The Florida Panthers made two of the summer’s biggest ripples, and both landed in Sportsnet’s Top 10 most impactful NHL moves made this summer.
At No. 2, the Panthers’ bombshell trade for Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators stood out as the kind of move that can reshape a team overnight. Florida had just missed the playoffs after reaching the Stanley Cup Final three straight years, and GM Bill Zito responded by going aggressive. He got Tkachuk and, in the process, reunited him with his brother Matthew.
That deal could put the Panthers right back in the conversation as Stanley Cup favourites for next season. It also carries major consequences for Ottawa.
Tkachuk, the Senators’ captain, asked out while the team was in win-now mode after back-to-back playoff appearances. With a no-move clause in play, he controlled where he was headed, and Senators general manager Steve Staios was left without leverage to bring back a position player.
The other Panthers-related entry on the list came in at No. 5: Sergei Bobrovsky moving to Toronto, along with a wave of other offseason activity.
Even at 37 and coming off a down year, Bobrovsky was still viewed as the top goalie on the market. That made him an obvious target for the Maple Leafs, who have had their share of trouble in net and saw a chance to address it immediately.
Toronto signed Bobrovsky to a three-year, $21-million deal, a clear sign that John Chayka and the Maple Leafs’ front office believe he can still anchor a winning team. And the commitment doesn’t stop there. Seven new players are expected to be in the lineup for the 2026-27 season, including 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna and defenceman Darren Raddysh.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, veteran forward Kevin Hayes agreed to a one-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL. The 34-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he appeared in only 28 games this past year and finished with four goals and eight points.
The Washington Capitals added goaltender Cal Petersen on a professional tryout agreement. Petersen spent last season with the AHL’s Iowa Wild, where he played 33 games and posted a 2.73 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage.
The Anaheim Ducks also made a move, signing right wing Cruz Lucius to a two-year, entry-level contract after acquiring him from the Pittsburgh Penguins for future considerations last week. Lucius scored 15 goals and totaled 46 points in his final season at Arizona State University.
And the New York Rangers brought back defenseman Vincent Iorio on a one-year, two-way deal worth $850K at the NHL level. The 23-year-old appeared in six games for the Rangers after being claimed off waivers from the San Jose Sharks on January 31, 2026.
In Other News...
Anton Lundell Has Become More Tied To South Florida Than Fans Realize
Anton Lundell has spent enough time in South Florida now that he sounds less like a visiting star and more like someone making a case for his adopted home. The Panthers center, who has lived in the area since his teenage years, recently talked through the Fort Lauderdale spots and routines that have become part of his off-ice life, from fishing outings to local restaurants and familiar stretches around the city.
Visit Lauderdale also tapped Lundell as an official brand ambassador, a sign of how naturally he fits the regions pitch. He pointed to the kind of attractions that sell the area to players and residents alike, with places to eat, places to get outside and events that give the market a little extra personality beyond hockey season. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers PTO History Makes This Camp Speculation Worth Watching
Training camp is about to open with Florida carrying a roster that is mostly set, but the Panthers have long been willing to leave a little room for a veteran trying to earn a spot on a professional tryout. That history is part of why the current camp chatter has some traction, especially with speculation swirling around Patrik Laine as a possible PTO candidate. Nothing has been confirmed there, but the idea fits a pattern the Panthers have used before when they saw a chance to add a proven name without locking themselves in.
The franchise has gotten real mileage out of that approach over the years, with PTO success stories that helped round out the roster at the right time. Those examples are what make this kind of camp watch worth following now, because Florida has shown it can turn an open invitation into useful depth when the fit is right. Whether this year produces another one of those finds is still unclear, but the Panthers track record gives the speculation a little more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Are Back In Cup Talk But One Concern Still Lingers
After missing the 2026 playoffs, Florida is suddenly back in the thick of Cup conversation heading into the 2026-27 NHL season. Sports Illustrateds betting experts have the Panthers as the favorite to win the 2027 Stanley Cup, a reflection of how much confidence has grown around a roster still built around Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk but now fortified by a busy offseason that changed the look of the team.
The surge in belief has been matched by the market, with Floridas championship odds moving from +1100 to +650. Brady Tkachuk and Jacob Markstrom headline the new additions, and the Panthers clearly spent the summer trying to close the gap that showed up when last season slipped away, even if one lingering question still hangs over how far this version can go. [Read more 🡒]