The Florida Panthers got the numbers on two of their offseason moves Friday, and both contracts are built the same way: short term, modest cap hit, and a path that keeps each player in the mix without locking the club in long term.
Forward Cole Schwindt is set on a two-year deal that carries an $875,000 cap hit. It’s a one-way contract, and it takes him right to unrestricted free agency.
Schwindt will make $850,000 this year and $900,000 in 2027-28. After being claimed off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights, he skated in 29 games for Florida and chipped in five goals and seven points.
Defenseman Alex Petrovic also landed a two-year contract with an $875,000 cap hit. He’ll earn $850,000 this year and $900,000 in 2027-28. The 34-year-old had ten points in 54 games with the Dallas Stars in 2025-26 before returning to Florida.
Around the league, Alex Ovechkin is sticking around, which means the Panthers will see The Great 8 at least three more times next season. The Washington Capitals announced that the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer has signed a one-year contract worth $4.25 million against the salary cap. Ovechkin finished the 2025-26 campaign with 32 goals and 32 assists after a slow start.
Montreal also locked up a key piece, agreeing to terms with goaltender Jakub Dobes on a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $5,357,575. The deal runs from 2027-28 through 2029-30 and keeps the 25-year-old in Montreal beyond his current entry-level contract, which has one year left.
Former Panthers defenseman Erik Gudbranson is headed back to Columbus on a one-year, $1.75 million deal with the Blue Jackets for the 2026-27 season. The 34-year-old appeared in 37 games for Columbus last season.
Minnesota was busy Thursday, too, adding forward Blake Coleman and defenseman Olli Maatta in a trade with the Calgary Flames while also re-signing defenseman Zach Bogosian for $1.25 million and right winger Nick Foligno for $900,000 on one-year deals. The Wild also signed forward Maxim Shabanov after he shook free from the New York Islanders.
In the trade with Minnesota, Calgary picked up defenseman Jake Middleton and three draft picks, including a second-rounder in 2029. The Flames also agreed to retain 50% of the $4.9 million Coleman is owed in the final year of his contract.
Ottawa added to its goaltending depth by signing Levi Meriläinen to a new one-year contract worth $1.1 million. Meriläinen stepped into the backup role in 2024-25 after Linus Ullmark was injured and delivered an 8-3-1 record, a .925 save percentage and three shutouts.
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Sergei Bobrovsky Breaks Silence On Emotional Panthers Exit
After seven seasons in South Florida, Sergei Bobrovsky is finally talking about the end of his run with the Panthers, and the tone is unmistakably appreciative. The veteran goalie said he was grateful for the organizations support during his time in Florida, even as the sides were unable to work out an extension, closing the book on a stretch that made him one of the defining figures of the franchises recent rise.
Bobrovsky also sounded energized about what comes next, describing the move to Toronto as the next chapter in a long career. There was even a small welcome from first overall pick Gavin McKenna, who made a gesture involving Bobrovskys jersey number, a reminder that even amid a major transition, the little details can help ease the shift into a new room. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Add Another Low-Cost Blue Line Option Fans Will Debate
The Panthers have been active in the minor-league free agent market, joining a wave of teams making low-cost depth additions to bolster their organizational pipeline. One of the more familiar names in that group is defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, who is coming back into the fold on a one-year, two-way deal for the 2026-27 season, a move that fits the kind of practical, no-frills business Florida has often done around its AHL roster.
For Panthers fans, the appeal is obvious enough: Fitzgerald is not being brought in to change the NHL picture overnight, but to give Charlotte another experienced blue-line option and add a player the organization already knows well. He is two years removed from his first stint with Floridas system, and his previous run with Charlotte gave the Panthers a solid sample of what he can provide at that level, which is exactly why this sort of signing tends to draw a split reaction between those who like the depth and those who want a bigger swing. [Read more 🡒]