George Richards, FHN Publisher
The Florida Panthers have not made many moves this offseason but on Friday afternoon, the team announced it signed veteran forward Luke Kunin to a one-year deal.
Kunin, 27, is from the St. Louis area and grew up with Matthew Tkachuk.
His signing Friday came just as news popped that Tkachuk had surgery to repair his sports hernia and adductor muscle.
With Kunin on board, it appears Florida’s opening 23-man roster is set.
He should be just the third newcomer to come out of training camp joining defenseman Jeff Petry and goalie Daniil Tarasov.
Kunin will not only add depth to Florida’s bottom-6, but was praised by general manager Bill Zito for his leadership skills. In his younger years, Kunin was represented by Zito.
The 27-year-old forward can play center but was used mostly on the right side last season when he played for the Sharks and Blue Jackets.
Originally a first-round pick by Minnesota (15th) in 2016, Kunin has played in 434 NHL games with the Wild, Nashville, San Jose, and Columbus.
Last year, he was a deadline acquisition by the Blue Jackets and was reunited with coach Dean Evason whom he played for in Minnesota.
“Dean liked him as a player, a very trustworthy player,” Columbus GM Don Waddell said last year. “He’s a coach’s dream as far as he’ll do what we asked him to do. Having that experience also goes a long way and when I talked to Luke, he was excited about being here.”
The expectation is that Florida will have Mackie Samoskevich and Jesper Boqvist battle for playing time on the second line with Matthew Tkachuk out at least into January.
Kunin would be vying for time on the fourth line where AJ Greer, Tomas Nosek, and Jonah Gadjovich all return.
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2024 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 2025
FLORIDA PANTHERS
ON DECK
- NHL Free Agency: Opened June 1
- Panthers Rookie Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Early September
- Prospect Showcase @ Tampa Bay Lightning: Starts September 12, Wesley Chapel
- Training Camp: Mid-September
- Exhibition Games: Starts Sept. 21 @ Nashville (doubleheader)
- Championship Ring Celebration: Oct. 6; Time/Site TBA
- Opening Night: Oct 7 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 5 p.m.
- Complete Florida Panthers 2025-26 Schedule