Panthers Day 1 free agency tracker: Florida adds former All-Star defenseman, loses Gudas
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The Florida Panthers were playing in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final less than three weeks ago, but the offseason is already in full swing and will be just about wrapped up by the end of the weekend.
Free agency opens at noon on Saturday and teams across the NHL will move fast to reshape their rosters.
The Panthers have a clear target to shoot for after the way June ended. Florida needs to get better to compete Golden Knights and will try to do it through free agency, trades and a few important extensions.
What will happen when free agency begins? Updates will be posted here throughout Day 1 of free agency.
Free agency guide: Panthers’ focus on long-term certainty will dictate this offseason
4:20 p.m.: Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov’s deal with the Panthers is just for one year.
Florida has only handed out two multi-year deals so far Saturday.
3:55 p.m.: Anthony Stolarz’s deal with the Panthers is for one year and $1.1 million.
He’ll be the third-string goalie behind fellow goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight after goaltender Alex Lyon got a two-year deal from the Red Wings.
3:40 p.m.: Dmitry Kulikov is having a reunion with the team that drafted him.
The Panthers are bringing back the 32-year-old defenseman, the Toronto Star reported. He was a first-round pick by Florida back in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and finished last season with the Penguins.
Kulikov is the fifth defenseman to sign with the Panthers on Saturday, joining Niko Mikkola, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Mike Reilly and Lucas Carlsson, who re-signed with Florida on a two-way deal.
3:05 p.m.: The Panthers officially announced the signing of Mike Reilly. The defenseman is coming to Florida on a one-year deal.
This leaves goaltender Anthony Stolarz, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and center Kevin Stenlund as the only signings left to be announced.
2:50 p.m.: Three signings are official so far for the Panthers: defenseman Niko Mikkola on a three-year deal, left wing Grigori Denisenko on a two-year deal and defenseman Lucas Carlsson on a one-year, two-way deal.
Florida has not yet made announcements on goaltender Anthony Stolarz, defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Mike Reilly or center Kevin Stenlund.
The Panthers are down to less than $2 million in cap space left to work with, depending on exact terms.
2:30 p.m.: Defenseman Lucas Carlsson is returning to the Panthers on a one-year, two-way deal, giving Florida another depth option on defense with star defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour expected to miss the start of next year with injuries.
The 25-year-old Swede only played in two NHL games last year, but appeared in 40 the year before and has been a standout in the American Hockey League.
2:05 p.m.: The Panthers have given out their first long-term deal of the offseason to defenseman Niko Mikkola.
The 27-year-old Finn is heading to Florida on a three-year, $7.5 million deal, PuckPedia.com reported. He finished last season with the Rangers.
With Radko Gudas headed to the Ducks and fellow defenseman Marc Staal also a free agent, the Panthers have now added multiple bottom-pairing defenseman to compete for playing time, and help fill the void they’ll face at the start of the season when star defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour are out with injuries.
Mikkola and fellow defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson are the only two players to receive deals worth more than $1 million annually — Ekman-Larsson is getting $2.25 million for one year — from Florida so far Saturday.
1:55 p.m.: Grigori Denisenko is staying with the Panthers on a two-year, one-way deal, agent Dan Milstein announced. His new deal is worth $1.55 million across two years.
The left wing has yet to carve out a consistent role in Florida, but did play in the final game of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final when superstar right wing Matthew Tkachuk was out with a fractured sternum.
A big opportunity lies ahead now for the 23-year-old Russian, who has played in just 26 NHL games in the last three seasons, while appearing in 101 in the American Hockey League. There’s playing time to be had in the Panthers’ bottom six, as centers Colin White and Eric Staal are both free agents.
Denisenko, who was a first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, was a restricted free agent and Florida made a qualifying offer for him Friday.
1:50 p.m.: Another former Panther has found a new home. Left wing Givani Smith is headed to the Sharks.
This isn’t surprising. Florida did not extend a qualifying offer to the 25-year-old Canadian on Friday and he fell out of the Panthers’ lineup for most of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs after playing 34 games in the regular season.
Smith is getting a two-year, $1.6 million contract from San Jose.
1:40 p.m.: Alex Lyon, who stepped up at the end of last season when fellow goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight were out, is finally going to get an expanded opportunity.
The goaltender, who spent last year on a two-way deal with the Panthers, is headed to the Red Wings on a two-year, $1.8 million deal.
Florida already agreed to a one-year deal with Anthony Stolarz, according to multiple reports, to be Lyon’s replacement as the third-string goalie.
1:25 p.m.: The Panthers keep adding more depth. Defenseman Mike Reilly is headed to Florida on a one-year, $1 million deal, The Sports Network reported.
The 29-year-old American played 10 games for the Bruins last year and has appeared in 339 NHL games across eight seasons.
1:20 p.m.: The top defenseman on the market is headed to the Hurricanes.
Defenseman Dimitry Orlov is signing with Carolina, The Sports Network reported. The 31-year-old Russian was a top-four defenseman for the Bruins last year.
If they are going to find a no-doubt top-four defenseman this offseason, the Panthers will have to do it via trade.
12:50 p.m.: Radko Gudas was a fan favorite in Sunrise and an important part of the Panthers’ turnaround for the last three years, but the defenseman will not be returning to Florida next season.
The 33-year-old Czech is headed to the Ducks on a three-year, $12 million deal, Sportsnet reported.
Ultimately, the price and length of Gudas’ deal was a bit too steep for the Panthers for a third-pairing defenseman. Florida instead signed defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, according to multiple reports, to a one-year, $2.25 million deal, giving them more room to lock up as much of their core as possible to extensions, as about half a dozen key players are set to become free agents next year.
12:30 p.m.: The Panthers are filling out some goaltending depth and signing goaltender Anthony Stolarz to a one-year deal, The Hockey News reported.
With goaltender Alex Lyon now a free agent, Stolarz gives Florida another veteran third-string goalie as insurance behind fellow goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight, who’s expected to be with the team for the start of next year after spending the end of last season in the NHL’s and NHL Players’ Association’s joint player assistance program.
Stolarz, 29, has played 81 NHL games in his career.
12:15 p.m.: The Panthers need to restock their forward depth with centers Colin White and Eric Staal both free agents, and they’ve found one replacement.
Kevin Stenlund, who spent last year on a two-way deal with the Jets and appeared in five postseason games for Winnipeg, is headed to Florida on a one-year, $1 million deal, Sportsnet reported.
The 26-year-old Swede was a second-round pick by the Blue Jackets in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, when general manager Bill Zito was working in Columbus’ front office, and has 17 goals and 12 assists in 125 games in the NHL. Last year, he had six goals and three assists in 54 games in the regular season.
Noon: NHL free agency is officially open.
The Panthers are expected to officially sign defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson shortly, according to multiple reports, and then they’ll have about $8 million in cap space left to spend.
11:05 a.m.: Free agency doesn’t technically begin until noon, but the Panthers are already closing in on some defensive help.
Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is set to sign with Florida on a one-year deal once free agency begins, The Sports Network reported.
The 31-year-old Swede is a former All-Star — he made the NHL All-Star Game in 2015 and 2018 with the Coyotes — and scored two goals and had 20 assists in 54 games for the Canucks last season. He’ll make $2.25 million next season, still leaving the Panthers with about $8 million in cap space. Vancouver bought him out of his contract, which was supposed to run to 2027, last month.
Effectively, Ekman-Larsson works as a replacement for 33-year-old defenseman Radko Gudas, who made $2.5 million last year and is set to test free agency, searching for one last long-term deal.
11 a.m.: The good news for the Panthers as they begin free agency is it would be very easy to just bring back basically the exact same team they had last year, if they want.
Florida has about $10 million in cap space and only five players from its active roster in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final — backup goaltender Alex Lyon, bottom-three defensemen Radko Gudas and Marc Staal, and bottom-six forwards Colin White and Eric Staal — are about to become unrestricted free agents.
The Panthers’ only other pending free agents to appear in a postseason game are defenseman Casey Fitzgerald and left wing Givani Smith. Right wing Patric Hornqvist is also about to become a free agent, but Florida is hoping to keep the 36-year-old Swede with the organization in some capacity, as his playing career is likely over after sustaining a pair of concussions last season.
The Panthers did not extend qualifying offers to White or Smith on Friday. Left wing Grigori Denisenko, who also played in the final game of the Cup Final, is about to become a restricted free agent after receiving a qualifying offer Friday.
Free agency opens at noon.
