Bjornfot was drafted 22nd overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2019 NHL Draft and has struggled to become a full-time NHLer, bouncing between the NHL and the AHL. The 25-year-old defenseman spent most of 2025-26 in the AHL, scoring 12 points (4G / 8A) in 33 games with the Charlotte Checkers.
Once one of the NHL's premier defensive forwards, Eller has settled into a much smaller role in recent seasons but remains an effective fourth-line option with strong penalty-kill effectiveness. The 37-year-old Danish forward scored 15 points (5G / 10A) last season in 68 games with the Ottawa Senators.
Lafferty is a serviceable fourth-line player who was regularly a healthy scratch for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2025-26 season. The veteran 31-year-old forward scored two points (1G / 1A) last season in 29 games.
Petrovic was drafted 36th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and will return to the team after departing in the 2018-19 season. The 34-year-old Petrovic has primarily played in the AHL since leaving Florida, but he has become a reliable depth defender for the Dallas Stars over the past two seasons. He scored 10 points (2G / 8A) in 54 games last season.
Scwindt was a third-round pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and has begun to make his presence felt at the NHL level over the past two seasons. The 25-year-old forward scored seven points (5G / 2A) last season in 29 games with the Florida Panthers.
Vilmanis, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, made his NHL debut in the 2025-26 season, recording five points (3G / 2A) in 19 games with the Panthers. That said, the 22-year-old forward spent most of last season in the AHL, where he picked up 38 points (17G / 21A) in 48 games with the Charlotte Checkers.
Just hours before Wednesday's Free Agent signing window, Florida had announced through their social media account that Radko Gudas has signed a six-year deal worth $1.5M AAV ($9.0M total). The 36-year-old bruising defender is entering his 15th NHL season and will return to Florida for a 4th campaign after spending 2020-2023 in a Panthers' uniform. In 2025-26, he had two goals, 13 points and 67 PIMs in 56 games while being a steady veteran presence on Anaheim's blueline.
Luostarinen has become a very reliable and effective middle-six forward for the Panthers, earning himself an eight-year, $40 million contract extension ($5.0M AAV). The 27-year-old Finnish forward, a second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, scored 33 points (11G / 22A) in 73 games last season.
Crookshank has spent most of the past two seasons in the AHL and will add some organizational depth to the Florida Panthers' forward group. The 26-year-old scored 36 points (24G / 12A) last season in 60 games with the Utica Comets (AHL).
The Panthers entered the postseason with neither of their goaltenders from the previous season under contract. Now, after acquiring Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, they completed their goaltending tandem on Tuesday by acquiring Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils. The 36-year-old Markstrom has struggled with consistency throughout his career and is coming off an unencouraging 2025-26 season, during which he posted a pedestrian 3.07 GAA and .883 SV% in 44 appearances (23-19-1). That said, he will be joining a stronger defensive Florida Panthers team and hopes to return to the form he has had in previous seasons.
The Panthers entered the postseason with neither of their goaltenders from the previous season under contract, looking to revamp the position, and Schmid was their first acquisition. The 26-year-old Schmid spent most of the 2025-26 season with the Vegas Golden Knights, earning a career-high 34 starts due to numerous injuries above him on the team's goaltending depth chart. That said, he was serviceable when called upon, posting a 2.59 GAA and .893 SV% with a 16-10-6 record.
After three seasons in Anaheim, Gudas is set to become a UFA on Wednesday. Florida acquired his negotiating so they can get a head start on bringing him back. Gudas played with the Panthers from 2021 to 2023, where ehe had 44 points (7G / 37A) but more importantly for his brand of hockey, 917 hits and 314 blocked shots. He would likely settle into a third-pairing role if he signs with the Panthers at age-36.
The hard-hitting Florida Panthers added some additional toughness to their lineup, acquiring Hathaway from the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick. The 34-year-old forward is coming off his worst offensive season, scoring only three points (1G / 2A) in 66 games, but his physical presence remained, tallying 59 penalty minutes and 252 hits.
After eight seasons in the Nation's Capital, Brady Tkachuk will join his brother Matthew in Florida after the Panthers acquired the 26-year-old from Ottawa for the No.9 overall pick, No.25 overall pick, 2029 1st round pick and 2030 2nd round pick. Tkachuk is coming off a media filled, injury-riddled eighth season in Ottawa in 2025-26, where the captain put up 22 goals, 59 points and 221 SOG in 60 games played. He is expected to be a key part of Florida's future for years to come.
Pieniniemi was a third-round pick of the Penguins in 2023, and he spent the 2025-26 season splitting time between the AHL and ECHL. He spent most of the year with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), where he had 11 points (6G / 5A) in 26 games.
Gudas was limited to only 9:40 time-on-ice in Game One against the Utah Mammoth due to an undisclosed injury and has not played since. He was originally listed as a game-time decision for Game One against the Vegas Golden Knights, but has yet to make his series debut, missing his 10th consecutive game. The 35-year-old defenseman also missed significant time in the final weeks of the regular season, and it is unclear if he will be an option for Game Six.
