestricted free agents and two restricted free agents. By the end of Monday, significant roster changes occurred, mostly affecting depth players. Here’s a summary of Day 1 moves:
Who Stayed?
– Sam Reinhart: The All-Star winger, who scored 57 goals in the regular season and 10 in the playoffs, signed an eight-year, $69 million extension, keeping him with the Panthers through the 2031-32 season.
– Dmitry Kulikov: The veteran defenseman re-signed for four years with an average cap hit of $1.15 million. After his first seven seasons with the Panthers and moving between teams for seven more seasons, Kulikov returned to Florida last season on a one-year deal and played on the third defense pairing, helping win the Cup.
Who’s Coming?
– Tomas Nosek: The veteran winger signed a one-year, $775,000 deal to help replenish the Panthers’ fourth-line depth. Nosek has 107 points in 434 NHL games and experience on the penalty kill.
– A.J. Greer: Greer signed to compete for a fourth-line spot.
Who’s Gone?
– Brandon Montour: The defenseman, crucial on Florida’s second pairing and power play, signed a seven-year, $70 million deal with the Seattle Kraken.
– Oliver Ekman-Larsson: After a resurgence with the Panthers, the veteran defenseman signed a four-year, $14 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
– Anthony Stolarz: The goaltender joined Toronto on a two-year, $5 million deal after being part of a dominant goalie duo with Sergei Bobrovsky.
– Kevin Stenlund: Key on the penalty kill and as the fourth-line center, Stenlund signed a two-year, $4 million deal with Utah.
– Ryan Lomberg: The speedy, physical winger signed a two-year, $4 million deal with Calgary after three seasons as an NHL regular with the Panthers.
Who’s Still Unsigned?
As of 3:30 p.m. Monday, the following unrestricted free agents from last season remain unsigned:
– Vladimir Tarasenko: Acquired at the trade deadline, Tarasenko scored five playoff goals and won his second Stanley Cup, earning $5 million last season.
– Nick Cousins: Known for his physicality and grit, Cousins spent the past two seasons fluctuating within Florida’s lineup.
– Kyle Okposo: After 17 seasons, Okposo won his first Stanley Cup following his acquisition at the trade deadline.
– Steven Lorentz: Acquired last offseason, Lorentz was a positive presence in the locker room and can play both center and wing.
