Florida Panthers sign Will Lockwood to two-year contract

Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito announced that the club has signed free agent forward Will Lockwood to a two-year, two-way contract worth $1.5 million. According to CapFriendly, the contract will have an average annual value (AAV) of $775,000 USD.

Lockwood spent the 2022-23 season split between the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League (AHL). Lockwood registered a combined 17 goals and 13 assists for 30 points in 43 games.

The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, product was initially drafted by the Vancouver Canucks No. 64 overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. Lockwood spent four seasons playing for the University of Michigan in the NCAA and was captain of the Wolverines in 2019-20, ranking second on the team in points with nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 33 games. In his junior season, he was named the Big 10 First Star of the Week. Throughout his four-year NCAA tenure, he collected 37 goals and 48 assists for 85 points in 115 games.

On the international stage, Lockwood represented the United States at the 2016 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship, amassing one goal and six assists for seven points, capturing a bronze medal. Lockwood won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Junior Championship.

Lockwood made his NHL debut in 2020-21, playing two games with the Canucks. That same season, he also suited up for the Utica Comets of the AHL, notching four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 24 games. The 5-foot-11, 172-pound winger has appeared in a total of 28 NHL games, registering just one assist.