Panthers sign Luke Kunin to one-year contract

The Stanley Cup champions have added a little bit of depth to their forward group.

On Friday, Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito announced that the team has signed forward Luke Kunin to a one-year contract for the 2025-26 season. The terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed.

Zito states that there are a few characteristics that will make Kunin a helpful asset in Sunrise.

“Luke is a physical and highly competitive forward,” Zito explained in a release, “Who possesses excellent leadership abilities and strong character.”

Kunin comes to Florida after finishing his one-year contract that she signed with the San Jose Sharks in June 2024. That deal had a cap hit of $2.75 million. He started his third season with the Sharks, playing in 63 games. However, right before the NHL Trade Deadline, Kunin was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft.

The 27-year-old ended up playing 12 games for the Blue Jackets before the end of the regular season, but failed to register a point. In 75 total games, Kunin scored 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points, with a plus/minus rating of -28.

The Panthers will be the fifth team Kunin will be a part of in his NHL career. He began with the Minnesota Wild, the team that took him in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft, during the 2017-18 campaign. Kunin was later traded to the Nashville Predators in October 2020 in the deal that sent Nick Bonino to the Wild.

After just two seasons in Smashville, the Chesterfield, Mo. native was dealt to the Sharks for John Leonard and a pick in July 2022.

In 434 regular-season affairs in the NHL, Kunin has potted 73 goals and 69 assists for 142 points, also scoring five points in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games.