- Panthers center Tomas Nosek left today’s preseason game early after colliding with the boards following a trip, notes team reporter Jameson Olive (Twitter link). While he briefly tried to return later in the period, he ultimately didn’t return to the contest. Nosek is in his first season in Florida after signing a one-year deal with them in free agency. The 32-year-old battled injury trouble last season, missing 43 games due to four separate issues, managing just six points in 36 appearances when he did suit up.
Panthers Rumors
Poll: Who Will Win The Atlantic Division In 2024-25?
The NHL’s Atlantic Division had been a clear-cut case of the have-and-have-nots for the past few seasons. That’s begun to change, though, with the Sabres finishing one point out of a playoff spot in 2022-23 and the Red Wings losing out on a playoff spot thanks to a tiebreaker in 2023-24.
The basement is rising, and the ceiling is falling. The Panthers, Maple Leafs, Bruins and Lightning have all made the playoffs for multiple years in a row, but at least one of those streaks could end with most of the division’s other half expecting to challenge to end their postseason droughts.
In most eyes, the safest spot belongs to that of the defending Stanley Cup champion. Only two teams in the salary cap era, the 2006-07 Hurricanes and the 2014-15 Kings, missed the playoffs after winning it all the previous season.
There’s little reason to suggest the Panthers will join that list. They have lost key names on the back end in Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson and haven’t landed surefire replacements. But Adam Boqvist and Nate Schmidt are now in the mix and will work with returnees Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola to help replace the losses by committee.
But up front and in goal, they’re still one of the league’s scariest teams. Little has changed from the top end of Florida’s championship-caliber forward core aside from the departure of trade deadline pickup Vladimir Tarasenko. Sergei Bobrovsky is back between the pipes with a high-ceiling option at backup in 2019 first-rounder Spencer Knight.
The Maple Leafs didn’t embark on a full retool after yet another first-round heartbreaker. But they’re arguably in a much better position to contend for the division title – and a Stanley Cup – after a free-agency shopping spree landed them Ekman-Larsson, Chris Tanev, and Jani Hakanpää on the back end. Their forward corps largely remains intact, although they will be counting on some depth names to step up and replace the loss of top-six winger Tyler Bertuzzi. Their goaltending is improved as well with Anthony Stolarz, the league’s best backup with the Panthers last year, in to replace the hot-and-cold Ilya Samsonov.
Over the past couple of seasons, the Bruins’ fate has hinged on the back of spectacular goaltending by Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. The latter is out the door to a division rival, and the former remains unsigned amid a contract stalemate that doesn’t appear to be ending soon. That could cause serious issues early on for Boston, which did well in replacing its departing UFAs with new faces but still has concerns about depth scoring. Their No. 1 option between the pipes for now is Joonas Korpisalo, who posted a .890 SV% in 55 games for the Sens last year and is a historically below-average netminder over his 276-game NHL career.
The Lightning may have lost Steven Stamkos but replaced him with the younger Jake Guentzel, who’s produced at the same level as the former captain over the past two seasons. Outside of Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov, and Brandon Hagel, their wing depth is concerningly thin. But they still have a solid one-two-three punch down the middle, have an all-world netminder in Andrei Vasilevskiy, and did well to rebalance their defense this summer by reacquiring Ryan McDonagh from the Predators.
After the Ullmark acquisition, the Senators may be the Atlantic rebuilder best positioned to reclaim a playoff spot in 2025. They addressed their biggest weakness, added some solid top-nine scoring depth in Michael Amadio and David Perron, and improved their depth at right defense by recouping solid stay-at-home presence Nick Jensen while parting ways with Jakob Chychrun.
The Red Wings will undoubtedly be in the conversation, too, after finishing tantalizingly close to a playoff spot in 2024. But they did little to address a porous defense that made them one of the league’s worst possession teams last season and paid to unload arguably their best shutdown defender, Jake Walman, on the Sharks. Their scoring depth is in good shape after signing Tarasenko, and their goaltending has some decent veteran tandem options, but whether a defense that took a step back on paper can be salvaged by top-10 picks Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson remains to be seen.
The Sabres are also chomping at the bit to return to playoff action for the first time in 13 years. Injuries decimated them last season, and they’re hoping an overhauled bottom-six forward group now oozing with two-way responsibility can give them the roster makeup they need. Familiar face Lindy Ruff is back behind the bench, too.
The Canadiens, while seemingly on track in their rebuild, are likely to be the only non-factor in the Atlantic in a welcome change of pace. Their next wave is still a year or two out, although a potential full season of 20-year-old Lane Hutson on the blue line will be a story to watch. Some added scoring after picking up Patrik Laine in a trade with Columbus should boost their record, too, but not much above their 76-point finish last season.
So, we ask you, PHR readers, who do you think will have locked down the No. 1 spot in the Atlantic at the end of the regular season? Let us know by voting in the poll below:
Mobile users, click here to vote!
Kyle Okposo Announces Retirement
Longtime New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres winger Kyle Okposo has announced his retirement from the NHL in an open letter, released by agency CAA Hockey. In the letter, Okposo recounted his dreams of pursuing the NHL and the deep relationships he was able to form around the league. Okposo will be ending a decorated career, encompassing 17 NHL seasons, 1,051 games, and as of a few months ago, one Stanley Cup.
Okposo was originally selected seventh overall by the Islanders in the 2006 NHL Draft, after winning the 2006 USHL Clark Cup Championship with the Des Moines Buccaneers. He followed the draft with two productive years at the University of Minnesota, combining for 51 points in 58 games, before turning pro in the second-half of the 2007-08 season. Okposo’s production quickly translated to the AHL flight, and he earned his first NHL call-up after 35 games and 28 points in Bridgeport.
Once he was called up, Okposo didn’t look back – netting five points in his first nine NHL games, then more formally scoring 18 goals and 39 points in 65 games during his rookie season. He jumped up to New York’s second line and held his spot proudly, routinely challenging 20 goals and 50 points – peaking with a career-high 27 goals and 69 points in the 2013-14 season. Few wingers were as reliable as Okposo, and he carried that responsibility through a move to the Buffalo Sabres in 2016 – signing a seven-year deal in what was his only experience on the free agent market.
Okposo joined a Sabres team quickly approaching rock bottom. They did not once make the postseason during Okposo’s eight years with the club, but that didn’t dissuade him from latching on to his patented role in the lineup. Even through challenges with routine concussions, Okposo stood as a routine scorer, challenging 45 points every time he was able to play in a full season with the Sabres.
The consistent persistence earned Okposo the Sabres’ captaincy in 2022, succeeding Jack Eichel after his move to Vegas. Okposo wore the ’C’ for the next two seasons. But with the then-35-year-old quickly approaching his final skates, the Sabres made the difficult decision to trade their captain at the 2024 Trade Deadline, moving him to a team capable of running towards the Stanley Cup.
And thus, Okposo joined the red-hot Florida Panthers, with a fifth-round pick and the rights to defender Calle Sjalin headed back to Buffalo. Okposo filled the role of 13th-forward for Florida, only slotting into six regular season games and failing to record a point. But his energy proved invaluable in the postseason, where he appeared in 17 games and found a way to make a noticeable impact despite recording just two assists. The hard work paid off, and in his first postseason appearance since 2016 – Okposo won the Stanley Cup.
He’ll end his career on that high, but it’s hard to think his eager personality will stay away from the league for long. He hinted at that in his retirement announcement, sharing, “Thirty years of playing hockey was incredible… I believe the game is in a great place right now, but the possibilities are vast. I’m looking forward to continuing to contribute to the games as it reaches new heights.”
Panthers Invite Aiden McDonough To Training Camp
- The Panthers have brought in forward Aidan McDonough on a PTO for training camp, relays David Dwork of The Hockey News (Twitter link). The 24-year-old had a strong college career at Northeastern University and went straight to the NHL after that, getting in six games with Vancouver late in the 2022-23 season. McDonough spent last season with AHL Abbotsford but only managed 11 goals and eight assists in 59 games, resulting in a non-tender back in June.
Panthers Sign John Leonard To PTO
After inking Matt Luff to a tryout last week, the Panthers aren’t done dipping their toes into the PTO market. They’ve also signed forward John Leonard to a tryout, per their training camp roster released Tuesday.
Leonard, 26, already has a contract for 2024-25 with Florida’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. He’ll remain in the organization even if he doesn’t land an NHL deal from his PTO.
Leonard’s PTO allows the Panthers to get some early looks at him in training camp instead of waiting until after the AHL’s regular season starts to decide whether to rip up his minor-league pact for a two-way NHL deal. He’d settled on joining the Florida organization early in free agency, inking his deal with the Checkers on July 2 instead of holding out hope for a two-way offer from a different NHL team.
A sixth-round pick of the Sharks in 2018, Leonard has bounced around frequently in his brief professional career. He turned pro with San Jose in 2020 following his junior season at UMass, settling into a full-time NHL role in his first professional season.
Leonard didn’t earn any Calder Trophy consideration, but he was a serviceable depth winger for the Sharks, posting 13 points in 44 games with a -7 rating. He failed to lock down a full-time roster spot with the Sharks the following year, though, spending most of 2021-22 with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.
Since then, he’s suited up with a different NHL organization every year. He split 2022-23 between the Predators and AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals before spending 2023-24 with the Coyotes and AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. He’s logged just 26 NHL appearances total since his 44-game rookie season.
The likelihood of him landing a two-way deal with Florida is high, given they have four open contract slots and he’s seen NHL ice in each of the past four seasons. He’s been a serviceable top-six presence in the minors, posting 110 points in 177 career AHL contests. He also has six goals and 17 points in 70 NHL games.
Atlantic Notes: Seider, Regula, Panthers
All eyes are now on Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider after his restricted free agent counterpart inked an eight-year, $64.6MM extension on Monday to stick in Detroit long-term. Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman still doesn’t have Seider signed for this season on the eve of training camp but told reporters Tuesday he doesn’t think the two sides “are terribly far apart” on an agreement (via Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press).
Detroit has $8.75MM in projected cap space left for a Seider deal, per PuckPedia. That should be enough to get a long-term deal done, and although it would be a tight fit, they would be cap-compliant with a full 23-man roster.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported earlier this month that the Red Wings were hammering out a long-term deal with Seider, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote Monday that Yzerman might be reluctant to hand out an eight-year max deal.
Such a contract would certainly follow the recent league-wide trend of locking up core defenders to long-term deals immediately following their entry-level contract, though. A price tag similar to Raymond’s would put him in company with a pair of Atlantic Division rivals in Buffalo’s Owen Power and Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson while keeping Detroit with some financial wiggle room for now.
There’s more from the Atlantic:
- The Bruins will be without depth defenseman Alec Regula when training camp opens Wednesday, per Mark Divver of NHL.com and the New England Hockey Journal. The 24-year-old is still recovering from a “lower-body procedure.” He wasn’t expected to contend for an opening-night roster spot, but a full training camp could have helped put him higher on the list of potential in-season call-ups. The 2018 third-round pick had 26 points and a league-leading +36 rating in 55 games for the AHL’s Providence Bruins last season after being acquired from the Blackhawks in the Taylor Hall trade over the summer.
- The Panthers will be staying in their current Sunrise home for at least the next nine years after reaching a lease extension with Broward County today, the team relayed to reporters (including Colby Guy of Pucks and Palms and the Associated Press). It’s a five-year extension on their current lease at Amerant Bank Arena, which was due to expire in 2028. The agreement also includes two additional five-year extension options that could keep them there through as late as 2043.
Chris Wideman Announces Retirement
Sep. 17: Wideman officially announced his retirement on Tuesday via a statement from the Canadiens.
April 16: Through a report from Simon-Olivier Lorange of La Presse, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman has announced his retirement from the NHL. Wideman, who is currently suffering from a back injury, has not played in a game since the 2022-23 NHL season, which has likely led to the retirement.
Originally drafted with the 100th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft, Wideman would spend the next four seasons with Miami University of Ohio hockey program. Over 195 games spent with the RedHawks, Wideman would score 12 goals and 95 points in total, helping lead his team to two trips to the Frozen Four, and one National Championship appearance.
Once his time in the NCAA came to an end, Wideman joined the Senators’ AHL affiliate at the time, the Binghamton Senators. Over the next three seasons, Wideman would skate in 208 regular season games with the AHL Senators, scoring 30 goals and 130 points overall.
Thanks to his offensive performance in the AHL, Wideman managed to make his debut in Ottawa during the 2015-16 season, putting together a six-goal 13-point rookie performance over 64 games. During his sophomore year, Wideman would reach career highs in nearly every category, scoring five goals and 17 points in 76 games.
The next three years would not be as kind to Wideman, as he was traded three times during the 2018-19 season. After brief stints with the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, Wideman would finish the season spent in the AHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
His down 2018-19 season correlated with an off-ice incident that took place in the back of an Uber vehicle. At the time, a video recording was released of Wideman and six of his teammates criticizing other players and members of the coaching staff leading to a public apology from the players.
After receiving limited experience from North American teams, Wideman experienced a career resurgence overseas. Signing a one-year contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL, Wideman scored nine goals and 41 points in only 59 games.
Due to his success in Russia, the Canadiens took a flyer on Wideman’s services, signing the defenseman to a one-year, $750K contract. Both the player and team were well rewarded, as Wideman took off for four goals and 27 points in 63 games.
Unfortunately, both last year and this season have been mired by injuries, with Wideman playing his last game a little over a year ago. Throughout his career, Wideman will finish his career with 20 goals and 78 points over 219 games played.
Panthers To Sign Matt Luff To PTO
The Florida Panthers have entered the market for PTOs as they try to rebuild their forward depth from a season ago. David Dwork of The Hockey News is reporting that the Panthers have agreed to a professional tryout agreement with forward Matt Luff and he will be with the team next week.
Luff began his career with the Los Angeles Kings organization in 2016 after the team signed him out of the Ontario Hockey League. He was coming off a season with the Hamilton Bulldogs where he scored 25 goals and 49 points in 45 games. One of the major questions at the time of his signing was the limited usage of his larger frame. He was physically one of the bigger players in the OHL at the time but rarely played to his size which made him an interesting addition for a hard-nosed Kings playstyle at the time.
Most of his tenure in the Kings organization had him with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He nevertheless managed to skate in 64 games for Los Angeles from 2018-21 where he added 10 goals and 17 points overall. After a one-year stint with the Nashville Predators organization in 2021-22 Luff eventually signed on with the Detroit Red Wings where he has been ever since.
His two separate one-year deals with the Red Wings have allowed for 19 appearances at the NHL level with two goals and four points. His real fruitfulness with the Red Wings organization has been his time with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, although he’s been mired by injuries. He’s appeared in 54 games for the Griffins over the last two years while posting 18 goals and 43 points.
It will be challenging for Luff to crack a re-worked Panthers’ bottom-six but his recent success at the AHL level has at least garnered him an opportunity. Florida does not have a deep crop of forwards at the AHL level as they struggled to score last year in Charlotte. Luff will have to assume a next-man-up mentality heading into the season but at least it will be in pursuit of joining the roster of the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Summer Synopsis: Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers achieved the ultimate goal earlier this year by winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in team history. Like most champions in the salary cap era, the Panthers have their work cut out for them regarding filling out their depth options for the upcoming campaign. The team has done well in keeping most of their core talent together but the negative externalities of the team’s run of success have created some holes further down the lineup.
Draft
2-58: C Linus Eriksson, Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan)
3-97: D Matvei Shuravin, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)
4-129: C Simon Zether, Rögle BK (SHL)
6-169: C Stepan Gorbunov, Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)
6-193: F Hunter St. Martin, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
7-201: G Denis Gabdrakhmanov, Tyumenski Legion (MHL)
It was always going to be difficult for Florida to make any noise during the draft due to their lack of draft capital. The organization swung some trades to acquire additional capital but only came away with one player projected to make an impact.
Eriksson is a legitimate NHL prospect after securing a solid season last year with Djurgårdens IF. The young center scored three goals and 11 points in 29 regular season contests and showed a knack for being a physical presence in all three zones. He was a star on the international stage last season scoring seven goals and 22 points in 22 international contests while playing for Sweden’s U18 squad.
Zether is the only other draft pick from the Panthers this summer that could become a fixture in Florida’s future lineup. Zether managed 42 games in the Swedish Hockey League last year while securing four assists. Rögle also kept him around for the playoffs with the team eventually losing in the Finals.
UFA Signings
D Adam Boqvist (one-year, $775K)*
F Jesper Boqvist (one-year, $775K)*
G Chris Driedger (one-year, $795K)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (one-year, $775K)*
F A.J. Greer (two-years, $1.7MM)
D Jaycob Megna (one-year, $775K)*
F Tomas Nosek (one-year, $775K)*
D Nate Schmidt (one-year, $800K)
* denotes a two-way contract
Most of Florida’s available cap space went to Sam Reinhart and his new eight-year, $69 MM contract. The team took a similar approach to last summer to find buy-low bargains on the open market.
The organization hopes that (Adam) Boqvist and Schmidt become a buy-low bargain as the Panthers require help on their blue line. The former is not far removed from being a top defensive prospect but has seen his career hampered by injuries up to this point. He recently scored five goals and 24 points in 46 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2022-23 NHL season but the team cut him loose after only posting one goal and 10 points in 39 games last year.
Schmidt will probably have a longer leash than Boqvist on the back end due to his lengthy experience and he could even sneak into the team’s top four. Schmidt is a trustworthy defenseman as evidenced by his 50.6% career CorsiFor% and he should be a seamless fit in Florida’s playstyle.
RFA Re-Signings
F Anton Lundell (six-years, $30MM)
Lundell has been a terrific middle-six option for the Panthers since his rookie campaign three years ago. He’s already collected 216 games in Florida with 43 goals and 112 points. He gives the Panthers another offensive player who can carry responsibility in all situations. The young Finnish forward was a major tool in the Panthers capturing their first Stanley Cup earlier this year with three goals and 17 points in 24 postseason contests.
Departures
D Lucas Carlsson (San Jose, two-year, $1.6MM)
F Nick Cousins (Ottawa, one-year, $800K)
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto, four-year, $14MM)
D Casey Fitzgerald (NY Rangers, two-year, $1.55MM)*
G Magnus Hellberg (Dallas, one-year, $775K)*
F Ryan Lomberg (Calgary, two-year, $4MM)
D Brandon Montour (Seattle, seven-year, $50MM)
F Kevin Stenlund (Utah, two-year, $4MM)
G Anthony Stolarz (Toronto, two-year, $5MM)
F Vladimir Tarasenko (Detroit, two-year, $9.5MM)
*denotes a two-way contract
It was going to be next to impossible for Florida to keep around all their depth from last season and the team lost quite a bit this summer. The most concerning losses will be Montour and Ekman-Larsson on the blue line as the two combined for 17 goals and 65 points in 146 regular season games. The team still has Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad left to carry the load but the Panthers will need major improvements from other members of their defensive core to replicate that success.
The trio of Cousins, Lomberg, and Stenlund were not game-breakers in their own right but their presence will be missed. That group of forwards gave Florida a certain level of grit last year making them irritating to play against. The team should be able to replicate their tenacity throughout the season and at the trade deadline but it seems like an edge they’re missing headed into this year.
Salary Cap Outlook
The Panthers have a similar situation to last year with only $766K in cap space heading into the regular season. The team will continue to accrue cap space throughout the regular season and should be able to upgrade their roster once the trade deadline rolls around. The team’s core is still intact meaning they won’t need to add any high-level talent via trade this year so they are in a good position to be competitive again. Nex summer could be dramatic as Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Carter Verhaeghe are expected to reach unrestricted free agency.
Key Questions
Where Will The Physicality Come From? Florida was one of the most physical teams last year with 12 players recording more than 100 hits on the year. Four of those players left via free agency meaning the Panthers will need to supplant the missing toughness. It has become a part of their team identity and a tool for their success. Megna is the only addition from this offseason that could reach 100 hits throughout an entire regular season but this already feels like something the team will need to address at the trade deadline.
What Is The Plan For Spencer Knight? It was not long ago when Knight was one of the most exciting goaltending prospects in the league. He achieved an impressive run during the 2021-22 campaign leading the Panthers to extend him on a three-year, $13.5MM contract. Sergei Bobrovsky took back the reins in a turn of events that eventually led to Knight spending the entirety of last year with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. He played well with the Checkers earning a 25-14-5 record in 45 games with a .905 SV% and is projected to play backup for Bobrovsky this season. Still, Knight’s $4.5MM salary is one of the highest in the league for a backup netminder and the cap-strapped Panthers may look to move on from him if they get a reasonable offer.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Newhook, Dach, Panthers, Khaira
Expect Alex Newhook to start the season on the wing on the Canadiens’ second line centered by Kirby Dach and flanked by Patrik Laine, says Eric Engels of Sportsnet. It may not be a long-term fit, though, as Engels cautions not to be “surprised if there’s a bit of a revolving door next to Dach and Laine as the season rolls along.” Regardless of who plays with them, early signs point to Dach shifting to center after spending a good portion of his first season in Montreal, the 2022-23 campaign, on the wing. The 23-year-old forward missed all but two games last season after tearing his ACL and MCL in his right knee.
There’s more out of the Atlantic:
- The Panthers will dip their toes into the professional tryout market soon, says David Dwork of The Hockey News. They’re on the lookout for a veteran forward, likely to compete to help replace the departures of fourth-liners Nick Cousins, Steven Lorentz, Kyle Okposo, and Kevin Stenlund over the past few months. Notable UFAs left to fill those roles that haven’t landed PTOs elsewhere include Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin, and Chris Tierney.
- Jujhar Khaira’s streak of appearing in an NHL game for the last nine seasons is in jeopardy after settling for an AHL contract today with the Lightning’s affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Khaira, 30, was once a regular bottom-six presence for the Blackhawks and Oilers around the turn of the decade but was relegated to an AHL role last season after signing a two-way deal with the Wild, making just one NHL appearance for Minnesota early in the season. In 22 games with the Iowa Wild, his first minor league action since the 2016-17 campaign, he scored five goals and added 13 assists for 18 points. His AHL deal with the Crunch could include a PTO with the Lightning, allowing him to participate in NHL training camp and attempt to earn a two-way contract with Tampa.