The Florida Panthers added some center depth on the opening day of NHL free agency, signing forward Johnny Beecher to a one-year, two-way contract.
The deal comes with an NHL cap hit of $850,000, a minor-league salary of $525,000 and a guaranteed salary of $575,000 through the 2026-27 season.
Beecher reaches Florida as an unrestricted free agent after the Calgary Flames passed on giving him a qualifying offer by Monday evening’s deadline. He had just finished a one-year deal with the Boston Bruins that carried a cap hit of $900,000.
His 2025-26 season bounced around. Beecher opened the year in Boston, but after six games the Bruins put him on waivers in November.
Calgary claimed the Elmira, N.Y. native, and he spent the rest of the season there. Injuries and a suspension cut into what looked like a chance for heavier usage on a thin roster, and he ended up playing 29 games for the Flames.
In Calgary, he produced two goals and four assists for six points, went minus-5 and averaged 10:26 of ice time per game. Across 35 total games, he finished with three goals and seven points, a minus-6 rating and 10:25 of average TOI.
That was a step back for Beecher after he had been a regular in Boston over the previous two seasons. He put up 11 points in 78 games for the Bruins during the 2024-25 campaign.
For Florida, he could compete for minutes in a bottom-six role, though an American Hockey League stint also appears likely.
In 165 regular-season NHL games, Beecher has 13 goals and 28 points. He also has two points in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games with Boston, along with 16 goals and 37 points in 93 AHL games.
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