Florida Panthers News

Verhaeghe was forced to miss Florida's training camp skate Friday as he is day-to-day with muscle tightness but is expected to be ready for opening night after facing a similar injury last preseason. The 28-year-old left-winger had a breakout season in 2023-24 with 42 goals, 31 assists, 46 PIMs, 275 SOG and a +10 plus/minus. He is entering his fifth NHL season and has 93 goals and 177 points in 254 career games played.

Panthers GM Barry Zito did not have a definitive timetable for when Ekblad is expected to make his season debut but said it's safe to assume he'll be back between "November to January." That timeline doesn't clarify Ekblad's status, but more detailed updates could become available throughout training camp.

Both Ekblad and Brandon Montour underwent offseason shoulder surgery, and GM Bill Zito said they're "on time" and are expected to be back in "a month or two." This puts both defensemen on pace to be ready close to the start of the regular season. The Panthers play just eight games in October, so even if Ekblad misses the start of the season, he may not miss too many games.

Luostarinen had 17 goals, 26 assists, 132 SOG, 28 PIMs and a +19 plus/minus through 82 games with Florida in 2022-23 and has signed a three-year, $9 million contract extension ($3,000,000 AAV). The 24-year-old centre joined Florida after one short season in Carolina in 2020-21 and has 29 goals, 78 points and 259 SOG through 212 career games.

Fitzgerald had three assists, 13 SOG, four PIMs and a -2 plus/minus through 27 games with both Buffalo and Florida in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with the Panthers. The 26-year-old defenseman was acquired off waivers from Buffalo in 2022-23 and has nine assists and a -21 plus/minus through 63 career NHL games.

Sebrango was a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and split the 2023 season between Grand Rapids (AHL) and Toledo (ECHL). The 21-year-old was fairly deep on the Red Wings' defensive prospect depth chart, so it's not a huge loss for an organization that has invested a lot of draft capital in defensemen in recent years. During his time in the AHL, Sebrango had five goals and 13 assists (18 points) in 135 games over the last three seasons.

Bjornfot had an assist, 10 SOG, six PIMs and a +1 plus/miinus through 10 games with Los Angeles in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension ($775,000 AAV) with Los Angeles. The 22-year-old defenseman was Los Angeles first-round pick in 2019 (22nd overall) and has a goal, 15 points, 93 SOG and a 26 PIMs across 116 career NHL games through four season with the Kings.

Imama had five goals, 10 assists, 109 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus with the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with Ottawa. The 26-year-old left-winger also appeared in five games for Arizona last season but failed to pick up a point to go along with his five PIMs and -2 plus/minus. He brings a goal, 10 PIMs and nine games of NHL experience to the Senators.

Gudas spent the last three seasons in Florida, where he had some of the best seasons of his career. He doesn't offer a lot offensively, posting just 44 points (7G / 37A) in 203 games, but he's a tough, rugged defenseman that led all defensemen in hits (917) during his three years with the Panthers. Not only did he have the most hits, he had 227 more hits than second (Luke Schenn).

Hathaway had 13 goals, nine assists, 88 SOG, 69 PIMs and a +5 plus/minus through 74 games played with both Boston and Washington in 2022-23 and has agreed to a two-year contract worth $4.75 million ($2.375M AAV) with Philadelphia. The 31-year-old right winger is set to join his fourth NHL team, bringing 58 goals and 122 points through 457 career games played.

Kulikov had three goals, 13 assists, 84 SOG, 34 PIMs and a -13 plus/minus through 67 games with both Anaheim and Pittsburgh in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year contract with Florida worth $1.0 million. The 32-year-old defensemen returns to the team that originally drafted him in the first-round of the 2009 Draft (14th overall) where he had 28 goals and 138 points across seven seasons and 460 games played in Florida to begin his career.

Eller had 10 goals, 13 assists, 140 SOG, 46 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through 84 games with both Washington and Colorado in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year contract worth $4.9 million ($2.45M AAV) with Pittsburgh. The 34-year-old veteran centre is only 46 games from reaching the 1000 NHL games mark and has collected 163 goals and 371 points across his 14 year career.

Mikkola had a goal, five assists, 62 SOG, 58 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus through 81 games with both St.Louis and the New York Rangers in 2022-23 and has now signed a three-year contract worth $7.5 million ($2.5M AAV) with Florida. The 27-year-old stay-at-home defensemen will be joining his third NHL team and brings five goals and 23 points with 124 PIMs across 170 career NHL games to the Panthers.

Bastian had six goals, nine assists, 62 SOG, 31 PIMs and a +7 plus/minus through an injury riddled 2022-23, and has signed a two-year contract extension worth $2.7 million ($1.35M AAV). The 25-year-old right-winger was New Jersey's 2016 second-round pick (41st overall) and has played all but 12 of his 163 career games with the Devils.

Petrovic has been a depth member of the Stars' organization for the last two seasons, appearing in all 71 games for the Texas Stars (AHL) in back-to-back seasons. Petrovic finished the 2023 season with. 27 points (9G / 18A) in 71 games.

Balinskis is an undrafted free agent from Latvia who has spent the last three season in the Czech Extraliga. The 26-year-old blue liner had 11 goals and 24 assists (35 points) in 50 games with Liberec Bili Tygri HC in 2023. He represented Latvia in the 2022 Olympics, tallying three assists in four games.